After rolling out a full year of festivities last year on the Fifty Fathoms’ 70th anniversary, Blancpain has now shifted the spotlight to the Fifty Fathom’s slimmer counterpart in the dive watch lineup, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. 

The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe was first introduced in 1956. This model was designed to cater to both professional divers and civilian enthusiasts, following the success of the classic Fifty Fathoms introduced in 1953. Thereafter, the modern iteration of the Bathyscaphe was reintroduced in 2013 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms series. In the contemporary era, Blancpain combines the heritage of the original model with modern advancements in watchmaking technology.

Growing from strength to strength, the Bathyscaphe collection features a range of functions, materials and sizes, and now arrives at its newest milestone, featuring a bracelet made entirely in high-tech ceramic. As such, the Bathyscaphe is now dressed in ceramic across a range of styles, encompassing models from the time-only to the flyback chronograph and the complete calendar. This introduction not only marks the debut of the first all-ceramic Bathyscaphe but also the first ceramic bracelet within the broader Blancpain collection.

A triple calendar in full ceramic

By and large, dive watches are typically utilitarian and wonderfully austere in design. This makes it rare for complications other than a simple date to be included. Needless to say, it’s even more uncommon to find the more sophisticated features such as the complete calendar and moonphase. This makes the Quantième Complet Phases de Lune the standout among the three models receiving an update.

Previously, the Quantième Complet was only available in various metals, including steel and titanium. Now, ceramic offers significant advantages over these metals, providing much stronger resistance to scratches — five times as resistant as stainless steel and four times as hard as titanium making it perfect for daily wear. 

The ceramic case and bracelet also enhance the watch’s appearance. Blancpain has chosen black ceramic with a satin finish, giving the watch an understated yet sophisticated look. The fine brushing, which is done by hand, reflects just enough light, offering a subtle elegance without the flashiness of a polished finish. 

In response to the natural properties of ceramic, the construction of the ceramic bracelet differs from the metal version. Here, the mounting system now fixes the links together on the sides instead of underneath, 

Taking center stage, the lustrous blue dial sports a sunray finish. Along with a gradient effect that creates a darker shade towards the edge, it adds subtle contrast and flair. Complementing this, the calendar display that comprises the day and month windows, along with the whimsical moonphase which is a Blancpain signature, are symmetrically aligned vertically and encompassed within a beautiful ring for the date. The overall look is both classical and modern, making it a refreshing sight in the dive watch category.

Inside the watch is the caliber 6654.P, an automatic movement with a three-day power reserve. Typically for Blancpain, the calendar is adjusted via tabs under the lugs, but in order to respect the architecture of the case of this dive watch, these have been replaced with recessed pins on the side of the case. Impressively, the watch retains its 300-meter water resistance despite the complications — a feat in the dive watch category, where water resistance usually diminishes with the addition of complications. In fact, Blancpain had exhibited this back in 2007 with the release of the Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours, which, as the name implies, boasts a flying tourbillon and an impressive 8-day power reserve.

Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback in deep green

Following the complete calendar, the next model to receive an end-to-end ceramic construction is the Chronographe Flyback. This model boasts an uncommon green dial instead of blue, but with a similarly attractive sunray finish and gradient effect. The F385 movement within is rather impressive: it is a high-frequency movement running at 36,000 beats per hour or 5 Hz and features an adjustable mass balance wheel with a silicon hairspring. As a sports chronograph, it also includes a vertical clutch and a column wheel.

All-black Bathyscaphe

Finally, the time-and-date Bathyscaphe also gets the ceramic bracelet. This is undoubtedly the most understated version, thanks to its all-black look from the dial to the bezel to the case and bracelet, complemented by a minimalist dial. The calibre 1315 within boasts a five-day, or 120-hour, power reserve.