Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: A Legendary Diver That Deserves Your Respect (Review)

roadwarrior

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Great Innovations

May 23, 2020

Teddy Baldassarre

When examining the pantheon of legendary dive watches, we know the common brands mentioned in passing Rolex, OMEGA, Seiko, and even brands like Doxa and Zodiac. Yet amongst the dive watches mentioned for their great innovations, Blancpain typically always solidifies its place, however, in this, only appears to manage to get its full appreciation from those in the know.

In this video, we take a closer look at Blancpain’s iconic Fifty Fathoms, and why it is one of the most important, if not the most important dive watches ever created, while reviewing one of the contemporary offerings from the brand.

 
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https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5...splay-of-power

Putin's watch collection alone is valued at over $700,000, meaning those alleged ownership stakes in multiple oil and gas companies must be serving Vlad pretty well.

The sweetest watch in his collection is this $500,000 number from A. Lange & Söhne, described by the company as a "peerless masterpiece," just like its celebrated Russian owner. Sitting next to that is the slightly less impressive $15,000 Breguet Marine and a number of Blancpains—throwaway pieces that go for around $12,000 a pop. The great shirtless one is also a fan of Patek Phillippe (particularly the white gold variety), whose suitably high-end Swiss advertising slogan is, “You never actually own a Patek Phillippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.”

The message behind these watches is pretty obvious: in a country that reintroduced the term "oligarchy" to the wider world, Putin needs to remind his people that he is in charge; that if Russia is a mafia state, he is its capo di tutti capi.



Vladimir Putin, is known for his affection for Blancpain watches. His love, so it seems, is centered around the Léman collection of Blancpain.

Here he is with a Flyback Chronograph:

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Another frequently spotted watch is a 2005 Aqualung Grande Date:

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This very watch gained international fame when Putin, in Autumn 2009, gave this very watch to a metalworker at the arms factory of Tula:

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The following pictures show Putin on 24 January 2012 instructing a trainee during a judo demonstration at a regional judo centre in the city of Kemerovo:

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And what is on his wrist? Correct, again a 2005 Aqualung Grande Date:

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https://www.watchtime.com/featured/w...ts-timepieces/

https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com...-powerful-men/
 
I have always wanted a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. I really thought about getting one when they were sold at Costco several years ago but it was still just a bit more than I wanted to spend. So...I got a Seiko Fifty Five Fathoms instead. :chuck:
 
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