Those that learn the primary instalment of this sequence final 12 months will discover that I didn’t buy any of the opposite items on my listing. After all, the truth that reference 5443 is a manual-winding rectangular watch struck the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Rado True Sq. and Nomos Glashütte Tetra off my listing. This doesn’t imply that there aren’t any different targets in my sights, though I confess to being circumspect about what I focus on publicly. To proceed one thing of a convention at WOW Singapore although, I’ll as soon as extra advocate for a chunk by a model that I’ve lengthy championed — this time, it’s Blancpain. What may shock a few of you is that it’s a conventional Fifty Fathoms, not a Bathyscaphe variant.
Like a lot of manufacturers, Swiss and in any other case, Blancpain has loads of depth within the dive watch vary, together with two very completely different base fashions within the Fifty Fathoms, and the Bathyscaphe (the total title is Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, however I’ll simply use Bathyscaphe on this story to keep away from confusion). Regardless of its extra up to date and muscular look, the Fifty Fathoms watch is the direct descendant of the unique Fifty Fathoms from 1953. The Bathyscaphe shouldn’t be a newcomer both, debuting on the finish of the Fifties and focusing on the leisure diver, which explains its smaller scale. At 45mm, the Fifty Fathoms was all the time fully inconceivable for me to put on, particularly as a result of it’s fairly a thick fellow, at 15.4mm crystal-to-caseback. If I deliberate to put on it on high of a wetsuit, will probably be simply fantastic, however in any other case, the watch merely wears me. Whereas there are Fifty Fathoms watches in smaller sizes, these are all restricted editions, and I take too lengthy to tug the set off to ever play that recreation.
Alternatively — actually — if you’re contemplating this as a look ahead to another person, you must nonetheless think about the dimensions challenge. It is a watch that basically pops, because it have been, and that’s a part of its practical attraction — it seems to be prefer it was meant to be worn over a wetsuit as knowledgeable instrument. It must be famous that the unidirectional bezel provides to this look, with its domed sapphire crystal insert. So far as iconic dive watches go, there’s nothing like the mix of sapphire crystal within the bezel and sapphire crystal over the dial.
If — and it’s a massive if — Blancpain introduces a extra fairly sized Fifty Fathoms, just like the No Rad editions, then it’s not solely my choose for a dive watch in 2023 but in addition a purchase suggestion for anybody desirous about dive watches above S$10,000; with an exhibition caseback, it may properly be well worth the gold worth even… In any case, a showcase for calibre 1153, with all its fantastic ending touches and 120 hours of energy reserve is totally required. For those who should have a closed caseback, Blancpain does have you ever lined, however I can not advocate it. Subjective issues apart, the worth vary is actually the primary limiting issue right here, as soon as the sizing challenge is allotted with and purist ideology is sorted.
The canny amongst you’ll know that 2023 marks an vital milestone for the Fifty Fathoms — properly, you should have observed if you’re any good at studying and maths! Blancpain — and Swatch Group — have been signalling that the seventieth anniversary is an enormous deal, with Hayek Jr even hinting that maybe some sort of Swatch collaboration could possibly be within the works… I assume this one shall be referred to as the DeepSwatch however right here at WOW, we anticipate massive issues. Or quite, extra modestly sized propositions.
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