First Look: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Swatch Dive Watch
It is officially here, the next iteration of a bioceramic watch was unveiled by Swatch. This time it was in collaboration with Blancpain, who is part of the brand’s luxury portfolio. The collection chosen was the Fifty Fathoms, which is one of the most iconic dive watches in existence. These watches are mostly known for being some of the first serious dive watches ever developed. The bioceramic version released by Swatch come in 5 different colors representing 5 different oceans. We have orange/soft biege representing the Arctic Ocean, yellow representing the Pacific Ocean, navy blue representing the Atlantic Ocean, green representing the Indian Ocean, and silver representing the Antarctic Ocean.
The case material chosen on the Blancpain Swatch is bioceramic, which is a fancier was of saying refined plastic. Just because the Blancpain Swatch is made of plastic doesn’t mean that it feels cheap. The manufacturing process behind this bioceramic material has allowed it to feel durable with a silky matte finish that is also scratch resistant. Material experimentation is a huge reason why Swatch is achieving monumental success with their collaboration watches.
The movement chosen to power the Blancpain Swatch Bioceramic Fifty Fathoms is the automatic SISTEM51. This movement is Swiss made and is the first to ever be manufactured by a completely automated process. Comprised of just 51 parts, the SISTEM51 is simple but packs some powerful features like a 90 hour power reserve and a Nivachron hairspring, which ensures accuracy.
The Blancpain Swatch Bioceramic Fifty Fathoms has a case diameter of 42.3mm, thickness of 14.4mm, and a lug-to-lug of 48mm, all of which are proportionally designed to fit well on the wrist.
After analyzing the specs on this watch, it appears that Swatch has taken thoughtful steps to improve the manufacturing quality compared to the Moonswatch.
Variations
Arctic Ocean: With a colorways of orange and beige, the Blancpain Swatch Arctic Ocean Fifty Fathoms pays tribute to the icy waters. On the dial there is a symbol of a red trefoil with the words “No Radiation”, which is unique to this variation. Accompanying the Arctic Ocean edition is a orange and biege nato strap that is decorated by the Swatch logo. Other unique features of the Blancpain Swatch Arctic Ocean is the decorated movement representing it’s ocean and Dendronotus Frondosus on the caseback.
Pacific Ocean: With a colorways of yellow and black, the Blancpain Swatch Pacific Ocean Fifty Fathoms pays tribute to the Chromodoris Kuiteri. The dial is a beautiful radial gradient that starts out white and fades to black. Accompanying the Pacific Ocean edition is a black and yellow nato strap that is decorated by the Swatch logo. Other unique features of the Blancpain Swatch Pacific Ocean is the decorated movement representing it’s ocean and Chromodoris Kuiteri on the caseback.
Atlantic Ocean: With a colorways of blue and navy blue, the Blancpain Swatch Atlantic Ocean Fifty Fathoms pays tribute to the stormy seas and raging waves. The dial is a beautiful radial gradient that starts out blue and fades to navy blue. This variation also has applied luminescent numerals on the dial. Accompanying the Arctic Ocean edition is a orange nato strap that is decorated by the Swatch logo. Other unique features of the Blancpain Swatch Arctic Ocean is the decorated movement representing it’s ocean and Glaucus Atlanticus on the caseback.
Indian Ocean: With a colorways of green and orange, the Blancpain Swatch Indian Ocean Fifty Fathoms pays tribute to the coral reefs and abundance of sea life. The dial is a beautiful radial gradient that starts out green and fades to black. This variation also has applied luminescent numerals on the dial. Accompanying the Indian Ocean edition is a black & orange nato strap that is decorated by the Swatch logo. Other unique features of the Blancpain Swatch Indian Ocean is the decorated movement representing it’s ocean and Nembrotha Kubaryana on the caseback.
Antarctic Ocean: With a colorways of silver and grey, the Blancpain Swatch Antarctic Ocean Fifty Fathoms pays tribute to the muted colors of the animals who inhabit the Antarctic ocean. Upon the dial there is a water contact indicator at the six o’clock position, which is unique to this variation. Accompanying the Antarctic Ocean edition is a silver and grey nato strap that is decorated by the Swatch logo. Other unique features of the Blancpain Swatch Antarctic Ocean is the decorated movement representing it’s ocean and Tritoniella Belli on the caseback.
Key Features
The Blancpain Swatch Fifty Fathoms watches are loaded with key and interesting features. The first one is the case material. Swatch has successfully transformed plastic, with the addition of caster oils to produce a scratch resistant and durable material. Other key features that make these watches unique is the decorated rotors of the movement. They each are laser printed with illustrations of the ocean they represent. On top of that, Swatch has dedicated sea life, unique to each ocean, to represent each variation, which can be found on the caseback. Lastly, the SISTEM51 movement is impressive. The simplicity makes them affordable but don’t mistake it for being inferior. The SISTEM51 movement has a 90 hour power reserve and are considered to be very accurate.
Specs
| Case Material | Bioceramic |
| Case Diameter | 42.3mm |
| Case Thickness | 14.4mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 48mm |
| Movement | Automatic |
| Calibre | SISTEM51 |
| Power Reserve | 90 hrs |
| Water Resistance | 300ft |
| Glass | Anti-scratch biosourced material |
| Bezel | uni-directional |
Pricing & Availability
The Blancpain Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms cost $400 at retail and are only available for purchase at Swatch stores. At the moment Swatch is not considering selling these direct to consumers through their website. It is important to know that even though these watches are special, they are not limited editions so if you are patient, you will be able to own one someday.
