This new version of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet has been featured in my introduction of all new models a short while ago, albeit on the fabulous ceramic bracelet. Today I invite you to join me exploring the stunning black ceramic Bathyscaphe 5054 0140 NAOA with blue dial and black bezel in the Nato strap configuration.

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There has been a black ceramic Bathyscaphe with blue dial before: the Bucherer Blue Edition from 2021, but featuring a blue bezel insert. Combining a blue dial with black bezel insert and black ceramic case is a new aesthetic choice, and it works incredibly well.

And while the black ceramic bracelet leaves the blue dial the solitary blue element of the watch, the Nato or Sailcloth configurations offer those straps in dark blue and therefore provide a more balanced blend of blue and black elements.

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Let‘s get into the details starting with the black ceramic case and its beautiful brushed finish.

There’s a lot worth exploring with a loupe, whether it’s the beautifully machined bezel apertures, the characteristic Bathyscaphe lugs or the big screwed down crown.

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The case back with its crystal is not screwed down but pressed in. The aperture for the crystal is comparatively small since caliber 6654.P.4. builds on the well known 1150, albeit tuned to a frequency of 4Hz and therefore offering 72h of power reserve instead of the 100 hours we are used to with the 3Hz iteration.

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The complete calendar with moon phases is set by 4 pushers in the case flanks. Those pushers are made from DLC coated steel, not ceramic.

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The 120 click unidirectional black bezel features a black ceramic insert with Liquidmetal indications surrounds the blue sunburst finish dial.

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The face of the timepiece offers day and month windows in the upper half and the signature moon phase indication in the lower half.

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The date is displayed via a center hand with a crescent shaped red tip, corresponding to the date indications printed on a designated rim of the dial. This date circle concentrates the calendar functions in the center of the dial, while the time indication with the typical Bathyscaphe hands and hour markers is focused on the outer part, rounding up a busy but very balanced watch face.

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Leaving the watch head let’s briefly capture the dark blue Nato strap which is secured by a 23mm black ceramic tang buckle on the wrist.

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Now, how does the ceramic Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet look and feel on the wrist?

With 43.6mm in diameter it is a large watch, no doubt. But due to the rather short lugs it works fine also on slimmer wrists.

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The Nato strap adds roughly 2mm to the already considerable 14.1mm height, still it is absolutely manageable without any loss of comfort on the wrist.

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The black and blue Bathyscaphe 5054 has a lot of presence on the wrist, expressing a lot of luxurious character without being loud or blingy. Despite its strong expression it remains a connoisseur’s timepiece, made for the satisfaction of the person wearing it and not those looking from a distance.

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There has been a huge variety of Bathyscaphe models prior to this year’s new releases. The fact that even after 11 years and despite the already broad variety a new model can make the Bathyscaphe look as fresh and different is stunning and proves that the design base is very strong and timeless.

As mentioned before, especially the black ceramic 5054 with blue dial and black bezel is a real eye-catcher, no matter the configuration. Sure the ceramic bracelet has to be a favorite, but the Nato or Sailcloth strap iterations are no less attractive.

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You find the Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet 5054-0140-NAOA here on the Blancpain website. My introduction of all three new ceramic Bathyscaphe 5054 and the ceramic bracelet is available here in the blog.

I hope you enjoyed this article and the photos.

Cheers

Henrik