I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the three new black ceramic Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe timepieces introduced just a few days ago. So here are some impressions of the Bathyscaphe black ceramic ref 5000 with blue dial/black bezel and with green dial/bezel as well as the Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback with blue dial and black bezel.

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Unfortunately weather was so bad recently that there was no chance to capture the watches under bright daylight, so we are limited to light box pictures and a fair number of close-ups under the Loupe System lens.

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Rounding up the lineup 

Now the collection is completed and we can take a closer look at the three new models. I encountered all of them on the sailcloth strap, but they of course also available on a Nato or the full ceramic bracelet.

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The new Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet 5054 has started the widening of the ceramic offerings within the model line earlier this year, especially with the new option of a ceramic bracelet. The available dial colors of black, blue and green hinted on what’s to come for the other main Bathyscaphe references 5000 and 5200 in black ceramic.

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Getting into the details

There have been blue dial ceramic Bathyscaphe 5200 models before, exactly two of them to be precise: the Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback Ocean Commitment I in a grey ceramic case and the Bucherer Blue Edition in a blue ceramic case. Both watches had a blue ceramic bezel.

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So Blancpain had to come up with something different when using a blue dial. They chose to use a slightly darker blue for the face of the watch and combine it with a black ceramic bezel under reference 5200-0140.

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This combination works beautifully and offers a fresh look to the black ceramic Chronographe Flyback, which is part of the collection for already 10 years.

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The same is of course true for the Bathyscaphe 5000-0140. Here we also have two blue dial predecessors, the standard collection grey ceramic 5000-0240 and another Bucherer Blue Edition with blue dial & bezel combined with a black ceramic case.

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The green dial black ceramic Bathyscaphe is actually not totally new. Four years ago there was a stunning limited edition (50 pieces) called Mokarran, albeit in a no date configuration and with a very special thematic rotor design.

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So now we see the beautiful combination of black ceramic and green dial & bezel in the standard collection for the base model. Yes, the date window at 4:30 is an obvious and indeed significant difference, but this new version of the Bathyscaphe with the reference 5000-0153 certainly provides a very attractive option.

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The green dial of the Bathyscaphe is truly mesmerizing. The different appearance under warm or cold light is astonishing, it depends whether the more blue or more yellow hues are triggered.

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The case design of the Bathyscaphe with its rather straight lines and the beautifully executed brushed finish is perfect basis for black ceramic. The case shapes are highlighted by the material, the finish makes it react to light in an active fashion, resulting in sometimes a darker or lighter look.

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Both the Bathyscaphe 5000 and the Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback feature pressed sapphire case backs. Caliber 1315 in reference 5000 and caliber F385 in reference 5200 are both finished in a similar style and provide best in class movement technology and performance.

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Conclusions 

I have said it before: the FF Bathyscaphe has become a full collection of its own over the years. It is remarkable how new color/material combinations never disappoint to freshen up this model line, and these three new versions are proof of that statement. 

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Besides the black sailcloth/Nato strap for the green dial Bathyscaphe or the dark blue sailcloth/Nato strap for the blue dial models there’s the option of the black ceramic bracelet. This high end bracelet offers an interesting alternative, the haptic experience is fantastic, the quality extraordinary. Even if the bracelet has not been part of this review, I strongly suggest you check it out. Here it is on the Bathyscaphe 5054 for illustration purpose:

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You find the new Bathyscaphe versions here on the Blancpain website. My blog essay on the black ceramic Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet on the ceramic bracelet is available here, the blue dial & black bezel Bathyscaphe 5054 on Nato strap is featured here in the blog.

I hope you enjoyed this review and the photos.

Cheers 

Henrik