Introduced last fall, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe ref 5000-1210 in grade 23 titanium has become an immediate success. Today let’s take a look at the version on titanium bracelet, which took a bit longer to be delivered, but it was well worth the wait.
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Revisiting the titanium Bathyscaphe 5000
I had the opportunity of a photo session with the new Bathyscaphe on the Nato strap last year. Let’s recap some of the characteristics and start with the dial and bezel.
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For the first time the Bathyscaphe features a vertically brushed anthracite dial, which loves to play with different light conditions.
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This finish extends to the ceramic bezel inlay, which is radially brushed and therefore creates a beautiful symbiosis with the dial. The black polished hands play nicely to this configuration.
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The satin brushed grade 23 titanium case measures 43mm in diameter, 13.45mm in height and 49mm lug to lug. It offers 300m water resistance in combination with a screwed case back and a large screw-down crown.
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The watch is powered by caliber 1315, oscillating with 4Hz, featuring a silicon hairspring for antimagnetic properties and offering a power reserve of full 5 days. This beautifully decorated movement can be observed through a sapphire crystal in the case back.
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A „new“ bracelet style for the Bathyscaphe
Prior to reference 5000-12010-98S being launched, all Bathyscaphe came with the optional X-70 bracelet, which was designed for and kept exclusively for the Bathyscaphe line.
With the new titanium Bathyscaphe 5000 the style of the bracelet changed to the well known X-71 style, which has now also been adopted to all other Bathyscaphe models in stainless steel or titanium.
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Now, how would the more rounded shapes of the X-71 (or 98 in the titanium version) work with the rather straight lines of the Bathyscaphe lugs? To make this match, new end links had to be designed, not only for a tight fit but also to create sone sort of „aesthetic bridge“. I was curious to see the result in the metal, and I personally think Blancpain made it work in a convincing way.
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The end links length matches the lug ends, which had not been the case with the X-70 bracelet. This is a small but important detail to make the 71/98 bracelet work.
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Another detail is that the left and right face of the end links are flat, while the medial face is slightly rounded.
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Other than the X-70, the 71/98 bracelet has not been specifically designed for the Bathyscaphe, but it has been adopted very well. Now let’s get into some other details of the titanium bracelet, which are similar to those we already know from the Fifty Fathoms 5015 titanium bracelet. But first here are some shots to enjoy the finish of the titanium case and bracelet:
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The adjustment of the bracelet is done by bayonet screws on the bracelet underside. This leaves the bracelet flanks aesthetically unobstructed from a lateral view.
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The hidden double deployant clasp is secured by lateral pushers, a secure and comfortable way to open and close the clasp.
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The satin brushed finish of the grade 23 titanium bracelet is sublime, and the haptic experience is extraordinary. The bracelet doesn’t only look amazing, it feels and wears fantastic, too.
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The overall appearance
Having seen the titanium Bathyscaphe 5000-1210 in all three configurations, I must say that each of them makes the watch look noticeably different.
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Blancpain chose well to offer different colors between the sailcloth and Nato strap. These seem to emphasize different aspects of the anthracite dial, as does the titanium bracelet.
On bracelet the titanium Bathyscaphe has a very technical, monochromatic appearance. This is a watch that goes with every attire in any environment. It is a timepiece that goes under the radar on a distant view and is full of exceptional details on close inspection.
You find the Bathyscaphe reference 5000-1210-98S here on the Blancpain website. My initial report on the watch with Nato strap can be found here, the new Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet 5054 titanium here and the Bathyscaphe 5054 on the now discontinued X-70 bracelet here in the blog.
I hope you enjoyed this blog essay and the photos!
Cheers
Henrik