A watch water-resistant to 50 fathoms (50 fathoms, i.e. 91 metres) equipped with the in-house Sistem51 automatic movement Swatch. And it could not be otherwise. Because 'Since 1735 there has never been a quartz watch Blancpain. And it will never exist." is the first point of the 'Morale Blancpain': an ethical vademecum drawn up by the House of Le Brassus.
The collection is called Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms and comprises five diving models that pay tribute to the oceans, which Blancpain is actively engaged in preserving and defending. The model is a blend of the colour palette of the Swatch Scuba collection and the distinctive features of Blancpain's first wristwatch diver of the modern era: the case, the bezel, the anti-magnetism.
The five Blancpain X Swatch models are made of bio-ceramic, a material patented by Swatch and composed of two-thirds ceramic and one-third organic material derived from castor oil.
The case, coloured in different shades, is typical of the Fifty Fathoms with a unidirectional rotating bezel for measuring dive times. The dials feature shared Blancpain X Swatch logos.
Referring to the original Fifty Fathoms, the Arctic Ocean model bears the symbol of a red clover on a yellow background with a white cross running through it and the inscription "No radiations" (used by Blancpain in the 1960s). In the Antarctic Ocean version, on the other hand, there is the characteristic two-tone water-resistance "tablet" at 6 o'clock to indicate the possible presence of water infiltration.
The straps are made from recycled fishing nets removed from the ocean floor. The Sistem51 movement (the first and only mechanical movement with fully automated assembly) is protected from magnetic fields by the Nivachron balance spring.
On sale only at selected Swatch shops worldwide from 9 September 2023. The question on everyone's mind is: will it replicate the success of the MoonSwatch?
Price390 euros.
