One of BLANCPAIN's timepieces, the Fifty Fathoms diver's watch was developed in 1953 for the French Navy's special diving unit. It soon became a pioneering professional diver's watch.
The "Fifty Fathoms No Radiation" made its reputation unwavering.
In the early 1960s, radium, a radioactive element used in watchmaking as a luminous paint, was reported to be harmful to health. Blancpain was quick to declare itself radium-free, and this was reflected in the design of its watches, with a radiation symbol stamped at 6 o'clock. A cross was added to the radiation symbol at the 6 o'clock position, and the words "no radiations" were engraved on it. The graphics, which seemed to anticipate the anti-war ideology of the 1970s, were a hit with aficionados, and the watch became an iconic model.
The new tribute model retains the matte black dial with hour markers consisting of round dots, rectangles, and a diamond-shaped marker at 12 o'clock, but the chapter ring, hands, and bezel memory scale are coated with old-radium-colored Super-LumiNova® to This gives the watch a vintage look and feel. Limited edition of 500 pieces worldwide.
For those readers who wish to enter the world of authentic watches, let us take a last look back at its history.
Blancpain was founded in 1735 in the Swiss Jura region and is the oldest watch brand in existence. Blancpain is one of the few watch manufactures in Switzerland to use its own movements in all of its models, and even today, the invisible parts are still handcrafted by a single watchmaker. It was here that the world's smallest "Complete Calendar Moonphase" and the world's first "Flying Tourbillon" were invented. He also has an enterprising spirit.
FIFTY FATHOMS NO RADIATION
CASE : STAINLESS STEEL, 40.3mm
WATERPROOFNESS : 300m
POWER RESERVE : ABOUT 100 HOURS
PRICE : ¥1,529,000
Photo_Hiroyuki Takashima
Text_Kei Takegawa
