Last year, Blancpain restyled one of its 50 Fathoms models, the Bathyscaphe. The first Fifty Fathoms was created in 1952 and is known as the ancestor of diving watches. I have to admit that when I first looked at replica Blancpain watches this replica Deep Submersible I really had no sense of it, because it was just so bland and uninspiring: the dull case; the plain dial; the stale colors; the awkward hands; the large crown that didn’t match the overall size; the hard-to-twist bezel and the movement that was always a black mass from a distance; not a watch that looked premium by any means, much less I didn’t really understand why Blancpain had to reproduce such a watch, because I didn’t like it.
I just picked it up and took a look at it, but I didn’t feel anything, so I gave it to my colleagues and told them to look at it first. I thought, I thought colleagues must be the same as my thoughts, think this watch boring, put it aside to do their own thing, but when I looked up, so I did not expect the scene happened, we are even in a serious and careful look at it. At that moment, I couldn’t help but weakly ask, “Is this watch that worth looking at? After about half an hour, I came to my opinion of the watch: it’s a watch that you absolutely can’t stand at first glance; it’s a watch that you absolutely can’t put down when you look through an inch glass; it’s a watch where every detail is handled perfectly. It’s also a watch whose reproduction reaches a very high level.
First of all, we need to talk about the issue of reproduction, reproduction literally means re-engraving, put on the watch is a new manufacturing, according to common sense, reproduction is generally not as valuable as the original, but the problem is, the original is no longer available, and the original mold is gone, but we extremely like the original look, what to do? Then the only way to do it again is to reopen the mold and do it again as the original, and so the question arises, is the reproduction a copy of the original or not? Or do you make the appropriate changes for the times? Both issues have long been hotly debated. The reason why people love the original version is actually more of a kind of sentiment. In addition, due to the limitations of the original technical conditions at the time, there will be different degrees of shortcomings. If you copy the shortcomings without solving them, I believe most people will not be able to accept it, because those shortcomings were acceptable only at the time, but they are absolutely acceptable today. The model.
In my opinion, a good replica should have three elements: firstly, retain the important features of the original; secondly, make appropriate modifications according to the current mainstream aesthetics; thirdly, incorporate the One of them is a brand called Singer, which has kept the original and recreated it, while at the same time retaining a sense of tradition. One is the Porsche 901, recreated by a brand called Singer, and the other is Blancpain’s Deep Submersible. I always think that the highest level of reproduction is to seemingly stay the same, but in fact all the changes, except for the shape of the case and bezel of this deep submersible, all other elements have been changed, I think this is exactly Blancpain’s cleverness, as we all know, the shape of the case and bezel is the soul of the whole watch, as long as the most distinctive family lineage characteristics are captured, no matter how many other parts are altered, it will make people feel that this watch is the most beautiful. The blood of the original runs in the veins, and in addition, Blancpain has not only retained the shape of the original, but has also expanded the size to the popular 43mm in keeping with the times.
Perhaps it is because Blancpain has caught the soul of this watch too accurately that most people will not look at it at first glance, because after all, the deep submersible comes from military watches, and the biggest characteristic of military watches is to focus on performance rather than appearance, so this watch not only will not make people shine but also make people think that it is rather old-fashioned. The case is made of stainless steel or titanium, and its surface is not as fine as the original, but as satin-finished as that of a top-class watch. The lugs in particular, with their three facets on the outermost edge of the case, are a perfect example of this. In my opinion, the greatest thing about this watch is the beveled slice on the lugs, which is not only the soul of the watch, but also the basis for its multiple visual layering, so I also call the beveled slice the deep diver slice. It will only be longer if it is closed, which will directly affect the wearer’s performance. When you turn the watch 90 degrees horizontally and look at the side, you will also see that it is this facet that makes the watch look so slim.
Of course, the deep-submersible’s faceting also contributes to the fact that the lugs are not awkwardly cut across the entire face. The fathoms are a collection of fathomless fathoms, and the fathomless fathoms are a collection of fathomless fathomless fathomless fathomless fathoms. It ensures the strength of the lugs and also alleviates the problem of the lugs appearing rigid due to the straight cut, not to mention the aesthetics of the wearer due to the tip.
Although the rotatable bezel, which measures the amount of oxygen in the watch, looks plain, it actually uses the world’s most advanced Liquidmetal technology, which has been heavily corroded by time and seawater. The metal and ceramics are truly integrated, so it is absolutely resistant to deformation caused by severe shocks, and the scale does not disappear even if it deforms. Thanks to the genuine integration of metal and ceramic, it is absolutely resistant to deformation caused by impacts, even if the indices are deformed, and the use of ceramic means that only diamonds can leave scratches on the bezel. Blancpain’s use of the latest technology to restore as much of the classic look as possible is truly impressive!
The first and most obvious is the luminous scale, except for the 3, 6, 9 and 12 positions which are trapezoidal, the rest of the positions are changed from the original long scale to a dot scale. The polished tapered bezel, especially on the outside of the luminescent material, adds to the vintage look of the watch. The original hands were just a simple square piece, but the new one has a larger diameter, which makes it silly to treat them the same way as before, so the hands have become thin and thick. In fact, there are many more details as thoughtful as this on this watch. For example, although the color of the dial is similar to the original, we can clearly see the extremely fine radiating brushed lines through the black paint, and the date window has been playfully placed between 4 and 5 o’clock in order not to spoil each of the delicate indices, and of course the crown, which has been edged to ensure that it can be operated smoothly by divers wearing gloves, while retaining the original’s large size. It was corner-cut and typed JB. The most exciting modification to this watch is, of course, the movement, which is powered by Blancpain’s own 1315 calibre, a movement that may look black from afar, but it has a lot of power. I don’t know the exact material of this balance wheel, but I always feel like it’s made of gold, because the polishing is amazing, even the polishing of those four fine adjustment screws is so shiny. In addition to that gleaming balance wheel, the hairspring is also not to be underestimated, and is made of the hottest material of the moment, silicon, which is anti-magnetic and also extremely resistant to corrosion, abrasion and aging.
The movement has three barrels and a power reserve of 120 hours. In my mind, 50 Fathoms is probably the most durable diving watch in the world, especially the large grey oscillating weight, which provides a constant power source. The style of the watch, rather than using plating to hide the precious metal seems to be extremely low-key, but in fact it is extremely luxurious, I think only Blancpain with such a strong brand of magnanimity can do. In fact, the understated luxury of this movement is not only reflected in the oscillating weight, but also in the polishing, as we see the entire surface of the bridges of the movement has not done much treatment, and can even be described as rough, but when you see the edge of any of the bridges, you will suck in a breath of cold air and exclaim, Blancpain is really great, these bevels are wonderfully enchanting. Unlike the beveled chamfer, which is usually found only on highly complicated models and is considered the highest level of chamfering polishing, we see it on a practical 300m professional dive watch, a polishing technique that is many times superior to those who only decorate with Geneva stripes and do not bother with chamfering! It can’t help but be a gift from God! Finally, I would like to say to those of you who have a problem with this watch, please don’t judge a watch by its looks, this Deep Diver is definitely a great watch to pick up and savor with an inch glass, it will keep on surprising you, trust me!