But Blancpain wasn’t done yet. This year, the brand released a 38mm production version Fifty Fathoms in a parade of colors and materials. First came pink and rose gold versions with mother-of-pearl dials, and then a couple of days later, traditional black and blue divers in your choice of rose gold, titanium or steel.
Promising to be the most wearable take on the iconic diver, as well as the most affordable, the 38mm option in steel is a watch I simply had to investigate further. Because, at least on paper, it sure seems like it could be the best new dive watch of the year. To find out if it is, I spent the past week wearing one. Here’s what I think.
The size is perfect (for me)
On the wrist, the 38mm Fifty Fathoms is an absolute dream. At 38mm across, 12mm thick and just under 44mm lug-to-lug, it practically disappears on my 6.5-inch wrist — especially when compared to my usual diver, a 42mm Omega Seamaster Diver 300M.
The 45mm Fifty Fathoms wears comically large on me; it’s not something I would ever consider even if I had the budget. The 42 I’ve tried on and it’s totally wearable, but it has a very different feel compared to the 38. It feels like a robust, modern luxury tool watch in the vein of my Seamaster. In fact, it wears almost exactly the same as the Omega.
The 38, meanwhile, offers a completely different experience. As soon as I put it on for the first time, it felt like I was putting on a vintage watch. Not in terms of fit and finish — this is very much a contemporary luxury dive watch — but in its overall look and feel. It’s light, even in steel. It’s compact. It’s thin. I love the way it looks, the way it feels and the vibe it puts out. It is, in a word, special.