I remember hearing about the Blancpain brand about 12 years ago, and when I saw it in person... I was quite intimated, because the name, and the quality is larger than life!
Both Jean Jacques Fiechter (Blancpain) and René Paul Jeanneret (Rolex) dove together as SCUBA enthusiast in early 1950s and knew about visibility in muddy water. Check the book: Fifty Fathoms: The Dive and Watch History 1953-2013
One of my all time favorite timepieces, indeed. It would be perfect at 42mm but bear in mind the superb bezel is large so the watch doesn't look that huge on the wrist. Bracelet is made out of sail cloth btw.
very late to comment on this, however I do have to say and agree with many people here that this is probably the best dive watch on the market. The Rolex Submariner is probably more iconic (as in its better known to the mass public but I think people know the blancpain has a much higher standing), but it is not a patch on this watch. Even the curved sapphire on the bezel is quite beautiful. So many lovely touches, and the 5 day power reserve is remarkable too. I am lucky enough to own one of these and a Limited Edition IWC big Pilot. Its pure class from top to bottom.
Thanks Ariel! I've been waiting for this review. This is absolute favorite watch of all times. When I went to Milano last fall I went to the Blancpain shop. Just to see it in real life. Thank you so much Ariel!
This is an awesome watch! Never heard of Blancpain before seeing your review However, is the water resistance a misnomer? 1 fathom = 1.8m (6ft); so 50 fathoms = 300 ft. / 90 meters??? Or is my math wrong?
Beautiful watch. On the wrist it is very beautiful. A few complaints. 1) Standard strap is too short (for a dive watch). 2) standard buckle is a bit cheap. This watch should always have a deployant buckle imho. This watch would be an absolute master piece when this same watch also would be available a little bit smaller in 42mm.
I think that strap material is called sailcloth? Anyway, great review, I can tell you're totally into this watch. Definitely one of the legendary classics.
Dear Mr. M.A. Hayek can we have a FF 40mm as a standard model? This would give a watch that comes with history, quality and unique style to an appreciative audience and a full whack to Rolex and the diving monstrosities that has released the recent years. Thank you in advance.
Yes, you are right. Blancpain was the 1st one to come up with the design. Rolex copied the design as a base for the Submariner. So, the price is justifiable since it has so much prestige compared to a Rolex. Blancpain is higher than Rolex as a brand in terms of history and prestige.
I would say make it thinner. The diameter is ok but its the thickness that is my main issue. Yes I did try it many times at my local AD but every-time I came out with same impression. Its way too tall on the wrist.
Love it, but two things are keeping me from owning one. 1) I'm not wealthy. 2) I only have a 7 inch wrist, which makes wearing anything over 43mm look ridiculous.
It's alright if you have 7" wrist, this watch is worth it and well the watch size will always remind the same but we human can bulk up :) i've this in my divers collection and i tell you i will NEVER EVER sell it away !!
I don't understand this Ken Sell guy. If you think that time pieces are a waste of money, why are you here? Why bother watching these videos? I can't afford 12k either but I have extraordinary appreciation for what it takes to manufacture something like this. I wear a Seiko MM300 which costs roughly $2200.00. It's a great time piece with a great movement. I would love to own one of these 50 fathoms. It's immaculate in execution and style, much more so than my 18k gold 2-tone Rolex submariner (which I sold) if you think we're a bunch of morons, leave and troll someplace else please.
l would purchase this watch before a Rolex , hands down , it just seems like more effort went into the design and the finish . Thank you for the show and tell 👏👏👏🖖
Tried this a few times at my local AD. Way too tall for my wrist. I have a 6.5 inch wrist. The diameter is fine. Actually it kind of looks odd unless you have a big wrist. The lugs are kind of hanging in the air! Very unfortunate, as I really liked this watch. Perhaps in future Blancpain would shave off a few mm from the height, even if it meant reducing the power reserve and other deep dive features. I dont think anyone buy a $16K watch to go diving with it! Otherwise a very beautiful watch.
Nice, concise review. I don't think you can compare this to the submariner though; the FF is in an entirely different league. Also, you might like to know this, in French, the "c" is not pronounced in "blanc". Cheers
It would be much nicer if they chopped 5mm off the diameter, scrapped the date window, toned down the finish a bit , took the INVICTA engraving off the side of the case . so blingy for a supposed tool watch. rather chunky too, nice paperweight though, should hold your nautical maps in place. Sub comparison is ridiculous , apples and oranges, lemons rather.
John James McCartney Far better watches (especially diver's - this is a desk diver) can be had for 3K-5K from Sinn, Doxa, Oris, and some others. This piece really doesn't look that great, there's a ton of watches that look the same. If you pay more than about 6K for a diver (a REAL diver) then you're being price-gouged. Maybe I'd make an exception to that rule for my IWC Aquatimer 2000 Titanium and Rolex DeepSea Blue, but the best divers in the world are from that aforementioned list. This thing is just ugly, it's like they said "Let's make a boring diver that looks like everything else, in fact let's make it look outdated, but Fuck it, we're Blancpain, idiot's who need our name on their wrist will eat this shit up." I truly love the look on a person's face when they find out that my Sinn U2 or U1000 that they've been drooling over and looks and functions superior to theirs costs 1/3 or 1/5 of their boring super-brand corporate desk-diver.
The fifty fathoms is a genuine dive watch and what you are alluding to has more to do with the user not the watch itself. It is like blaming Ferrari because lots of old people drive them slowly.
Why do you think it needs a valve? There are MUCH deeper rated watches with no escapement valve. Look into Sinn, they have 5000M watches (Yes, I said 5000, not 500) with no valve. I think they even have a 10kM watch now, but not sure. The valve is more of a gimmick than a useful addition, especially for only being rated for 300M.
I wish you could say "Blancpain" properly, but I guess the right pronunciation is too difficult if you don't have someone French or Swiss to help you out.
Way to much........overprice ! As 846524162 said Rolex with its submariner does as well for a better price. I'm curious to know how much does cost the service by Blancpain ? Always, ALWAYS ask how much is the service before to have on's heart set on a luxury watch.
Your verbal crutches, the incessant use of "like," the upward inflection of tone at the end of every sentence, and your butchering of the pronunciation of "Blancpain" destroyed this video.
I take it Rolex is the only brand you know? i'm not surprised seeing as how generic the brand is. well if your value assessment for a watch is how much you can get out of it if you bring it to a pawnshop than you don't know jackshit about watches. you might as well just buy a lump of gold if that is what you are after.
Man, name's not "Blank Pawn"! Of course, you can call it anyway but if you think you're a watch reviewer and actually you made it a daily job then do yourself a favour: Learn how to properly spell the names in this industry. Why all english speakers distort stupid french names remains a mistery..
It just boggles my mind that a person can spend $12,000 on a watch. Especially a stainless steel, leather strap watch. No gold, no platinum, no diamonds. It's absolutely insane. Even if it keeps perfect time. So does the cell phone in my pocket. I just bought a $150 Invicta that looks way better than watch. High polished finish, built like a tank. These watch makers like Rolex and Blancpain have truly brainwashed the masses. It's truly in biblical proportions the scam that these watches are. Insanely rich people need something to spend their money on, hence the need for a product like this.
Ken Sell And certainly your Ford is really no different from a Mercedes Benz, you Motel 6 room is just as comfortable as the Four Seasons and you'd much prefer to walk a mile in those Sketchers than be seen in Ferragamo's.. This simple watch with a leather band speaks volumes more about the man wearing it's tastes, style and class than anything with gold, diamonds or platinum. Class never goes out of style..
It would be much nicer if they chopped 5mm off the diameter, scrapped the date window, toned down the finish a bit , took the INVICTA engraving off the side of the case . so blingy for a supposed tool watch. rather chunky too, nice paperweight though, should hold your nautical maps in place. Sub comparison is ridiculous , apples and oranges, lemons rather.
I remember hearing about the Blancpain brand about 12 years ago, and when I saw it in person... I was quite intimated, because the name, and the quality is larger than life!
Nothing much more to say then.... PURE CLASS!
Great video.
Best regards,
TGV
Second that!
The Urban Gentry kfeojosmlmd$
Absolutely chuffed. Okay, ciao
Squale
a tip: you can watch movies at flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies during the lockdown.
the Fifty Fathoms has to be the best looking dive watch ever made!
Yep Rolex stole the design to make their Submariner!
really??
Madnessj Its debatable, worth researching though.
lawdawg194 And they made it look better👿
Both Jean Jacques Fiechter (Blancpain) and René Paul Jeanneret (Rolex) dove together as SCUBA enthusiast in early 1950s and knew about visibility in muddy water.
Check the book: Fifty Fathoms: The Dive and Watch History 1953-2013
This watch beats any sub all day every day.
And twice on Tuesdays too
One of my all time favorite timepieces, indeed. It would be perfect at 42mm but bear in mind the superb bezel is large so the watch doesn't look that huge on the wrist. Bracelet is made out of sail cloth btw.
The bracelet is an extra $3000 US bucks!
Hello, I have two watches for sale of the same product for sale
very late to comment on this, however I do have to say and agree with many people here that this is probably the best dive watch on the market. The Rolex Submariner is probably more iconic (as in its better known to the mass public but I think people know the blancpain has a much higher standing), but it is not a patch on this watch. Even the curved sapphire on the bezel is quite beautiful. So many lovely touches, and the 5 day power reserve is remarkable too. I am lucky enough to own one of these and a Limited Edition IWC big Pilot. Its pure class from top to bottom.
Three years later, I finally bought my own Fifty Fathoms 5015 in black. Time to look for a new grail watch.
How much did you paid for it?
Данило Ђорђевић 13k
that watch is a legend, if im not wrong i think rolex was the one that copied blancpain style for a diver.
Coolest dive watch ever along with GP Seahawk
120 hours for a self-winding is quite a feat! I believe the strap material is called sail cloth.
I like Blancpain more than Patek.
Very innovative.
Especially the Villeret collection.
Beautiful, elegant, purposeful, masculine and understated. Mmmmm!
"Understated"? The engraved, shouty "BLANCPAIN" on the side of the case is vulgar. Not that I'll ever own one...
That is true, if you look exclusively at price factor. It's hard to tell which one is better, it comes down to personal preferences.
One of my grails as well. Just has such a cool 60s feel to it.
Blancpain fifty fathoms, the world’s first diver ever made and the most refined diver in todays market
Puts a rolex to shame in terms of design
Blancpain makes very fine heirloom watches, and they are one of the few people that can make a leather strap look good on a sport watch :)
Good review.Beutiful expensive watch.
Haters stop hating with your comments below.
Thanks Ariel! I've been waiting for this review. This is absolute favorite watch of all times. When I went to Milano last fall I went to the Blancpain shop. Just to see it in real life. Thank you so much Ariel!
Great review SIR, you did your homework, whata PRO, absolutely!
Agreed. The FF is a beautiful piece but 45mm is a bit too large for me.
This is an awesome watch! Never heard of Blancpain before seeing your review
However, is the water resistance a misnomer? 1 fathom = 1.8m (6ft); so 50 fathoms = 300 ft. / 90 meters??? Or is my math wrong?
Beautiful watch. On the wrist it is very beautiful. A few complaints. 1) Standard strap is too short (for a dive watch). 2) standard buckle is a bit cheap. This watch should always have a deployant buckle imho. This watch would be an absolute master piece when this same watch also would be available a little bit smaller in 42mm.
I think that strap material is called sailcloth? Anyway, great review, I can tell you're totally into this watch. Definitely one of the legendary classics.
Great piece, excellent review Ariel.
Dear Mr. M.A. Hayek can we have a FF 40mm as a standard model? This would give a watch that comes with history, quality and unique style to an appreciative audience and a full whack to Rolex and the diving monstrosities that has released the recent years. Thank you in advance.
Beauty and Simplicity all in one!
This is an underrated watch in my opinion, Maybe the size puts people off, in favour of the Submariner or Seamaster, Great vid tho.
Gorgeous watch.
Just wonder why Blancpain has such poor resale value since it's so highly in demand.
Beautiful watch. It is always all about the details down there.
Beautiful piece!
Hello, I have two watches for sale of the same product for sale
The most beautiful diver watch out there
They don't make that info easily available actually. I am thinking it may be 3Hz.
Reminds me of Seiko's Fifty-Five Fathoms... just five fathoms less.
the Seiko Fifty Five Fathoms is just a homage. imho i find it bullshit and just a gimmick~ real divers enthusiast buys the real fifty fathoms :)
Well they have their differences. Its not like a direct copy like invicta do
norb funny, that stamp on the side is like how invicta did with their watches
@ALexander. May be it is, but for those of us who cannot afford $16K(current AD price) watch, a $150 will do it.
@@sfomann yes its all about the price at the end of the day, One is £10,650 in the UK and the other you can pick up for £100.
This is totally a grail watch for me too. I love this watch, so glad you did a review on it!
Yes, you are right.
Blancpain was the 1st one to come up with the design.
Rolex copied the design as a base for the Submariner.
So, the price is justifiable since it has so much prestige compared to a Rolex.
Blancpain is higher than Rolex as a brand in terms of history and prestige.
Make it smaller...please... Absolutely stunning piece.
No ...pls. don"t its perfect the way it is
I would say make it thinner. The diameter is ok but its the thickness that is my main issue. Yes I did try it many times at my local AD but every-time I came out with same impression. Its way too tall on the wrist.
Love it, but two things are keeping me from owning one.
1) I'm not wealthy.
2) I only have a 7 inch wrist, which makes wearing anything over 43mm look ridiculous.
+Bill Hill I think 45mm is ok on 7 inch wrist, depends on the lug width
It's alright if you have 7" wrist, this watch is worth it and well the watch size will always remind the same but we human can bulk up :) i've this in my divers collection and i tell you i will NEVER EVER sell it away !!
I don't understand this Ken Sell guy. If you think that time pieces are a waste of money, why are you here? Why bother watching these videos? I can't afford 12k either but I have extraordinary appreciation for what it takes to manufacture something like this. I wear a Seiko MM300 which costs roughly $2200.00. It's a great time piece with a great movement. I would love to own one of these 50 fathoms. It's immaculate in execution and style, much more so than my 18k gold 2-tone Rolex submariner (which I sold) if you think we're a bunch of morons, leave and troll someplace else please.
thanks for the great review...the FF is an icon for sure but would prefer a 40-41mm case if it was me...
GRAIL!!!!
The curvature of the bezel makes the watch look like a floating tube
l would purchase this watch before a Rolex , hands down , it just seems like more effort went into the design and the finish . Thank you for the show and tell 👏👏👏🖖
I CAN'T STOP LOOKING AT THIS GORGEOUS WATCH !!!!!!!!!!
Tried this a few times at my local AD. Way too tall for my wrist. I have a 6.5 inch wrist. The diameter is fine. Actually it kind of looks odd unless you have a big wrist. The lugs are kind of hanging in the air! Very unfortunate, as I really liked this watch. Perhaps in future Blancpain would shave off a few mm from the height, even if it meant reducing the power reserve and other deep dive features. I dont think anyone buy a $16K watch to go diving with it! Otherwise a very beautiful watch.
look up the ocean commitment III or the millspec, perfect size (40,3 mm) for a smaller wrist. limited editions and nice dials.
And yet people sign up for a dumb waiting list for a submariner.....
How come this has a deployment clasp but the ones on the official website and chrono24 don't?
Ariel great review. Is the watch running at 4 hertz or did they take it down to get the longer power reserve?
Nice, concise review. I don't think you can compare this to the submariner though; the FF is in an entirely different league. Also, you might like to know this, in French, the "c" is not pronounced in "blanc". Cheers
What a beauty !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very, very cool looking diver.
Simply magnificent .
Is that Invicta printed on the side?
😂
my grail too.
It is a historic name, the modern water resistance is indeed more than fathoms.
love it
When you do a watch review, please change the time on the watch so it doesn't block the date window with both hands!
i love blancpain, it is one of my favorite watch brand. by the way i gave the 100th like
OMG, really?! Congrats, they will send you a prize and that's a photo with Ariel eating some Swiss chocolate and smiling his teeth out at you.
yes i got the prize
Absolute classic. I love it so.
this or the Bathyscaphe flyback chronograph ceramic?? I'm torn between the two.
+minibus1351 this :)
One of the most beautiful watches ever. Btw: Get the name right. ;-)
It would be much nicer if they chopped 5mm off the diameter, scrapped the date window, toned down the finish a bit , took the INVICTA engraving off the side of the case . so blingy for a supposed tool watch. rather chunky too, nice paperweight though, should hold your nautical maps in place. Sub comparison is ridiculous , apples and oranges, lemons rather.
a top of the range watch. nothing else to be said. other than better than rolex.
Considering it's twice as much as the standard steel Submariner from Rolex, it better damn well be better than it.
John James McCartney Far better watches (especially diver's - this is a desk diver) can be had for 3K-5K from Sinn, Doxa, Oris, and some others. This piece really doesn't look that great, there's a ton of watches that look the same. If you pay more than about 6K for a diver (a REAL diver) then you're being price-gouged. Maybe I'd make an exception to that rule for my IWC Aquatimer 2000 Titanium and Rolex DeepSea Blue, but the best divers in the world are from that aforementioned list. This thing is just ugly, it's like they said "Let's make a boring diver that looks like everything else, in fact let's make it look outdated, but Fuck it, we're Blancpain, idiot's who need our name on their wrist will eat this shit up."
I truly love the look on a person's face when they find out that my Sinn U2 or U1000 that they've been drooling over and looks and functions superior to theirs costs 1/3 or 1/5 of their boring super-brand corporate desk-diver.
I have a fifty fathoms rose gold chrono and the rolexes etc. Blancpain is way better
The fifty fathoms is a genuine dive watch and what you are alluding to has more to do with the user not the watch itself.
It is like blaming Ferrari because lots of old people drive them slowly.
Is really up there? Give Rolex a run..? 😂. Sir. The Fifty Fathoms is in a league of its own.
This was the first watch with a rotating bezel
Great watch.....this is a nice dive watch...who would take this in salt water?
I just love this watch, that is all
This is my grail piece.
Looks strange to have the words "Fifty Fathoms" and then the "300m" printed right below...
When I do buy my first real "high end" watch, it will be this. Lovely thing. :-)
What is your wrist size? Cheers.
300m and no valve?
a Rolex Submariner does not have a valve either!
Why do you think it needs a valve?
There are MUCH deeper rated watches with no escapement valve. Look into Sinn, they have 5000M watches (Yes, I said 5000, not 500) with no valve. I think they even have a 10kM watch now, but not sure.
The valve is more of a gimmick than a useful addition, especially for only being rated for 300M.
I wish you could say "Blancpain" properly, but I guess the right pronunciation is too difficult if you don't have someone French or Swiss to help you out.
or Belgians right ? (being sarcastic you internet troll)
My grail
The bezel looks like an inflatable inner tube
Cool
Sure it's an opinion, but in mine there is no better looking diver.
Way to much........overprice ! As 846524162 said Rolex with its submariner does as well for a better price. I'm curious to know how much does cost the service by Blancpain ? Always, ALWAYS ask how much is the service before to have on's heart set on a luxury watch.
Bleh.... how would that be better? Is Rolex better then Blancpain?
Rolex sub is crap compared to this watch...
My Seiko Fifty five fathoms is way cooler than this watch lol NOT!!
Your verbal crutches, the incessant use of "like," the upward inflection of tone at the end of every sentence, and your butchering of the pronunciation of "Blancpain" destroyed this video.
You need a handful of balloons.
Yeah this.
Shockingly overpriced, it's a complete insult and the company should die for this!
Way too overpriced like some of the other guys said, a Rolex 2 tone can be had for much cheaper plus easier resale since everybody knows a Rolex.
I take it Rolex is the only brand you know? i'm not surprised seeing as how generic the brand is. well if your value assessment for a watch is how much you can get out of it if you bring it to a pawnshop than you don't know jackshit about watches. you might as well just buy a lump of gold if that is what you are after.
I kinda find it....ugly and obsolete and..ugly. It's a Blancpain but it's fucking ugly.
The Bathy version looks nice and is way more fun to wear.
Man, name's not "Blank Pawn"!
Of course, you can call it anyway but if you think you're a watch reviewer and actually you made it a daily job then do yourself a favour: Learn how to properly spell the names in this industry.
Why all english speakers distort stupid french names remains a mistery..
Because nobody knows how it should be pronounced.
Boerje69 it is pronounced blah pah
JamesIdentity you mad?
+KidWeazel he mad
I don't get why so many people like this watch. It's so...meh.
I didn't think much of it until I actually saw one in person. It's quite a piece.
It just boggles my mind that a person can spend $12,000 on a watch. Especially a stainless steel, leather strap watch. No gold, no platinum, no diamonds. It's absolutely insane. Even if it keeps perfect time. So does the cell phone in my pocket. I just bought a $150 Invicta that looks way better than watch. High polished finish, built like a tank. These watch makers like Rolex and Blancpain have truly brainwashed the masses. It's truly in biblical proportions the scam that these watches are. Insanely rich people need something to spend their money on, hence the need for a product like this.
:) I have no words for this guy. Rofl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ken Sell And certainly your Ford is really no different from a Mercedes Benz, you Motel 6 room is just as comfortable as the Four Seasons and you'd much prefer to walk a mile in those Sketchers than be seen in Ferragamo's.. This simple watch with a leather band speaks volumes more about the man wearing it's tastes, style and class than anything with gold, diamonds or platinum. Class never goes out of style..
This watch is pure class, appreciating watches isn't for everyone.
+Ken Sell
Hopeless.
+Ken Sell Son Invicta is garbage, and also you're missing the whole point of watchmaking.
It would be much nicer if they chopped 5mm off the diameter, scrapped the date window, toned down the finish a bit , took the INVICTA engraving off the side of the case . so blingy for a supposed tool watch. rather chunky too, nice paperweight though, should hold your nautical maps in place. Sub comparison is ridiculous , apples and oranges, lemons rather.