50th Anniversary

Marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain introduced a special limited edition, with three identical series limited to but 50 pieces each. These Anniversary series were showered with new luxury features. The unidirectional rotating bezel for the first time was fashioned out of sapphire giving it not only a special visual allure but also endowing it with a high degree of scratch resistance, with only diamond being a harder material. Blancpain also created a new strap attachment system allowing fool proof and easy changing of the strap. Each watch was accompanied by a stand and kit of materials to use for strap swapping as well as both a rubber diving strap and metal bracelet.

This Anniversary edition was launched underwater in Thailand. Marc A Hayek, an enthusiastic diver invited famed French frogman Robert Maloubier to accompany him on the launch dive. It was particularly appropriate that Maloubier participate for the occasion, as he was a member of the French combat diving team that originally selected Blancpain to produce the first edition of the Fifty Fathoms a half century earlier. During their dive together Marc Hayek demonstrated the ease of the new strap changing system, by performing the operation under water.

The Anniversary series Fifty Fathoms were a runaway success with collectors who nearly instantly snapped all 150 watches. Today, when the rare event occurs that brings one of the Anniversary models on the used market, it sells for well above the original list price.