SimplyAbuDhabi XIV

8 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I C reated in the late 1950s from a desire to offer a diver’s watch in a size suited to daily wear, the Bathyscaphe was first reinterpreted by Blancpain in 2013. This year, the timepiece that is equally at home under water and in chic urban settings takes on board a new self-winding F385 movement featuring a flyback chronograph function. This new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe model is equipped with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism and a vertical clutch. It also offers a flyback function enabling the wearer to reset and instantly restart the chronograph simply by pressing the pusher located at 4 o’clock. This device proves extremely useful in taking fast measurements of successive times. Moreover, the water- resistant chronograph pushers also enable underwater use to depths of 300 metres without any risk of damaging the watch or impeding the excellent performance. The presence of a sapphire case-back on this diver’s watch is made possible by the use of a balance-spring made in silicon, a material endowed with anti-magnetic properties that enable the watch to dispense with the inner Faraday cage. This transparent back reveals the 18-carat gold oscillating weight clad in a platinum alloy and featuring the sculpted Blancpain motif. While maintaining all the key technical characteristics of the Fifty Fathoms collection, the aesthetic of the Bathyscaphe picks up the signature codes of the original model. The domed black dial is free of any numerals, punctuated only by lines and dots serving as hour-markers, while the date appears in a window at 4 o’clock. The sunburst finish on the dial and the snailed chronograph counters add a sense of depth to the overall effect. The rectangular hands are reminiscent of those featured on the 1950s Bathyscaphe models. The ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel bears hour- markers filled with LiquidMetal®, which is a patented metal alloy with an amorphous structure that also enables perfect bonding with the ceramic bezel, thereby accentuating and improving its scratch-resistance. Finally, Super-LumiNova coating on the key elements guarantees perfect readability when diving. This new 43 mm-diameter Bathyscaphe is available in a brushed black ceramic version with a black dial, or in brushed steel with a meteor grey dial. Both models are distinctly understated and chic and are fitted with a NATO fabric or sail canvas strap, representing two extremely sturdy materials ideally suited to aquatic use. The steel version also comes on a metal bracelet, a first for this line. Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe