The new Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa line was created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms brand.

Blancpain has written a new chapter in the history of the world's first modern diver's watch with the launch of a new model that meets the technical requirements of modern diving. Developed jointly by Blancpain President and CEO Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, founder of the Gombessa project, the Tech Gombessa is the first instrument capable of measuring dive times of up to three hours. This launch also marks the launch of a new line in Blancpain's diver's watch collection.

The Birth of the Fifty Fathoms

　Seventy years ago, an icon was born: the Fifty Fathoms. This watch revolutionized the world of watchmaking by becoming the world's first modern diver's watch. It was designed by Blancpain's then-CEO, Jean-Jacques Pfister, who was passionate about scuba diving.
　A pioneer of scuba diving in its early days, Pfister realized the vital need to know the time elapsed underwater. The instrument he created to meet his own needs was quickly embraced by the ocean community, becoming a trusted companion for elite divers and underwater explorers.

Fifty Fathoms Reborn

　In 2023, the year of the Fifty Fathoms' 70th anniversary, the brand will be reborn with the launch of an innovative anniversary diver's watch. Diving has evolved significantly since the 1950s, with diving times becoming significantly longer. Modern divers, able to spend several hours underwater, have placed new demands on timekeeping.
Together with Laurent Ballesta, a diver, underwater photographer and marine biologist, Blancpain worked on the design of a new mechanical instrument designed to meet the needs of all divers engaged in the most demanding dives. Development began with the members of the Gombessa project, who carry out research on long, deep-sea dives.

Fifty Fathoms Tech Gonbessa

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

/

　The latest addition to the Fifty Fathoms collection, the Tech Gombessa watch, was unveiled. It is designed to measure dive time or the time it takes to emerge from a saturation system for up to three hours. Development of the watch began five years ago and it underwent extensive testing. In 2019, one year after conception, Blancpain launched the project, starting with two key elements: the movement and the unidirectional rotating bezel. Unlike traditional diver's watches, the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa bezel features a three-hour scale.

Bezel with 3 hour scale

　The bezel is fitted with a special hand that completes one rotation every three hours; its material and color (a white luminous coating with a green glow) match the bezel markers. This instrument, jointly developed by Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, is currently under patent application. Designed for deep-sea use, the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa uses black ceramic for the bezel inlay, rather than the traditional sapphire. The inlay has a steep curve and slopes toward the dial. The spherical crystal, with its lack of visual distortion, optimizes the visibility of the dial displays. To ensure optimal visibility in the dark, the dial is finished in a new Absolute Black finish. Its composition is capable of absorbing approximately 97% of light.

Luminous block hour markers

　Similarly, the hour markers are applied as luminescent blocks, this time in orange with a blue glow, a color code used on the hour and minute hands to distinguish between time and dive time. Grade 23 titanium was chosen for the case. Used in Blancpain's recent collections, this grade 23 titanium is also known as Grade 5 ELI (extra low interstitials), the highest purity titanium available.
　Grade 23 titanium is exceptionally strong, hypoallergenic, and extremely lightweight. This material ensures a comfortable fit, and despite its 47mm diameter, it feels almost weightless on the wrist. This watch is a first for Blancpain, featuring lugs centrally fixed from the inside of the caseband, where the bracelet is attached.

Helium escape valve

　The case, water-resistant to 30 bar (approximately 300 m), is equipped with a helium escape valve. During saturation diving in a pressurized chamber, helium enters the watch. Loosening the helium valve during decompression facilitates the escape of helium (this operation does not affect the watch's water resistance). The grooves of the helium valve are identical to those of the crown used to set the time and wind the watch. This crown simultaneously sets the hour, minute, and dive time hands. Like all Fifty Fathoms timepieces, it is screwed down, and a new trapezoidal crown guard unifies the watch's visual design with the lugs.

18KWG rotor engraved with the "Gombessa" logo

　The lower part of the caseband is beveled, rather than the rounded "bassine" design characteristic of other Fifty Fathoms models. The grooves for screwing into the caseback have also been redesigned for greater robustness. The anthracite-colored rotor, engraved with the logo of the "Gombessa" coelacanth research project, features an innovative shape highlighted by three large openings through which the movement can be viewed. The black rubber strap is fastened with screws behind the lugs. The inner strap features a titanium reinforcement to prevent deformation over time, and an extension is included for wearing the watch over a technical diving suit. The buckle, with its extra-wide, ergonomic pin, secures the watch securely and allows for easy fastening of the extension.

　The Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa comes in a special waterproof, shock-resistant, recyclable and reconfigurable Peli™ presentation box, which includes a watch stand, strap extension, travel pouch, magnifying glass, dividers and a cutting tool set, with compartments that can be reconfigured for future use.

Fifty Fathoms Tech Proliferates

　This launch marks the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms and confirms a decade of collaboration between Blancpain and Laurent Ballesta. The "Gombessa" project, dedicated to the study of the coelacanth's ecology, was launched in 2013 with Blancpain as a founding partner. The addition of this instrument to the Fifty Fathoms collection also marks the beginning of a new line, "Fifty Fathoms Tech," which will include all Blancpain watches dedicated to technical diving.