With the new Fifty Fathoms Barakuda, Blancpain revisits one of its diving watches from the end of the 1960s, the Barakuda. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda ref. 5008B-1130-B52A has a price of Swiss Francs 13,200 / Euro 13,400.
With the new Fifty Fathoms Barakuda, Blancpain revisits one of its diving watches from the end of the 1960s, the Barakuda.
While maintaining the look and feel of the historic model, the new edition takes advantage of the technical innovations resulting from the continuous research of Blancpain in the fields of scuba diving and watchmaking.
Unanimously recognised as the world’s first modern diving watch, the Fifty Fathoms debuted in 1953 and was soon adopted by navies around the world. The French were the first to equip themselves with Fifty Fathoms models for their underwater missions. Other military elites followed, including the German Bundesmarine in the 1960s. The latter were supplied with Fifty Fathoms models via Barakuda – a company specialising in the production and marketing of technical diving equipment.
Alongside the watches intended for the military, the company introduced the German market to a civilian model adopting a distinctive style, notably featuring the use of two-tone rectangular hour-markers, white-painted fluorescent hands, as well as a highly visible date display at 3 o’clock.
The just launched new limited edition successfully reinterprets the key design elements of the 1960s model.
Its black dial is punctuated by large red and white hour-markers coated with "old radium» type Super-LumiNova. The pencil-shaped hands are white-lacquered and have the same luminescent treatment. The date is positioned at 3 o'clock, just like in the original model.
The tropical-type rubber strap is identical to that of the historical model, very popular with divers at the time and particularly renowned for its durability as well as its wearer comfort.
Of course, Blancpain greatly improved the new model compared to its predecessor. The unidirectional bezel now features a scratch-resistant domed sapphire insert, an innovation unveiled by the brand in 2003. The satin-brushed steel case guarantees water-resistance to 300 metres / 1,000 feet and has a diameter of 40 mm, a size reserved for Fifty Fathoms timepieces in limited series.
The movement is the reliable and robust self-winding Calibre 1151, which achieves a 100-hour (more than four days) power reserve and is fitted with a silicon hairspring, a material insensitive to magnetic fields. The twin barrels are wound via a cut-out rotor, in reference to some of the collection’s antique watches. This now atypical geometry formerly served to enhance the suppleness of the oscillating weight in order to protect the movement from potential impacts.
A limited edition of 500 pieces, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda ref. 5008B-1130-B52A has a price of Swiss Francs 13,200 / Euro 13,400. blancpain.com
Unanimously recognised as the world’s first modern diving watch, the Fifty Fathoms debuted in 1953 and was soon adopted by navies around the world. The French were the first to equip themselves with Fifty Fathoms models for their underwater missions. Other military elites followed, including the German Bundesmarine in the 1960s. The latter were supplied with Fifty Fathoms models via Barakuda – a company specialising in the production and marketing of technical diving equipment.
Alongside the watches intended for the military, the company introduced the German market to a civilian model adopting a distinctive style, notably featuring the use of two-tone rectangular hour-markers, white-painted fluorescent hands, as well as a highly visible date display at 3 o’clock.
The just launched new limited edition successfully reinterprets the key design elements of the 1960s model.
Its black dial is punctuated by large red and white hour-markers coated with "old radium» type Super-LumiNova. The pencil-shaped hands are white-lacquered and have the same luminescent treatment. The date is positioned at 3 o'clock, just like in the original model.
The tropical-type rubber strap is identical to that of the historical model, very popular with divers at the time and particularly renowned for its durability as well as its wearer comfort.
The movement is the reliable and robust self-winding Calibre 1151, which achieves a 100-hour (more than four days) power reserve and is fitted with a silicon hairspring, a material insensitive to magnetic fields. The twin barrels are wound via a cut-out rotor, in reference to some of the collection’s antique watches. This now atypical geometry formerly served to enhance the suppleness of the oscillating weight in order to protect the movement from potential impacts.
A limited edition of 500 pieces, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda ref. 5008B-1130-B52A has a price of Swiss Francs 13,200 / Euro 13,400. blancpain.com
Who needs the "office feature" (date display) in the depth of 300 meters?
ReplyDeleteBut you don't use the watch only under water. I don't mind to have it a date window.
DeleteKudos to Blancpain for creating this watch. Blancpain is showing its muscles.
ReplyDeleteI would buy this before the equivalent Rolex.
ReplyDelete