Innovations like the double watertight crown seal, a caseback sealing system to protect the O-ring, and a lockable rotating bezel were patented. These qualities made it the go-to choice for combat divers of the armed forces, including those of France, Germany, the US and Norway.
Supposedly the world’s first true diver’s watch, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms resulted from a true lightbulb moment by its late CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter, inspired by one of his deep-sea adventures in Cannes. Almost running out of air during a dive, he realised the importance of having a time-measuring instrument tailored to the needs of scuba divers.
The Fifty Fathoms, named after the maximum depth to which it was safely possible to dive, was launched in 1953. The pioneer MIL-SPEC model introduced several important features: it wound itself automatically, reducing wear on the crown gaskets compared to hand-wound watches. It was resistant to magnetism, which is crucial for divers. It could stay watertight up to a depth of at least 10 bar. Plus, it had large, glow-in-the-dark hour markers on a dark dial for better visibility.
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