The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms holds a legendary place in dive watch history. The name Fifty Fathoms might sound unusual at first, but it refers to a British unit of measurement. One fathom equals roughly six feet, so fifty fathoms translates to about 91 meters—or close to 300 feet—the maximum depth divers could reach with the technology of the era.

Over the decades, Fifty Fathoms watches have earned serious credibility through military use, trusted by elite forces from France, Germany, Poland , Finland, and most famously, the U.S. Navy.

This particular 34mm example stands out not only for its compact size but also for its remarkable condition. Often, these dials turn matte or suffer from paint loss, but this one has held up beautifully.

The watch features a fantastic case, a stunning black gloss dial with an applied Blancpain logo, and a beautifully scripted Fifty Fathoms signature. The hands are of the pencil type, and the seconds hand has a distinctive spear shape. The lume on the indexes appears to have been re-applied, but it still matches nicely in color with the handset. The Bakelite bezel is also in excellent condition.

Powered by an automatic Rayville/Blancpain 1361 movement, this piece is a fantastic addition to any dive watch collection.

It comes fitted on a rubber Nautic strap, reminiscent of how these watches were originally delivered.

We’re on a roll with Fifty Fathoms models at the moment—we have some contemporary limited editions as well . We’ve even got some of its older brothers-in-arms, including original military issued models ..

Feel free to reach out—we’ll be happy to show you what’s available!

Specifications:

Blancpain Fifty fathoms “Rotomatic”
34 mm steel case
Case no 13xxx, dating to the late 1950s
Black gloss dial with applied logos
Automatic Rayville/Blancpain movement based on A.S .Schild caliber
Original bakelite bezel insert
Rubber nautic strap
Fully serviced by our watchmaker
One-year mechanical warranty
Free worldwide FedEx Priority shipping

Blancpain Fifty fathoms Rotomatic 1950's

Blancpain Fifty fathoms Rotomatic 1950's

Before/after