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

Impressions from the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary event in Cannes

From September 22 to 24 the historic scenery, which is so important to the history of the Fifty Fathoms, hosted 300 guests to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms and the introduction of the final commemorative timepiece. I think it may be interesting for you to get a flavor of this exceptional event.

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Hands-on with the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3

And here it is: the highly anticipated Act 3 of Blancpain‘s lineup of Fifty Fathoms novelties, celebrating the anniversary year. And there’s no way denying that it is a looker! Let’s get up close and personal with the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 reference 5901-5630-NANA in a 41.3mm bronze gold case that leads us back to one of the many milestones in the unrivaled history of the iconic dive watch.

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The Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Collection

Today, September 7, Swatch revealed 5 bioceramic models inspired by the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms which are going on sale on September 9. They are picking up the theme of 5 oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic. Let me share my initial take on this very special project alongside the 70th Anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms and the watches.

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Comparing the 40, 42 and 45mm Fifty Fathoms

With the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 reference 5010A/B/C-1130-NABA Blancpain offers a long awaited new size for the iconic dive watch. I now had the opportunity to have all three sizes ready for a photo session, so let’s compare this new 42.3mm Fifty Fathoms to its siblings in 40.3mm and 45mm with a similar basic aesthetic code.

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Honeymoon with the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1

Finally, almost on point 6 months after it was introduced and sold through Blancpain‘s first worldwide online sale, the 42mm Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 is in the process of distribution. Let me share my thoughts after one week of proud ownership and show you the watch under different light conditions and on a different strap.

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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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Hands-on with the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1

Now that the future owners of the new Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 have almost reached half-time of the estimated delivery period, some live impressions of the prototype may come in handy to ease the pain of waiting. So let’s get up close and personal with reference 5010A(B/C)-1130-NABA in a new 42mm case.

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Hands-on with the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2: Tech Gombessa

The second timepiece Blancpain introduces in the year of the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms is capturing the DNA of the iconic dive watch as a professional instrument. This one is entirely made by divers for divers. Let’s get up close and personal with the new Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa reference 5019-12B30-64A.

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A perfect pair: two Fifty Fathoms No Rad

A friend and fellow enthusiast had the opportunity to establish a significant pair in his collection: his new Fifty Fathoms Tribute to No Rad 5008 was accompanied by its ancestor, the Fifty Fathoms No Rad RPGA1. Let’s take a closer look at these two beauties, on get together took place in late 2021, the second one just a few days ago. In between the FF RPGA1 enjoyed a full service in the Blancpain Vintage Atelier, so we will see a very interesting before and after comparison.

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The Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary

2023 is only 2 days old and Blancpain starts the anniversary year of their iconic dive watch with the introduction of what they call Act 1 of the celebration, the 42mm Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary reference 5010A/B/C-1130-NABA. Let’s take a first look based on the just released official press material.

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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 2023 novelties so far

It’s time to open the annual novelties overview for 2023. Just like in the past years we will learn about the Blancpain novelties at different points throughout the year. With 2023 being the important 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms I expect a lot of exciting new timepieces to be shared with the official press releases here. This overview will be updated whenever new models are released, and as usual I will try to do my best to provide hands-on photos of all new timepieces as soon as possible.

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A first glance at a potential 2023 Fifty Fathoms novelty


Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit Blancpain and even had the chance to briefly meet Mr. Hayek. On his wrist I noticed a very interesting watch, most likely a prototype for next year’s big 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms.

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