Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 5015-1130-52A

About This Watch

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique is the modern standard-bearer of the dive watch that predates even the Rolex Submariner. Captain Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud of the French Navy's combat swimmers approached Blancpain's CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter in 1952 to create a professional dive watch, and Fiechter, himself an avid diver, delivered the original Fifty Fathoms in 1953. The modern Automatique pays faithful tribute with its 45mm case, unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic insert, and 300m water resistance. The in-house caliber 1315 is a triple-barrel automatic movement delivering an exceptional 120-hour power reserve — five full days — with a silicon hairspring for magnetic resistance. The movement features no date quickset, instead advancing the date through a safe zone to prevent accidental damage to the calendar mechanism. The sail canvas strap is a nod to the watch's nautical heritage. The Fifty Fathoms established many conventions that all subsequent dive watches would follow: the unidirectional rotating bezel, luminous markers, and high water resistance. For dive watch collectors who value heritage alongside performance, the Fifty Fathoms is the original and, many argue, still the finest.