Though conceived in England, Wildorf created the Rolex brand in 1908 and would ultimately move the entire operation to Geneva, Switzerland where he would create the first water-proof self-winding wristwatch with a perpetual rotor. In fact, a patent was issued to Rolex in 1926 for the world’s first waterproof watch, which today is the oyster case. Rolex, surprisingly, has been around for a far shorter time than most other luxury Swiss brands (like Richard Mille and Hublot).
Ideal for active people that need the types of complications like a dual time zone, alarm functions and the 53 week ‘semainier’ display, the Blancpain Leman is as useful as it is beautiful. The Leman collection from Blancpain has not only used forward thinking materials such as titanium but also employed many noteworthy complications like a perpetual calendar, a flyback chronograph and a tourbillon. Blancpain, founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, is the oldest high watchmaking manufacture in the world. With more than 280 years of history, the brand perpetuates the great traditions of Haute Horlogerie.
The modern Fifty Fathoms collection is home to a wide range of models, from simple three-hand watches in stainless steel like the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe to flyback chronographs. There’s also the rose gold Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours, which boasts an in-house caliber with an eight-day power reserve. Blancpain L-Evolution is a provocateur in avant-garde luxury watchmaking and a bridge between the past, present and future of horological precision and performance. With powerful features such as an 8-day power reserve and complications such as tourbillon, “Flyback” chronograph and Reveil GMT alarm function, to name a few.
Blancpain was always passionate and protective about the sparkling underwater universe that is bustling with undiscovered life in the depths of our seas and oceans. In fact, they have played an integral role in many underwater explorations with deep sea photographers and professional divers. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches are comprised of all the features needed by professional divers and are built to endure the risks involved in professional diving without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the watch. THE STORY OF BLANCPAIN In 1735, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain founded the Blancpain brand, setting up his first workshop on the upper floor of his house at Villeret, in the present-day Bernese Jura. By recording his name in the official property register of the municipality of Villeret, this pioneer had created an establishment that is now the world’s oldest watchmaking brand. Blancpain watches enjoyed great success from the earliest years, and the heirs of Jehan-Jacques Blancpain perpetuated his expertise.
This approach is the source of its strength and expresses a long-term vision deliberately running counter to any tendency to seek immediate profit. From creating components to designing watches, Blancpain is distinguished by its capacity to develop exceptional timepieces and over the past ten years, the Manufacture has introduced no less than 34 new calibres. The Fifty Fathoms collection was introduced for the first time in 1953, with timepieces that embody the brand’s fascination with the underwater world. The first modern diver’s watch, Fifty Fathoms features extraordinary technical achievements, with innovative materials and new engineering solutions meant to establish it as the archetypal diver’s watch. Blancpain worked in concert with divers, scientists and underwater photographers in their exploration and discovery of the awe-inspiring beauty of the ocean. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms collection is the watch that was inspired by the very first modern diver’s watch in 1953.
A proclamation of their affection for traditional watchmaking values can be found in all the newer models of Blancpain Villeret wristwatches. 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.
The Fifty Fathoms has a stainless steel case that measures 45 mm. in diameter. The watch is available in either a black or blue dial with an interesting smaller circle on the dial as if the markers were perched on it, and a date window between the four and five o’clock markers. In this article, I will take as deep a dive into these two iconic brands as possible to help answer some of the questions you might have concerning the purchase of either a Rolex or Blancpain timepiece. Along the way, you will get an overview of what makes these two brands tick, as I will share a brief history of each brand and then expound on a few of each company’s popular models, their movements, and what makes each brand iconic among watchmakers.
In 1983, the rights to the Blancpain name were acquired by two industry titans – Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet, then director of the watch company Frédéric Piguet SA – for the low sum of 22,000 CHF. 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.
Blancpain’s production was much, much lower, and these things were used, often by the military, which means many were discarded or just didn’t survive. Nowadays, Fifty Fathoms don’t come up for sale often, and when a good one does, a small pool of serious collectors are often ready with wire details in hand. If two of these collectors really want the same watch at an auction, the price can go through the roof. But because of this inherent rarity, prices have been pretty stable for the Fifty Fathoms, even with the modern watch market more erratic than my puppy after his morning espresso. The Rolex caliber 3135 movement is regarded as one of the most well-known and recognized automatic self-winding movements within the Rolex brand.
The heartbeat of this watch is an automatic mechanical caliber 3235 in-house manufactured Rolex movement. For comparison, I will elaborate on the base model’s features, which are available in 904L stainless steel in either a date or non-date version. In keeping with a more accurate comparison with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch, I will elaborate on the Rolex date model. With his passing, the company was left to his longtime assistant Betty Fiechter.
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