WATCH JOURNEY: One man’s love affair with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

Felix Scholz

It’s a common dilemma that once you’ve decided on your next timepiece, a second dilemma can often kick in. Which material? Which band? Which colour? This (let’s face it, very fortunate) problem was recently confronted by our photographer Kristian, who, through various twists of fate, has just been reunited with his ‘first horological love’; the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. All will be revealed in this blow by blow account as told to Time+Tide Editor, Felix Scholz over several coffees in downtown Melbourne. The magnificent photographs are by none other than Kristian himself. He did an extended shoot exclusively for Time+Tide on the beach at Apollo Bay: “I got all my gear sandy and dropped my $7k Nikon on rocks, but all survived. It has quite a few scratches now, so I can just relax and enjoy it.” 

FS: KD, TELL ME YOUR HISTORY WITH BLANCPAIN? WE’VE PICKED UP FROM YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED THAT YOU’VE OWNED ONE BEFORE?

KD: Back in 2009, after many years of wishing, hoping, lusting and drooling, I decided to treat myself to a watch I considered my grail – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. I always said that when I make it as a photographer, I would reward myself with the finest timepiece I could afford, and there was no debate which timepiece it would be.

Sadly, after a few years into ownership, I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being ripped-off by my agent in Los Angeles, and as a result, needed to raise funds, so the Fifty Fathoms had to go. At the time, while it was saddening to see it go, I knew that I would one day have her back on my wrist, and years later, I now have her back and haven’t been able to stop smiling!

FS: HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW TO BE REUNITED?

KD: It feels amazing to have the Fifty back on my wrist. The joy of owning a watch that brings so much happiness each time I look down at my wrist really helps alleviate my stress level and makes me more productive – no joke.

FS: WHAT MADE THE FIFTY FATHOMS YOUR ‘FIRST LOVE’? HOW WAS IT MORE SPECIAL THAN OTHER LUXURY WATCHES YOU’D HAD?

KD: Being a diver, the Fifty is built to last and stand the tests of time and anything thrown at it along the way. There’s something reassuring about knowing your watch can withstand the pressure of 300m depths and all the knocks and bumps associated with such a mighty diver. Even though I know I’ll never go deeper than 1% of that depth, I know my Fifty will withstand the rigours of daily life without a hitch.

Besides its robust tool watch design (which is equally comfortable in a board room) it was the classical looks of the Fifty Fathoms that drew me in – a curved sapphire crystal and curved sapphire bezel! Those are the key distinctions that make the Fifty stand out from the rest. There are some incredible dive watches available in the marketplace, and no matter how many I tried and flipped, non could tame the lust I had for the Fifty Fathoms.

FS: WHY THE FIFTY FATHOMS? WHAT APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT BLANCPAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE?

KD: To me the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is like a diver in a tuxedo. Handsome, well dressed and ready for any action.

Aside from that, Blancpain is one of the oldest brands, going back to 1735, and have always been a manufacture that creates classically styled timepieces without conforming to contemporary pressures as other brands often do. Sure, their designs are a little more conservative compared to other brands, yet with gorgeous complications that make them stand out from the pack. I also love that they’re staying true to their original design philosophy and the Fifty Fathoms is a wonderful example of this.

FS: DO YOU KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FIFTY FATHOMS? IS THAT PART OF YOUR ATTRACTION?

KD: I care a lot about history, because to understand where a brand is headed, you need to understand the history, and there is nothing more special looking down at your wrist knowing that for the last 279 years, Blancpain has been the brand many have also seen on their wrist. The Fifty Fathoms specifically holds a very special place in the dive watch world, being the very first professional dive watch made available to the public in 1953 after successful use by the French Navy. Later followed the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster.

Even more special was the fact that at the time, the company’s CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter was a diver himself, so it’s pretty obvious that this watch was more personal than just creating a typical product in Blancpain’s product line. It’s great to see that the design elements then have been applied to the current model released some 54 years later in 2007, but with a bolder dial, a solid 5-day (120 hour) power reserve and a movement that’s super accurate and robust. So I guess you could say that the Blancpain Fifty Fathom’s history is an important part of owner-appreciation and is something I often consider when purchasing any watch.

FS: CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE EXPERIENCE OF WEARING A FIFTY FATHOMS ON THE WRIST COMPARED TO, SAY, A ROLEX DIVER?

KD: There is a very big difference between wearing a Rolex and a Blancpain. A Rolex is designed to be a very hard wearing, sporty but stylish wristwatch with simple and sturdy movements that has the brand/model recognition from all kinds of people. Whereas the Blancpain is more of a specialty watch that focuses on complications in a more classical styling that only a few with keen eyes for watch enthusiasts would recognize.

While the Fifty Fathoms may look quite different to the rest of the Blancpain lines of watches, the design goals are very similar. Elegance, legibility and comfort over all else. The Fifty is quite a large watch at 45mm but it sits so well on my 6.75inch wrist. The lugs curve down in an elegant and comfortable fashion, allowing the sailcloth strap to angle down firmly around the wrist leaving little to no gap, and without the lugs sticking out. The weight is also good, with just the right amount of heft to feel the quality, without it causing any fatigue over a long day of use.

FS: WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER’S POINT OF VIEW?

KD: The Fifty Fathoms is all about the curves, just like a beautiful woman. The curved sapphire crystal and the curved sapphire bezel catch light on angles that make my eyes light up. As a photographer, I am attracted to light, and I love the way the ‘Fifty’ plays with light. I also love how legible it is due to the high contrast of the deep black dial and bezel, along with the highly illuminated hands, indices and bezel markers. Many watch manufacturers have a tough time getting the colour of the bezel to match the dial, especially when using such materials like Titanium, Ceramic and Sapphire, but the Fifty Fathoms is right on the mark.

I also love that it has many different looks depending on the light, and all of them look great. This expands my possibilities with photos and allows me to achieve variety when shooting it.

FS: AS A PHOTOGRAPHER WHAT CATCHES YOUR EYE THAT MIGHT NOT FOR OTHER PEOPLE

KD: Definitely, the way a watch’s finish and details play with light and shadow. When I evaluate a watch, I am taking mental pictures of it in the situations I’d be using it in and imaging how photogenic it may be. I think this actually helps with my purchase decisions in the long run because I love shooting my watches and have been doing so for years. In fact I never really took it too seriously until now, when followers and supporters have been showing their appreciation – so I feel the need to keep stepping it up. The key for me is not to try and replicate commercial looking pictures people are used to seeing in catalogues, as I often feel they’re over-edited and don’t look real.

FS: WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TO BUYING AND SELLING PIECES THAT YOU REALLY LIKE ALONG THE JOURNEY?

KD: Some watch lovers are in it for collecting, and others are in it for the enjoyment of exploration. The beauty of this hobby is that there are so many choices, and just when you think you know what kind of watch lover you are, a watch comes along and surprises you. In fact, in the past I specifically avoided the Blancpain and Rolex brands, but as time went by, along with the buying and selling of watches, I found that my taste had evolved through my exploration of the hobby, and for the better I believe.

My overall attitude is that while the process of buying and selling is time consuming, stressful and financially burdening at times, it is also fun and through this process I’ve made many friends along the way – from dealers to private buyers.

FS: WHEN DID YOU BEGIN TO GET SERIOUS PANGS TO BUY YOUR FIRST LOVE BACK?

KD: I recently went to shoot a million dollar timepiece at Monards in Crown and I noticed they had the black and blue Fifty Fathoms in the Blancpain display cabinet. The owner, Bernard Fung saw the look on my face and immediately removed them from the cabinet, sat me down, and placed them (blue and black) on my wrist (yes I was a sucker for sure!) Immediately, the feelings came flooding back into my conscious mind and I left with the desire to re-purchase the watch as soon as I could.

The Fifty Fathoms has always been in the back of my mind. I always compare every watch to it because while there are some amazing timepieces available, not many can match the Fifty in terms of the way it makes me feel. When you have a connection that strong to a timepiece, it never leaves you – just like your first love.

FS: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU, ONCE YOU’D STARTED THINKING ABOUT GETTING IT BACK, TO ACTUALLY DO THE DEAL?

KD: About 10 days later, I purchased the watch. The only reason it took that long is because I needed to sell another watch to fund it. The decision to let go of my other watch was not an easy one, but it had to be done…though I foresee myself acquiring that watch again if my future permits it.

FS: YOU REALLY SEEMED TO SWEAT OVER THE DECISION OF BLACK VS BLUE DIAL – WHAT WERE THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH?

KD: Well, in the back of my mind, I knew the black was the one I really wanted but I always enjoy the process of including my friends (and followers on Instagram) in the purchase decision and listening to their reasons for whatever they’re recommending. They say it’s always safe to go with black, because it’s classic and the original. Generally, I prefer my tool watches to be more brushed than polished, but the one thing that I love about the Fifty is that it is a very blingy diver that can be worn on all occasions, so the polished case on the black was preferred over the brushed case on the blue. I also preferred the black bezel to the blue one. There’s just something about a shiny black bezel that catches my eye and never lets go.

FS: THAT BLUE DIAL IS REALLY SOMETHING SPECIAL, DON’T YOU THINK?

KD: But having had mostly classic black dialed divers in the past I really felt I could do with some colour, and blue is one of my favourite colours. The flinque style dial on the blue really makes it pop, and is another feature to look at over the black. If I was after a watch that was a little more casual, I would have taken the blue, and I think I may just add it to my collection in the future if possible. In the daylight it really looks magnificent.

FS: WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?

KD: Right now I’m not thinking much about my next watch. Maybe something more elegant and contemporary, like the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity. It’s a lot of watch for the price and has plenty of details for me to appreciate and photograph. Lately I’ve really been digging contemporary pieces that showcase details of movements on the dial so this piece fits my requirements well.

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