Recently Blancpain has chosen to offer the precious metal versions of the 42mm Fifty Fathoms 5010 with a polished case finish. These luxurious models require a closer look, so let’s dive in with reference 5010-3630 on sailcloth and reference 5010-3640 on Tropic strap.

.

The initial launch of the 42mm Fathoms included two variants with a satin brushed red gold case, one with black and one with blue dial. Now the two dial colors are available in combination with a polished red gold case, and this makes a real difference.

One reason is that the shapes of Fifty Fathoms case are more pronounced by a polished case finish. 

.

The other aspect is the harmony between the case finish and the polished hands, the polished numerals and indices as well as the satin glow of the dial.

Let us explore it on the black dial Fifty Fathoms 5010-3630:

.

And here is the blue dial Fifty Fathoms 5010-3640 in comparison:

.

When we turn the watch over the view on caliber 1315 catches the eye. I mentioned this before: the Fifty Fathoms 5010 offers an exceptional balance between case size and movement diameter, the comparison of a tailor made suit springs to mind.

.

The Fifty Fathoms 5010 in red gold is available on sailcloth and Tropic strap with the choice between tang or deployant buckle as well as on Nato strap with tang buckle. Both specimen I had the pleasure to capture for this review came with a polished red gold tang buckle.

.

Conclusions 

One could say that the polished red gold case highlights the luxurious appeal of the Fifty Fathoms while a brushed case finish emphasizes what is usually referred to as „tool watch“ character.

So it’s really down to personal preferences which case finish catches you more, as mentioned above: the difference in expression is rather significant. But either way, a red gold Fifty Fathoms is the most luxurious professional dive watch you can enjoy.

.

You find the Fifty Fathoms 5010 collection in red gold here on the Blancpain website. My hands-on with the two brushed red gold timepieces can be found here in the blog.

I hope you enjoyed this hands-on and the photos.

Cheers 

Henrik