In February 2023 I had the pleasure of introducing the brand new Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa aka FF 70th Anniversary Act 2. Now the opportunity of a second photo session arose and I can share some new impressions, mainly but not only under natural light conditions, with you. So let’s explore reference 5019-12B30-64A again and get a better understanding of the aesthetic and technical difference this professional dive instrument makes.
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Since I described the details of the FF Tech Gombessa at length in my hands-on coverage from February 2023 I will try not to repeat myself too much. To get a good idea of ref 5019, pictures are better than words anyway. Especially natural light conditions will allow to better capture the FF 70th Anniversary Act 2 in its fine details and overall appeal, at least that’s the goal of this essay.
A new look for the Fifty Fathoms
The key aspect of this new timepiece was its desired functionality, and we will get to that aspect later. The first impression we get is the look of a timepiece, though. Therefore let me start with the aesthetic virtues of reference 5019.
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It is very rare that an iconic watch is re-imagined and designed without the constraints of an existing aesthetic code. With the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa Blancpain did exactly that and the result is remarkable.
These are unusual shapes for a Fifty Fathoms, at the same time it’s a very strong and unique design.
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The sharp angles, the prominent bezel rim in combination with the new style of the bezel tilting inwards towards the spherical crystal, the new style crown with its beautiful crown guards and the helium escape valve at 10 o’clock… there’s a lot to explore in detail.
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A new functionality for a dive watch
The Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa was developed by Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta over no less than 5 years. The goal was to create a professional mechanical instrument for rebreather divers, timing dives up to 3 hours with excellent visibility under water.
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This is accomplished by using a 3 hour unidirectional bezel in connection with a designated hand that circles the dial once in three hours. To differentiate these elements from the time indication they are fitted with a different SuperLuminova color.
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The technical solution by the name of cal 13P8 is realized on the basis of the sublime caliber 1315, which combines refinement, precision and beauty with absolute sturdiness and reliability.
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Dimensions and materials
The Tech Gombessa features a titanium grade 23 case with an integrated rubber strap, fixed by two central case attachment points and held by 4 screws on the backside.
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The impressive bezel carries a convex ceramic insert. The numerals on the bezel insert are engraved, filled with white SuperLuminova and finished with a special lacquer, glowing bright green in the dark.
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The matte finish „absolute black“ dial absorbs around 97% of light, a beautiful canvas for the bright orange numerals and indices. Those are executed as faceted full Luminova coated blocks, a special detail we also know from the Fifty Fathoms Act 1. Possibly these types of numerals and indices remain exclusive to these two 70th Anniversary timepieces.
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The hands are black polished, with the hour and minute hands carrying orange SL while the seconds hand has white SL due its important role during a dive.
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We should also take a closer look at the rubber strap since it is an integrated part of the timepiece: here we also find a new clear and strong design, the same goes for the titanium tang buckle.
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On the wrist
With its 47mm the FF Tech Gombessa is a large watch, and despite its integrated design the curved rubber strap needs a wrist of minimum 17.5/18cm to really hug it.
With a wrist of that size it is a very comfortable watch to wear, and it sure has a lot of colorful presence when worn. Here’s the Tech Gombessa worn by a friend, since my wrists don’t meet the size requirements.
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Conclusions
I really appreciate the second encounter with the Tech Gombessa, especially since it gave me the opportunity to better explore and fully appreciate the character of the timepiece (well, other than diving with it).
To me it represents a significant new design within the established Fifty Fathoms lineup. It is not only the new shape, it’s also the bright orange color and the new ceramic bezel that differentiates reference 5019 from its siblings.
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I would be surprised if this new aesthetic code would stay limited to this one reference going forward, I hope the design is here to stay since there are many possibilities to re-interpret it.
Geared towards those customers who actually use a dive watch the Tech Gombessa will most likely stay a rather rare watch, the annual production of max 100-150 pieces indicates the same. In that respect it remains a true Blancpain: made for the real enthusiast and connoisseur.
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Since I referenced it, here you find my initial hands-on coverage of the FF Tech Gombessa in the blog, a recap on all 70th Anniversary timepieces is available here.
You find the Tech Gombessa here on the Blancpain website and the commendable Blancpain Ocean Commitment initiative has its online presence here.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and the photos.
Cheers
Henrik