Blancpain Introduces the Fifty Fathoms Tech With a Revolutionary 3-Hour Diving Bezel
The latest Fifty Fathoms Tech combines Blancpain's pioneering 3-hour diving complication with enhanced versatility, while reinforcing the Maison's long-standing commitment to ocean exploration and conservation.
PRESS RELEASE | 701 WORDS | 5 MINUTE READ
Photo Courtesy: Blancpain
A New Chapter in Professional Dive Watch Innovation
Blancpain expands its legendary Fifty Fathoms collection with the introduction of the Fifty Fathoms Tech, a professional-grade dive watch featuring the world's first three-hour diving bezel. Originally introduced on the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa in 2023, this pioneering complication now returns in a more versatile configuration, complete with a date display and a newly developed interchangeable strap system.
Unveiled on World Ocean Day, the launch underscores Blancpain's enduring connection to underwater exploration and its ongoing dedication to marine conservation through the Blancpain Ocean Commitment.
The World's First 3-Hour Diving Bezel - Designed for Modern Technical Diving
For over seven decades, dive watches have relied on traditional 60-minute timing bezels. However, modern closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) diving often involves underwater missions lasting two to three hours or longer. To address this challenge, Blancpain developed a patented 3-hour diving bezel paired with a dedicated three-hour hand.
This innovative system allows:
Precise monitoring of extended dive times
Improved safety during long underwater missions
Enhanced functionality for underwater photographers
Accurate tracking for marine researchers and scientists
The complication was originally developed in collaboration with explorer and underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta and Blancpain President & CEO Marc A. Hayek.
Built for Long-Duration Ocean Exploration
When Time Becomes a Scientific Tool: Extended bottom time allows divers to observe marine ecosystems with minimal disruption.
Unlike traditional scuba systems, rebreathers produce little to no bubbles, enabling divers to remain discreet beneath the surface. Given sufficient time, marine life resumes natural behaviour, creating unique opportunities for observation, photography, and scientific research.
The Fifty Fathoms Tech was specifically engineered to support these missions, transforming the watch into a genuine tool for underwater exploration rather than simply a dive timing instrument.
A Purpose-Built Professional Case
The Fifty Fathoms Tech is housed in a robust 47mm Grade 23 titanium case, combining durability with lightweight wearability.
Key Case Features - Grade 23 titanium construction
47mm diameter
300-meter water resistance
Helium escape valve
Unidirectional patented 3-hour bezel
Absolute black dial absorbing up to 97% of ambient light
The dial is designed to maximise underwater legibility through differentiated luminescence:
Blue-emission Super-LumiNova® for diving indications
Green-emission Super-LumiNova® for standard timekeeping
This distinction ensures immediate visual clarity in low-light underwater conditions.
New Interchangeable Strap System
For the first time, the Fifty Fathoms Tech incorporates a central-lug interchangeable strap system. The tool-free mechanism allows quick strap changes between:
Orange rubber strap (supplied)
Black rubber strap (optional)
White rubber strap (optional)
This enhancement adds everyday versatility while maintaining the watch's professional diving credentials.
Manufacture Calibre 13P5A
Powering the Fifty Fathoms Tech is Blancpain's in-house Calibre 13P5A, derived from the respected Calibre 1315 architecture.
Movement Specifications
Automatic winding
120-hour power reserve
Date function
Three-hour dive timing complication
Manufacture movement
The extended five-day power reserve reinforces the watch's suitability for prolonged expeditions and active lifestyles.
Automatic winding
120-hour power reserve
Date function
Three-hour dive timing complication
Manufacture movement
The extended five-day power reserve reinforces the watch's suitability for prolonged expeditions and active lifestyles.
Blancpain Ocean Commitment - More Than Two Decades of Marine Conservation.
The launch of the Fifty Fathoms Tech coincides with Blancpain's continued efforts through the Blancpain Ocean Commitment (BOC), a global initiative dedicated to ocean exploration, scientific research, and marine ecosystem preservation. Although officially named in 2014, Blancpain's conservation efforts began more than a decade earlier.
PADI Global Shark & Ray Census -
Blancpain recently expanded its partnership with PADI through the launch of the Global Shark & Ray Census, a worldwide citizen-science initiative designed to monitor vulnerable shark and ray populations.
The initiative builds upon:
Adopt the Blue
PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action
Shark & Ray Conservation Speciality Course
Together, these programs encourage divers to actively contribute to marine conservation efforts.
Blancpain × Sulubaaï Marine Research Centre
In 2025, Blancpain inaugurated the Blancpain × Sulubaaï Marine Research Centre in Shark Fin Bay, Philippines.
The initiative supports:
Marine protected areas
Scientific research
Sustainable fishing practices
Community education programs
Conservation-based economic development
The protected area network supported by the project has expanded from five to eight marine reserves.
Availability
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech is available through Blancpain boutiques and authorised retailers worldwide.
For further information, visit: https://www.blancpain.com
