It is the fruit of years of research, of dozens of interviews carried out with the main protagonists of the history of Fifty Fathoms.
The documentary film
“Fifty Fathoms - The story told by the pioneers who created it
” allows lovers of diving watches, and in particular this pioneer in the field.
It allows you to dive into the Blancpain archives, and even into the documents - now downgraded - of the US Navy's test program.
This two-part film notably includes exclusive images from the National Geographic Society's Pristine Seas expeditions, and Laurent Ballesta's Gombessa, two projects supported by Blancpain as part of its Ocean Commitment initiative.
Narrated by American actor and author Peter Coyote, this two-part, half-hour film looks back at the major stages in the creation and development of the famous diver's watch over the past seven decades.
A story told by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, inventor of the Fifty Fathoms, Robert “Bob” Maloubier, who oversaw its adoption by the French Navy, and Marc A. Hayek, President & CEO of Blancpain, who revived this iconic piece .
Created in 1952 by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, then co-CEO of Blancpain, the Fifty Fathoms was a real turning point in the field of diving watches.
Taking advantage of his own underwater experiences, this avid diver succeeds in designing an instrument whose specifications immediately become standards in diving watches.
This documentary, rich in anecdotes from the rich history of Fifty Fathoms, looks back on the revelation of Jean-Jacques Fiechter: following a dive, he found himself short of air after losing track of time, became aware of the need for a reliable watch for the underwater world.
This film presents his patented inventions, explained by a master watchmaker from Blancpain's Vintage department.
You will also discover a series of tests carried out over several years by the American Navy, which led to the selection of the Fifty Fathoms as a diving watch for its combat swimmers, the legendary Navy Seals, and gave birth to the famous Mil- models. Spec.
Without forgetting the chapter of the German Navy and the peculiarities of the
“Bund No Rad
” model, which has just received a limited tribute edition.