We hosted two Blancpain events 17,000 kilometres apart, filling out both the London and Melbourne Discovery Studios
Borna BošnjakAfter years of fan feedback asking for more versatile sizing in the Fifty Fathoms collection, Blancpain took just a few months to make that reality, though it undoubtedly took years of product development. First came the Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42, with all the features you know and love from the 45mm model, but carefully downsized so as not to overbear average wrists. Then came the Automatique 38mm, an excellent mid-size variant for all wrists, and the look to match. So if there was ever a time to celebrate Blancpain and focus on what these watches were first conceptualised to do – go diving – it was now.
It kicked off in London, with the guests seeking refuge from the UK summer heatwave in the comfort of our new Discovery Studio. Alongside the brand’s watches, we had the pleasure of hosting Alexios Kitsopoulos, Blancpain’s Vice President of Marketing; and Laurent Ballesta, a long-time Blancpain ambassador, marine biologist, diver, and four-time winner of the World Photographer of the Year award.
Our UK attendees also got a rare treat – a selection of vintage Fifty Fathoms pieces, with all the known favourites on display. You might recognise the Milspec 1 model and its bronze alloy case that inspired the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3, or the Fifty Fathoms 3H Bund issued to German Bundeswehr divers in the 1970s. But the highlight was most certainly the Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung from the 1960s, with its spooky radium lume.
Naturally, we had to follow up in Melbourne 10 days later, and though we dropped some 20 degrees in temperature, the atmosphere in the Studio was no less pleasant. The spotlight was still on Blancpain’s ocean conservation efforts through their Ocean Commitment program, this time through their partnership with Biopixel Ocean Foundations. Other than being an Emmy award-winning cinematographer and all-round cool cat, co-founder Richard Fitzpatrick told us all about the latest on whale shark movements in the waters around Queensland, and far beyond.
The Melbourne crowd learned about the efforts that Blancpain and Biopixel already work on together, including a potential collaboration on Richard’s new project that will see him use starlight cameras to film shark behaviour at night, something that’s never been done before. Amongst a vintage Blancpain or two, there were numerous Fifty Fathoms on show, though there was also no shortage of the brand’s Scuba Fifty Fathoms collaboration with conglomerate stablemate Swatch – no surprises there.
Wishing you all a great weekend!
Borna and the T+T Team
Watch meme of the week: “So yeah, I write about watches for a living…”
View this post on Instagram
“And don’t make me talk about the grey market – you know what the grey market is? Oh right, so the grey market is actu…”
Wristshot of the week: the Fifty Fathoms that’s been inside a tiger shark’s mouth
This is the Fifty Fathoms that Richard takes everywhere, with the nicks and scratches to prove it. I don’t really need to add any more, do I?
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic
We were delighted to present our latest collaboration piece this week, the Zenith x Time+Tide White Surfer (as covered by Jamie’s article here), marking the end of the Surfer trilogy that started in 2021 with the original Night Surfer. We had to go out with a bang, so what better way to mark the end of the night, but with a bright, white summer stunner? Housed in silky ceramic, the El Primero-derived movement within also gets a fresh coat of paint, with blue bridges, mainplate, and rotor serving as a backdrop to that gradient dial. To match the brighter aesthetic, we also lightened the blue of the dial, which now shimmers between cobalt and azure, with a Zenith star made from a single block of lume as the cherry on top. It’s limited to just 100 pieces, so make sure not to dawdle when it launches on the 11th of July 2025 at 12:00 UTC.
Discover the Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic in the Time+Tide Shop, as well as our Melbourne and London Discovery Studios. Price: £17,700, A$30,300, CHF 18,900, €20,500, US$19,600
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
F1 The Movie is out, and so is episode 3 of IWC & Formula 1: The Podcast!
With the F1 The Movie now playing on silver screens across the globe, and in anticipation of the last episode of our podcast with IWC’s CEO, Chris Grainger-Herr, the third episode delved deeper into the partnership between the Schaffhausen watchmaker and the movie’s imaginary constructor, APXGP. As always, our own Andrew McUtchen looks to give you the tidbits you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
We asked Blancpain if the Fifty Fathoms is priced too high, and all your other hard-hitting questions
Blancpain has finally given fans what they’ve been asking for. Well, kind of. The legendary diver collection is no longer limited to just the brawny 45mm model, also including 42mm and the brand-new 38mm Fifty Fathoms released just last week. But what about the long-awaited 40mm, and also, what’s that price about? Make sure to watch the vid, and hear Blancpain’s VP of Marketing, Alexios Kitsopoulos, answer all the difficult questions.
6 vintage watch terms you should know that will save you lots of headache
Vintage watches can be as much of a minefield as they can be a blessing, their potential value proposition and oodles of character matched only by unscrupulous dealers and Frankenstein parts. In order to arm yourself properly before venturing into vintage waters, Zach has put together a guide that should help you get started, with all the lingo you should be aware of while browsing for your next pickup.