Basel 2009 - Blancpain 500 Fathoms

"Le monde du silence". Designed for the French Special Forces, adopted by the US Military and used by diving legend Jacques Cousteau the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. At Baselworld 2009 watch show, Blancpain launched (as Blancpain puts it) the “big sister” of the Fifty Fathoms watch

The Blancpain 500 Fathoms which improves on the 300 meter water resistance of the Fifty Fathoms to 1000 meters. The 500 Fathoms watch has a 48 mm-diameter titanium case equipped with a crown guard. The 500 Fathoms is also equipped with a helium decompression valve that is vital when diving in a closed environment.

Helium Release Valve. The 500 Fathoms come with a Helium Release valve at the 10' o'clock. When deep sea divers operate at great depths, they spend prolonged hours in diving bells under pressure breathing a gas mix that contains helium. Helium molecules are the second smallest found in nature and thus available to work its way inside even water resistant watches. When a diver resurfaces, the helium which built up inside the watch starts to expand quicker than it can escape, leading to an increase in pressure inside the watch. This can cause great damage to the watch. Placed inside the case at 10 o’clock, a self-winding decompression valve guarantees the security and the reliability of the watch, without requiring any handling on the part of the wearer.

Sunray Dial. While the 500 Fathoms is a very capable divers watch, we really doubt whether many will see real world use. We suspect that its design will sell more watches than its deep sea prowess.

For its new watch, Blancpain has designed a dial with large phosphorescent Arabic numerals that are hollowed into the sunray-brushed metal appliques. The luminescent coating on the hour-markers, bezel markings and hands, along with the red tip of the sweep seconds hand, ensure optimal readability in all circumstances. The luminescent base of the black dial reveals its fluorescence only in the dark, while the date appears in white against a black background at 4 o’clock. The unidirectional ratcheted bezel facilitates handling and avoids any involuntary extension of the dive time. Crafted in titanium and sapphire crystal, it features a gentle cambered relief that reduces the risk of impacts.

The 500 Fathoms is powered by the self-winding Calibre 1315 which incorporates a Glucydur balance with micro-metric regulating screws, which helps improve the shock resistance of the movement. The movement can be admired through a sapphire crystal caseback.

The movement features three series-coupled barrels that provide a five-day power reserve. The calendar system enables fast adjustment of the date at midnight in both directions.

The 500 Fathoms is equipped with a sporty rubber-lined black sail canvas strap.

About Blancpain. Blancpain is a Swiss watch manufacturer, founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jaques Blancpain. The influx of inexpensive quartz watches from Japan and China during the early 1970s put the company on the brink of bankruptcy. It was only thanks to the intervention of Jean-Claude Biver, an Omega executive with a love of fine timepieces, that the company was reborn in 1983. Blancpain is now owned by the Swatch Group. Blanpain produces fewer than 10,000 watches a year, with each watch is made by a single watchmaker.