Last year Blancpain introduced three new variations of the Fifty Fathoms Automatique, one of them being reference 5015-3603C-63B, a timepiece that I instantly started calling the „La Dolce Vita“ Fifty Fathoms. Let’s get up close with it in different settings and under varying light conditions.

I decided to make this a photo heavy report, for the simple reasons that this version of the Fifty Fathoms may not have crossed the path of many enthusiasts and as a reflection on the fact that the watch needs to be seen in different settings to fully appreciate it.

There have been precious metal Fifty Fathoms before, there have been blue dial versions, too. Some purists consider each of those as “unnecessary” diversions from the pure tool watch idea, so what happens when you combine both?

Well, the outcome is possibly the antithesis to the origins of the purely practical dive watch becoming reality in terms of materials used and colors, while obviously still maintaining all the virtues and functionality. And the outcome is also a charismatic and utterly beautiful timepiece:

This Fifty Fathoms Automatique has a very luxurious appeal with its combination of a satin brushed red gold case, polished red gold hands and a two-tone blue ceramic dial. Combining these elements (and on top of it the sapphire bezel) to make it work requires a passionate attention to detail.

As usual Blancpain does not take the easy route by simply combining existing parts from previous references. Especially when it comes to blue dials, almost each model across all model families has a different shade of blue. The same is true with this first ever ceramic dial showing up in a Blancpain timepiece.

The inner circle of the dial reflects the light stronger than the outer rim due to the different finishing. With the inner part featuring a very subtle sunburst finish, the outer part has a subtle grained finish. Depending on light both change their appearance in brightness and hue of color significantly, as you can see from the photos.

In the bright sunlight the two-tone effect of the dial is emphasized, while in the shade the sunburst inner circle and the matte outer rim blend into one homogeneous look. Here are some close ups under artificial light, highlighting the details of the dial and the case:

In combination with the satin brushed red gold case the watch becomes a opulent timepiece, definitely not flying under the radar. This Fifty Fathoms is as extrovert as a Fifty Fathoms can be. The blue Barennia calf leather strap completes the lively look and fits the watch perfectly.

When you turn the watch you see caliber 1315 through a sapphire case back. The oscillating weight mirrors the case color, the decoration of the 4Hz movement with silicon balance spring, 3 barrels and 5 days of power reserve is as lush yet unconventional as the entire timepiece.

Here are some additional thematic impressions of the Fifty Fathoms 5015-3603C-63B to close the report.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction and the photos. You can find this watch here on the Blancpain website, my initial report about it alongside Time to Move 2019 can be found here in the blog and an overview on all existing ref 5015 models is available here.

Cheers

Henrik