Blancpain Diver Into History With New Fifty Fathoms No Radiations
As a pioneer in the field of diving watches, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Blancpain has a rich history in this area. While Blancpain’s diving watches were available to amateur divers, the brand also made these timepieces for special aquatic units of armed forces around the world. One of their most iconic diving watches was made specifically for the Combat Swimmers of the German Navy. It stood out by the ‘no radiations’ logo on the dial, indicating that Blancpain used luminescent materials that didn’t contain radium, a radioactive substance that was initially used to make hands and hour markers visible during low-light conditions.
The Fifty Fathoms No Radiations is fitted, like all limited edition Fifty Fathoms, with a 40.3 mm large case. Made from stainless steel, it features a matte black dial, proudly wearing the ‘no radiations’ logo at six o’clock. While the bezel has a vintage look to it, it is crafted from a slightly domed sapphire crystal, which gives the watch a lot of character. The same can be said for the box-shaped sapphire crystal covering the dial. The hands, hour markers, and indications on the diving bezel are featuring ‘Old Radium’ colored Super-LumiNova. This gives the watch a distinctly vintage appeal without sacrificing any performance. Another nod to history is the ‘Tropic’ rubber strap that the watch is fitted with, a style that was particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
The movement of the Fifty Fathoms No Radiations is without a doubt a modern creation. Caliber 1151 is known to watch connoisseurs for its refinement and performance. A silicon balance spring makes the watch less vulnerable to magnetic fields’ effect on its accuracy, and two mainspring barrels give it a generous power reserve of 4-days. The movement can be admired through the sapphire caseback, where it stands out by an industrial yet refined finish. Blancpain will make only 500 pieces of the Fifty Fathoms No Radiations.
