We asked Blancpain if the Fifty Fathoms is priced too high, and all your other hard-hitting questions
Time+TideIs the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms priced too high? We recently hosted Blancpain in our Time+Tide London Discovery Studio to introduce their latest Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm range to the London watch community. To go along with one of our biggest events to date, we also recorded a deep dive interview with the brand’s Vice President of Marketing, Alexios Kitsopoulos, asking the hard-hitting questions you’ve always wanted to know and posed to us in the comment section of our on-wrist review.
The conversation centres around the recent launch of the 38mm Fifty Fathoms model, its historical context, technical features, pricing concerns, and the brand’s collaboration with Swatch. The dialogue reveals Blancpain’s heritage, the evolution of the Fifty Fathoms line since its inception in 1953, and the strategic choices behind sizing and movement design.
Alexios candidly addressed consumer feedback, especially concerning pricing and product comparisons with other luxury brands like Rolex and the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking (Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet). He emphasises Blancpain’s commitment to craftsmanship, technical innovation, and authenticity rather than aggressive marketing – a very refreshing approach.
Andrew also asks about the Blancpain x Swatch collaboration, and if Alexios felt it in any way dampened the aura of the genuine article. The collaboration with Swatch is framed as a playful, strategic move to introduce Blancpain’s heritage to a broader and younger audience, despite some criticism from traditionalists.
In discussing the various size options, Alexios underscores the importance of trying watches on the wrist in person to understand fit and that he notices most men end up sizing up despite asking for a smaller size. The above is ultimately a brisk walkthrough of just some highlights of the conversation. Definitely watch the video for the full deep dive; it is well worth it.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm pricing and availability
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm is available now for purchase. Price: starting from US$16,700 (see full details below)
| Brand | Blancpain |
| Model | Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 12mm (T) x 43.9mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel Grade 23 titanium 18k red gold |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Black, sunburst finish (stainless steel) Blue, sunburst finish (titanium, red gold) |
| Lug Width | 19mm |
| Strap | NATO, case-matching hardware Tropic rubber, case-matching pin buckle or folding clasp Sailcloth, case-matching pin buckle or folding clasp Bracelet, butterfly clasp (titanium, stainless only) |
| Movement | 1150, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 100 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | On NATO: US$16,700 (stainless steel), US$17,900 (titanium), US$30,600 (18k red gold)
On tropic rubber: US$16,700 (stainless steel, pin buckle), US$18,200 (stainless steel, deployant), US$17,900 (titanium, pin buckle), US$19,800 (titanium, deployant), US$30,600 (18k red gold, pin buckle), US$34,000 (18k red gold, deployant) On sail-canvas: US$16,700 (stainless steel, pin buckle), US$18,200 (stainless steel, deployant), US$17,900 (titanium, pin buckle), US$19,800 (titanium, deployant), US$30,600 (18k red gold, pin buckle), US$34,000 (18k red gold, deployant) On bracelet: US$19,500 (stainless steel), US$21,100 (titanium) |