Strap options: the new Blancpain Jacquard Nato straps

It took Blancpain quite a while to offer more strap alternatives to owners of the FF/Bathyscaphe, but recently a variety of new Nato straps have been introduced. So this blog post is not about a specific watch but three of the new 23mm Nato straps for the 43mm Bathyscaphe and 45mm Fifty Fathoms models. Let’s take a close look on and off the wrist.

Whether camouflage is the right term to describe the design of these straps I really don’t know. There may very well be a different thought process behind the design of these straps (most likely a underwater reference), but let’s stick to this description in lack of a better official explanation.

They for sure are far from being your average Camo strap: here we don’t talk about a printed but a woven pattern, a technique called Jacquard. The straps have an exceptional look and feel, very comfortable and sophisticated. Let’s take a very close look at the details of the straps:

Done in three color schemes the straps are clearly meant to work well with the different case and dial colors that can be found in the Fifty Fathoms/Bathyscaphe catalogue. For this introduction I worked with one watch only, though. The titanium Bathyscaphe ref 5000-1210 does not feature vibrant colors, but it should give you a pretty good idea of the three Jacquard Nato straps in real life.

The first strap I fitted to the Bathyscaphe was the taupe/off white/light brown one. It works extremely well with the anthracite dial of the watch imho, giving the Bathyscaphe a slightly warmer look.

The blue/grey/light blue strap was next. It obviously isn’t meant for a rather monochrome grey watch but those FF/Bathyscaphe with blue dials. And among the three Jacquard Nato straps this is the one I wasn’t entirely convinced of.

The third option, executed in anthracite/off white/grey, works perfectly again. I can also picture this strap to be a splendid choice for any black ceramic Bathyscaphe. In case of the titanium Bathyscaphe it keeps the monochrome look but adds some nice depth to it.

To provide you with a full picture here are a few wrist shots of all three straps. Again, some color combinations work better with the monochrome titanium Bathyscaphe than others, especially the blue strap is better suited for a blue dial timepiece. But at least you get a good idea of the looks.

Personally I like the new Jacquard Nato straps a lot and welcome them as a first step towards a larger strap variety available from Blancpain. The straps are available for order through Boutiques and ADs, unfortunately they are not featured on the Blancpain website (yet?). But the Bathyscaphe titanium is and can be found here.

My hands-on with the Bathyscaphe 5000-1210-NAGA is available here, on the fabulous titanium bracelet here in the blog.

I hope you enjoyed the introduction to the straps and the photos.

Cheers

Henrik

Quintessentially Blancpain: the FF Bathyscaphe 5054 titanium

If you are after a „do-it-all“ modern Blancpain timepiece you may narrow in on this one: the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet in Grade 23 titanium reference 5054-1210. Let’s explore this beautiful timepiece in all its details and find out why it is one of the most popular watches in the current Blancpain catalogue.

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Hands-on with two rare Bathyscaphe models

During a recent visit I had the chance to spend time with the prototypes of two rare Bathyscaphe models. Since both were available in selected markets only, getting up close with them for a photo session was a very welcome opportunity. So here they are, the Bathyscaphe Polar Green in stainless steel and the Bathyscaphe Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary in titanium and Sedna gold.

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Thank you & seasonal greetings

This last blog post in 2022 is primarily meant to thank you, my readers, for your continuing support! But let me also include a quick wrap-up of the year, including my take on Blancpain’s 2022 novelties as well as my personal collection highlights of the year.

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The Fifty Fathoms so far…

2023 will be the 70th anniversary of the world’s first professional dive watch, so in anticipation of what’s to come in only a few months I thought it might be a good idea to briefly summarize the first 69 years of an iconic watch and its major evolutionary steps. So let’s dive into the history of the Fifty Fathoms and get ourselves prepared for the upcoming anniversary.

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The magnificent 7: a friend’s stunning Bathyscaphe collection

Today I experiment with a new style of blog essay and I hope you enjoy it as much as my other style blog posts. In this essay I capture a friend’s private collection of modern Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe timepieces and the thematic approach of the collector. Let’s dive into these magnificent seven, showcasing a bit of the variety the Bathyscaphe line offers.

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Hands-on with two new Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback versions

A few months ago Blancpain launched two new Bathyscaphe 5054 in titanium and red gold, now those materials are finding their way to the Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback 5200. Let‘s take a close look at these two novelties.

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A new green unofficial Ocean Commitment Bathyscaphe

Today Blancpain unveiled a new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in titanium with a green dial and ceramic bezel. This timepiece is made in connection of a Blancpain Ocean Commitment initiative with aquatil and Jordsand on German island of Sylt and limited to only 25 pieces. Let’s get up close and personal with this new and rare beauty.

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Hands-on with the Bathyscaphe Bucherer Blue edition

In 2021 a second collaboration between Blancpain and Bucherer saw the light of day, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe ref 5000-0140-NAOA as part of the Bucherer Blue collection. Let’s get up close and personal with this beauty.

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Monochromatic: the all titanium Bathyscaphe 5000

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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Hands-on with two new Bathyscaphe 5054

On June 16 Blancpain introduced two very attractive siblings to the successful Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet reference 5054 in satin brushed titanium and satin brushed red gold. Let’s get up close and personal with these two 2022 novelties in the sailcloth strap variant.

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A two-tone Bathyscaphe for Cortina Watch

I came across a brand new iteration of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe reference 5000, made in a limited run of 50 pieces for the 50th anniversary of Cortina Watch in Singapore. Let’s take a look at the first two-tone Bathyscaphe.

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The Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet on the X-70 bracelet

The Bathyscaphe Quantieme Complet reference 5054-1110-70 was introduced in 2018 and turned out to be one of the bestselling timepieces in the catalogue. Let’s take a look why that’s no surprise. Adding significantly to the content of this essay is the fabulous X-70 bracelet the watch is equipped with.

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The return of the Bathyscaphe Titanium

Just after my recent encounter with the first modern Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in Ceramized Titanium, I now have the pleasure to share some exclusive hands-on impressions of the brand new Bathyscaphe Titanium 5000-1210-NAGA. So let’s get up close with a new watch which will undoubtedly be a huge success.

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Flashback: the „unicorn“ Bathyscaphe

In 2013 Blancpain celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms with the launch of the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, starting with three versions: one in 38mm and two in 43mm size. One of the new watches had a life span of less than a year, the Bathyscaphe Ceramized Titanium. Let’s get up close with this very rare timepiece, often called the “unicorn” by those who know it.

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