Blancpain

The 'birth' of the Fifty-Fathoms is something of a legend at this point – the brainchild of Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who was an avid diver. As the story goes, Fiechter was diving off the coast of Cannes when he unexpectedly ran out of air. Not something you ever want to have happen to you. While Fiechter survived, it was then that he had the idea to build a watch specifically suited to the needs of divers.

The watch would need to be incredibly large, extremely legible, with an immediately recognizable 12 position. It should also be highly waterproof and have a generous amount of luminescence. The result was the 41mm Fifty-Fathoms, with an extremely wide and luminous bezel that featured a large diamond to denote the 12 position. As history would have it, the watch was a hit, and many other 'diving watches' soon followed in its footsteps. Whether the story with Fiechter is rooted in myth or not – we do know that in 1953 the Fifty-Fathoms became the choice of important divers including the likes of Jacques Cousteau.

It is here that Cousteau becomes integral to the Fifty-Fathoms story – and to this particular watch. Cousteau, along with Emile Gagnan, co-developed a diving regulator they called the 'Aqualung'. As that technology became a success, they began using the name Aqua-Lung for their retail operations. Cousteau, being a fan of the Fifty-Fathoms, elected to sell the watch in their stores with a co-branded dial. Thus giving birth to the Fifty-Fathoms Aqua-Lung you see here. The present watch is in near time-capsule condition with a truly flawless gloss radium dial, and perfectly puffy and cream-colored indices and Arabic numerals.

The signature wide, radium-impregnated bezel survives in excellent overall condition, with only a slight crack to one of the markers. The case back is signed as one would expect, 'Blancpain Aqua-Lung', and the case remains very thick. It is highly unusual to see such early 1950s Blancpains in such outstanding condition, given that they were mostly owned and used by serious divers. As we celebrate 70 years of the Fifty-Fathoms, this museum-worthy piece represents the very beginning of the watch's commercial success, and a partnership with its most famous advocate.