Pre-Owned Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 001-103-02707

WHY WE LOVE IT

–

In the history of dive watches, a few names tend to stand out as pioneers and innovators: Rolex. DOXA. Blancpain.

The latter changed the world with its Fifty Fathoms, a timepiece that many consider — and rightfully so — to be the world's first true diver's watch. However, the Fifty Fathoms wasn't the only diver that the maison from La Brassus produced. There was also a scaled-down version called the Bathyscaphe, named after the manned submersible of the Swiss explorer-diver Auguste Piccard. More recently, Blancpain has revived the Bathyscaphe nomenclature, offering an entire line of sophisticated divers that pay homage to their vintage counterparts.

This particular Bathyscaphe from the 2010s is a burly, no-nonsense diver with a gorgeous dial — the type of watch you can wear on a dive and, and then straight to drinks or dinner. Housed in a 43.6mm ceramic case with a sapphire crystal, a signed ceramic crown, and a unidirectional dive bezel with a blue, ceramic insert, it features a sunburst blue dial with applied, luminous indices, a matching ‘syringe’ handset, an outer minute track, and a date window at 4:30.

Powered by automatic Blancpain Calibre 1315 movement — which is visible via a sapphire caseback — it comes paired to a signed, blue textile leather strap with a signed ceramic pin buckle. In excellent condition, it also includes its factory goodies, along with a diver’s log book.

In search of the perfect vacation or weekend watch? Good, because we just found it for you.

OVERALL CONDITION

Case is in outstanding, as-new condition overall showing only faint signs of strap wear from display use. Luminous sunburst navy blue dial with applied indices is in as-new condition with matching handset. Signed crown.