70th Anniversary

The matt black dial with vintage Super-LumiNova^®-enhanced moisture indicator and hour-markers; the unidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic insert featuring a vintage Super-LumiNova® diving scale; as well as the two-tone NATO strap featuring the colour code of the original timepiece and made from fishing nets recovered from the oceans are all features that demonstrate their close kinship.

The Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 is clothed in 9K Bronze Gold, a patented alloy enriched with 37.5% gold (hallmarked 9K), copper – 50%, allowing it to be called "bronze" – silver, palladium and gallium. Designed to offer a pink hue and pleasing aesthetics, this type of bronze stands out by the fact that it can be worn in direct contact with the skin, unlike traditional bronze, not to mention that it has a longer lifespan, since oxidation to a verdigris colour is prevented by the addition of gold.

The 1154.P2 movement is housed in a 9K Bronze Gold case that is water-resistant to 30 bar and measures 41.30 mm like the historic MIL-SPEC. Its twin barrel endows the timepiece with a substantial 100-hour power reserve, while a silicon balance-spring ensures the movement's resistance to magnetism. For the first time, Blancpain is offering a 1000-gauss version of its movement, thanks to the use of this material coupled with exclusive alloys for the escapement. The open caseback reveals bridges enlarged to the diameter of the mainplate, enhanced by decoration inspired by that of the period.

Issued in a 555-piece limited edition, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 is presented in a box inspired by a historic camera housing, echoing Blancpain's ocean protection initiatives. Since underwater photography developed at the same time as the diver's watch, it indeed helped highlight the discovery of the seabed. Thus uniting the best of two eras, this commemorative timepiece continues to write the history of the world's first true diver's watch.