Blancpain celebrated the Fifty Fathoms' 60th anniversary in 2013 by releasing the Bathyscaphe series. Its name comes from the deep-sea submersible first developed by Swiss explorer Auguste Piccard in the 1940s. The original Bathyscaphe models were all 43 mm in diameter and had three hands. In 2017, smaller, 38-mm editions made their debut, opening up the collection to women and those with narrower wrists. No matter which version you choose, it will have a much more restrained and modern design compared to the nearly baroque models of yesteryear.
In addition to stainless steel, rose gold, and titanium models, the Bathyscaphe series also contains Blancpain's first ceramic timepiece. The 43-mm edition is available in stainless steel with a green dial, and you can also find 38-mm watches with white dials. The caliber 1315 ticks away inside the case of the larger models, while the caliber 1150 powers the series' smaller timepieces. These movements come with 120 and 100-hour power reserves, respectively.
The 43-mm Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe
The ref. 5000 0240 NAOA pairs a black ceramic case with a dark blue sunburst dial, ceramic bezel, and NATO strap. A mint-condition model will set you back about 10,500 USD. The titanium ref. 5000 1230 K52A features a black dial and bezel. Its olive green canvas strap contrasts nicely with the titanium case. Prices for this version sit around 9,500 USD.
The ref. 5000 36S30 B52A has a rose gold case, hands, and indices. Blancpain crafts the rose gold markers on the black ceramic bezel out of Liquidmetal™. The combination of a rose gold case and a black dial on a black canvas strap is particularly elegant. A mint-condition timepiece changes hands for roughly 19,000 USD. The rose gold edition with a blue dial and bezel costs a few hundred dollars less.
The 38-mm Unisex Bathyscaphe
You can choose from a blue, black, or white dial and bezel for the 38-mm version of the Bathyscaphe. While Blancpain only produces one model each with a black or blue dial and bezel, there are six different stainless steel models with a white dial and bezel. These watches are targeted toward a more feminine audience. The main difference between these timepieces and the rest of the collection is their straps, which are available in textile and leather. Each watch gets its power from an extra-flat automatic in-house caliber – namely the 1150 and the 1153. Both are only 3.25 thick and have impressive power reserves of 100 and 95 hours, respectively.
The timepieces in the 5100-1127 series make fantastic women's watches. Each has a white dial and comes on your choice of a white, blue, bordeaux, green, or turquoise NATO strap. The ref. 5100 1127 NAWA is mounted on a white strap and sells for approximately 7,700 USD. If you'd prefer the version with a blue strap (with its reference number ending in NAJA), be prepared to spend about 7,600 USD.
The black edition (ref. 5100 1130) is limited to a production run of 100 pieces. Beyond its black dial, bezel, and leather strap, this watch stands out with its stamped line indices and Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. Blancpain further enhances the timepiece's retro feel by filling the hands, numerals, and indices with "old radium" SuperLuminova. At the time of writing, there were no listings for this model available on Chrono24. However, it has an official list price of 11,900 USD.