The deep-sea diving began to develop into a leisure activity in the 1950s. And its military use was much earlier. The first successful military operations began on October 31st, 1918, led by Italian code-named Nuotatori di Guerra Rosetti and Paolucci. During World War II, the main belligerent unconventional underwater operations increased significantly and the equipment reliability was also improved.
The most unique and confidential branch – Nageurs de combat of French troops first appeared in 1952. It is founded by two heroes of French armed forces Captain Robert Bob Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaut. Their leader is part of this vanguard. The main tasks include the elite divers: underwater intelligence and military sabotage, attacks on ports, destroy ships and locks, a team of two divers at night to complete. Complete these specific tasks, need to go through a special transformation, robust and reliable equipment. Compass, depth gauge and watch for the calculation of diving time and depth is not only essential but also a navigation function, which for many research and testing of the focus of attention. But the products on the market, these studies did not achieve any results. Riffaut and “Bob” Maloubier also decided to try to develop a series of military diving equipment. They drawing pencil, ruler, protractor and graph paper to draw the whole program, made watches; but the watch was delivered to the LIP, the praise does not get any – as a commercial director in Besancon’s intriguing comments like: “a dead-end portable clock.”
In the early of 1950s, the Swiss watch manufacturer started to have strong interest in manufacturing navigation watches. However, they knew little about the diving watch. Two French officials succeeded in persuading the company to manufacture their invention of Blancpain watches, for their leadership of the new commando diving school (Ecole des Nageurs de combat) use. This table laid the basic characteristics of modern dive tables. In Maloubier 1986 years autobiography, “sneaked into the sea, spy” Robert Laffont version, he gave this description: experienced repeated setbacks, ultimately meeting with the company Blancpain, “finally, a small watch company agreed Blancpain to our program, its uniqueness lies in: it uses a black dial, large scale digital and unique – triangular, circular, rectangular. a rotating external bezel and dial are the same scale. before the start of the dive, the minute hand can be set to display into the water after the passage of time, and each point in time can be as bright as the stars of the night. The military products to be innovative in many areas, was named “50 fathoms “(91.45 meters), which is beyond the potential of normal human respiration to the maximum depth.
Watch’s solid stainless steel case, screw fixed seamlessly back, solid O-type bezel to ensure the perfect water resistance. Self-winding movement reduces the maximum twist screws on the chain necessary to solve the problem of water table there. The most important thing is, even in dark environments, its bright luminous numbers and scale, the dial and the dark side of the contrast, the still clearly visible. The watch frame with stable and elegant design is known, not only in the use of epoxy resin on a new, unprecedented and full of creativity; and can easily locate the exact numbers and scale. First “Fifty Fathoms” the ultimate feature: Once the water may affect the performance of the watch, dial the 6 o’clock position of a diamond humidity sensor design will change color.
Blancpain’s products are retailed in France through Spirotechnique company. Then by the full Sub Horlogerie watchmaker handle after-sales service, its address in Marseille, rue lafont 6 No. 13006. Until the early 1990s before retiring. He has been skilled and responsible work, each will charge a service fee. Montres Lip and located in the Jura Bernois villeret watch manufacturers – Rayville SA cooperation. Today, Lip BLANCPAIN’s name still appears in the large or small, “Fifty Fathoms” watch, a lot of movement but also to Lip name.
From 1953 to the late 1970s, more than 20 models of different size and design Fifty Fathoms brand watches were sold. Such watches are equipped with a range of basic features, very innovative at the time – stainless steel case with screw case back, the governor of a floating tourbillon automatic movement, clear and easy read black dial with large scale, painted with fluorescent paint pointer and scale, rotating bezel with luminescent hands, changing its geometry is very striking. Rotating bezel is particularly important for deep-sea diving. To make clear the duration of diving into the water before the need to rotate the bezel indicator together with the points for. Watch the market after 1953, Commander Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle in the film “Silent World” in its use, it has been widely recognized, the film is also on the 1956 Cannes Film Festival gains Palm Award. And its participation in the adventure does not end there. Exploration group in the French Alps (The Alpine Speleo Groupe) to explore the bay, when Berger, a Blancpain watch brand to reach a record of sea level 1122 meters below. In addition to this unusual environment, but outside, Fifty Fathoms is the professional’s daily applications, has created its reputation as a reliable and stable, especially in the military. It is the first application of French divers forces (Nageurs de combat); then Israel’s “Commandos Yami” army; U.S. Navy also purchased a specification MIL-W-22176A (3) of the Blancpain brand and Tornek-Rayville watches, during the Vietnam War, for the destruction of underwater training team and the Navy SEALs and the use of military action. In Germany, it is mainly used by the German fleet, Kampfschwimmer also been using a later version, until the mid-1980s; it in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, the army has also been widely used. In the civil society groups, it is not only Marine Research Learning Center (Centre de Recherches et d’Etudes Oceanographiques) applications, but also a large number of diving clubs and the famous underwater learning and research groups (Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sous- marine).
In addition to Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain has also introduced two other watches, as used. Bathyscaphe is a more fundamental diving watch than Fifty Fathoms. It was born by a mechanical winding movement, inspired, and then it appears a self-winding version. Air command stopwatch is more like derivatives of Fifty Fathoms but has narrowed shape. 28 years of commercial production in 7000-8000 created a different type of Fifty watch. In 1980, the company discontinued Blancpain various activities, this watch also disappear from the market. However, this interruption is only temporary; three years later, Blancpain to people familiar with the success of the reborn.
