To live in the most extreme places on the planet, you need to deploy some intense thinking. When Blancpain CEO and enthusiastic diver Jean-Jacques Fiechter set out to make a wristwatch that would keep up with the rigours of a raging ocean that would devastate any standard watch, he had been forced to think outside the box.
In 1953, the Fifty Fathoms was first born. With the identifying chunky bezel that divers around the globe have grown to know and love, the design is leavened with a heavy dose of lume to aid in people low-light situations close to the sea bed — usefulness and operate in happy collaboration.
Watch of the Week: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
Currently, after 65 years of tweaking and upgrading, the design stays recognizable, but brings a few contemporary perks to boot. Having a depth rating of 300m, a case made from lightweight titanium plus a super scratch resistant sapphire crystal, the watch is a benchmark for modern adventure timekeeping.
These features now all come as standard across the Fifty Fathoms range, but the standout feature with this model is the massive date apertures.
Using a large date window at 6 o’clock adds a exceptional aspect to the segmented dial and keeps alive the Fifty Fathoms’ convention of placing functionality above everything else. In a lot of ways, it is the perfect vacation timepiece — a watch constructed for its extremes that works just as brightly at the poolside.

View of the Week: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
The in-house motion completed to perfection
Watch of the Week: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
Red tipped second hand and a Great Deal of lume
View of the Week: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
The clarity of this Grand Date windows
The instant-change large date function is one of Blancpain’s signature issues, while the next hand is red-tipped to offer additional legibility. The crown, meanwhile has especially made guards to protect it against Blancpain watches bumps and scratches while deep sea diving.
The vital stats
Water Resistant: 300m/30 pub
Case diameter: 45mm
Case thickness: 16.27mm
Case material: Titanium
Strap material: Canvas