The story of the Bathyscaphe dates back to the golden age of underwater exploration. On 26 August 1953, Auguste Piccard’s Trieste bathyscaphe descended to approximately 1,080 metres beneath the Mediterranean Sea, south of Capri, capturing the public imagination and fuelling a growing fascination with the underwater world.
Just ten days later, on 5 September 1953, Jean-Jacques Fiechter—then CEO of Blancpain and a passionate diver—registered the name Bathyscaphe with the Swiss Commercial Office. It was a remarkably forward-thinking decision, made while he was completing the development of the Fifty Fathoms: not merely a watch designed to meet the technical challenges of diving, but the expression of an emerging culture of underwater discovery.
From Professional Diving to Everyday Life
During the 1950s, while pioneers such as the Piccards were pushing the boundaries of deep-sea exploration, recreational diving was bringing the underwater world within reach of a new generation.
Fiechter understood that a diving watch did not have to be reserved exclusively for military and professional use. He envisioned a timepiece that would be robust and reliable underwater, yet versatile and elegant enough for everyday wear.
That vision became a reality in 1956 with the introduction of the Bathyscaphe, conceived as the civilian counterpart to the legendary Fifty Fathoms.
The Return of a 1968 Icon
Seventy years after its debut, Blancpain pays tribute to the Bathyscaphe’s heritage by reinterpreting a landmark model from 1968.
The new edition retains the aesthetics and distinctive character of the original, celebrating the golden age of recreational diving and the essential codes of the classic skindiver: purposeful proportions, genuine underwater capability and effortless elegance for everyday life.
Limited to just 300 pieces, the new Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition brings together heritage and contemporary watchmaking, reviving one of the most compelling expressions of Blancpain’s diving legacy.
