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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Blancpain Fifty fathoms Rotomatic 1950's

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Blancpain (maker)
Date
late 1950s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 34 mm
Stock no.
W-3442
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-3442)
Catalogue title (original)
Blancpain Fifty fathoms Rotomatic 1950's (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-3442), this is a wristwatch by Blancpain, made in Switzerland, dated late 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 34 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Bulang & Sons

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms holds a legendary place in dive watch history. The name Fifty Fathoms might sound unusual at first, but it refers to a British unit of measurement. One fathom equals roughly six feet, so fifty fathoms translates to about 91 meters—or close to 300 feet—the maximum depth divers could reach with the technology of the era. Over the decades, Fifty Fathoms watches have earned serious credibility through military use, trusted by elite forces from France, Germany, Poland , Finland, and most famously, the U.S. Navy. This particular 34mm example stands out not only for its compact size but also for its remarkable condition. Often, these dials turn matte or suffer from paint loss, but this one has held up beautifully. The watch features a fantastic case, a stunning black gloss dial with an applied Blancpain logo, and a beautifully scripted Fifty Fathoms signature. The hands are of the pencil type, and the seconds hand has a distinctive spear shape. The lume on the indexes appears to have been re-applied, but it still matches nicely in color with the handset. The Bakelite bezel is also in excellent condition. Powered by an automatic Rayville/Blancpain 1361 movement, this piece is a fantastic addition to any dive watch collection. It comes fitted on a rubber Nautic strap, reminiscent of how these watches were originally delivered. We’re on a roll with Fifty Fathoms models at the moment—we have some contemporary limited editions as well . We’ve even got some of its older brothers-in-arms, including original military issued models .. Feel free to reach out—we’ll be happy to show you what’s available! Specifications: Blancpain Fifty fathoms “Rotomatic” 34 mm steel case Case no 13xxx, dating to the late 1950s Black gloss dial with applied logos Automatic Rayville/Blancpain movement based on A.S .Schild caliber Original bakelite bezel insert Rubber nautic strap Fully serviced by our watchmaker

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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