Blancpain, a specialist in diver watches, has a unique approach. Just look at their flawless lineup, starting with the Fifty Fathoms, the ancestor of modern diver fake watches. The original Fifty Fathoms and the more modern Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe are divided into numerous branches based on size, material, and function (three-hand, chronograph, complete calendar, etc.). Recently, the new ‘Tech’ collection has joined the lineup, and Fifty Fathoms is constantly expanding its worldview. This year, the special Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV Limited Edition opens the door.
Fifty Fathoms Tech debuted with the second series, ‘Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2 Tech Gombesa’, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Fifty Fathoms in 2023. The main character of the new chapter stands out with unprecedented technological changes, as the modifier ‘Tech’ suggests. Based on the existing Fifty Fathoms, it adds a separate hand to measure diving time of up to 3 hours and a helium gas escape valve for saturation diving. The product development was conducted through close collaboration between Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of Blancpain, and Laurent Ballesta, founder of Gombesa Expedition, and it is said that the maximum diving measurement time was increased to 3 hours at the request of Gombesa Expedition divers who explore rare marine species. This is because these divers often stay underwater for more than an hour when exploring the ocean.
BOC is an abbreviation for replica Blancpain Ocean Commitment. It literally means ‘Blancpain’s commitment to the ocean’. Blancpain has actually been organizing BOC as a separate unit for a long time and has been continuously conducting marine ecological conservation exploration activities. The partnership with Laurent Ballest, a marine biologist and deep-sea photographer explorer before he founded the Gombesa Expedition, is also part of BOC’s activities. Blancpain has supported him for many years and has been carrying out various marine projects. With the support of Blancpain, some of the marine images taken by Laurent Ballest have won the grand prize at the 2023 Wildlife Photography Contest.
The BOC Editions were first introduced in 2014, when the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph was launched with a blue dial (and bezel) variation, followed two years later by a second edition based on the same model with a blue ceramic case. The third series was released in 2018, reducing the blue-faced Fifty Fathoms to 40mm and gaining great popularity. This year’s fourth edition also focuses on downsizing, with the Fifty Fathoms Tech 47mm now being a more compact 45mm. The thickness has also been significantly reduced from 14.81mm to 14.1mm. However, due to the diet, the 3-hour dive time measurement function has been lost.
The case of the ‘Tech’ line is quite different from the existing Fifty Fathoms. A helium gas escape valve for saturation diving is added to the side at 10 o’clock, and the strap is directly connected to the monoblock lug that protrudes slightly above and below the middle case. It can be seen as a form without the lug. It is said that the line connecting the case and the strap was also ergonomically designed accordingly. The unidirectional rotating bezel is also different from the general model. Instead of covering the bezel insert with sapphire crystal, the insert was made of black ceramic from the beginning. Thanks to the curve of the surface, the design code unique to Fifty Fathoms is not greatly damaged. The original Tech model has a 3-hour diving scale on the bezel, but the new product without the related function displays a 1-hour scale, the same as the general Fifty Fathoms.
The 45mm case is made of grade 23 titanium, the same as its predecessor. The water resistance is 300m. The unfamiliar grade of titanium is easy to see as a high-purity titanium with a different alloy composition. There is no big difference from the general grade 5 titanium. It is not only light and strong, but also has excellent corrosion resistance and does not cause allergic reactions. It is said to be mainly used for artificial prosthetics, medical devices, and the aerospace industry. The entire titanium surface is satin-brushed to emphasize the texture.
The face is striking with the word ‘Tech’ in the same color as the blue second hand, which symbolizes the BOC Edition. The background is pitch black in contrast. It is said that it was manufactured to absorb about 97% of the light transmitted into the water for readability. Thanks to this, the hands and indexes stand out more even in the dark water. The hour markers are manufactured in the form of blocks of Super-LumiNova like applique indexes to give them a three-dimensional feel, and the pencil-shaped hour/minute hands have Super-LumiNova luminous material of the same color applied to the surface. The Blancpain logo, the collection name written in cursive, and the date window at 4:30 are not much different from the existing Fifty Fathoms.
Turning the watch around reveals the automatic in-house Caliber 1315A behind the sapphire crystal. The new movement, though familiar, appears to be the 1315 used in the existing Fifty Fathoms, with a rotor engraved with the BOC logo and an additional A after the number. The structure and performance remain the same. The three barrels are connected in series to achieve a long power reserve of up to five days (120 hours), and the unstable torque issue that can occur in a series structure is said to have been resolved by varying the strength of the mainspring in each barrel. The hairspring connected to the free-sprung balance wheel is made of silicon, which is not affected by magnetism, as in the existing series.
The strap is a rubber band in the same color as the dial. It adheres tightly to the monobloc lugs and middle case, and thanks to the titanium reinforcement inserted inside, it maintains the curved line that fits the wrist without sagging. The method of fixing the strap with screws at the back of the lugs is also new.
The Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV Limited Edition is limited to 100 pieces. It is priced at 30.5 million won. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Blancpain x Sulubaaï Marine Research Center. €1,000 will be donated for each piece sold, and a total of €100,000 will be used to fund the marine research center.
For your information, Blancpain X Sulubaaï Marine Research Institute, with the support of Blancpain and the Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation located in the Philippines, is working on the conservation, restoration, and research of Shark Fin Bay in the Palawan Archipelago in the Philippines. In the future, they plan to run various educational programs for local residents such as university students, fishermen, teachers, and environmental guards, and make even more efforts in the long-term preservation of the marine ecosystem.
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