THE SPIRIT OF THE MIL-SPEC WATCH
It was in Cannes that it all began 70 years ago, and it was also in Cannes, at the end of September, that the watch brand unveiled the 3rd diving watch created as part of this festive year. The new model pays tribute to one of the collection’s most famous historical pieces: the model developed for the US Navy in the 1950s.
In 1953, following an underwater excursion in the waters off Cannes, Jean-Jacques Fiechter (1927-2022), then head of Blancpain, started the development of a timepiece specifically designed for diving. Two years later, and until 1959, the US Navy began a selection process for a watch to be incorporated into its divers’ equipment, testing several of the Swiss brand’s timepieces under extreme conditions. Once the evaluations and requests for modifications were complete, the North American Navy adopted the new version produced by Blancpain and strictly reserved for military use: the Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC. The spirit of this legendary watch, now highly sought-after by collectors, permeates the limited editions specially designed for the range’s anniversary in the shape of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act III.
Following the launch of Act I, which paid tribute to the rebirth of the watch in 2003 (Act I), and the Tech Gombessa designed with Laurent Ballesta (Act II), this 3rd edition features a case measuring 41.30mm in diameter and 13.30mm thick in Bronze GoldTM, a precious alloy that evokes the warm reflections of the original nickel silver piece. It is topped by a rotating bezel with a flattened surface and crenellated flanks, bearing a black ceramic graduated ring. Water-resistant to a depth of 300m, the metal case houses caliber 1154.P2, a self-winding movement that delivers a substantial 100-hour power reserve.
Beneath the sapphire glass box, the dial displays Blancpain‘s historic logo, which overhangs the central anchor point for the hour, minute and seconds hands at around 12 o’clock. Like the geometric hour-markers, these are coated in dark beige Super-LumiNova® to accentuate the vintage look. At 6 o’clock is the famous water-resistance pastille, added at the request of the US Navy in the 1950s to guarantee that the diver’s watch was in perfect working order before going into the water. This series, available in 555 pieces, is completed by a two-tone NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets.
