When it comes to wristwatches, sometimes the difference in mere millimeters can make or break whether or not you choose to put it on. Larger timepieces can be downright uncomfortable for some wearers, while watches that are too small can rob you of wrist presence. Finding the perfect size is a different experience in trial-and-error for everyone. Blancpain has listened to customer feedback with its massive 45mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique diver, now adding some 42mm options to its collection, and in two different case materials.
The new models are 42.3mm to be exact — a size which Blancpain gave a soft release to last year for its 70th anniversary. Those limited-edition models had stainless steel cases and only 70 units were released (needless to say, they’re gone). Fortunately, the Swiss watchmaker heard the laudatory praise from fans and has decided to put out a pair of 42mm Fifty Fathoms as part of its permanent line. Available in either an 18k red gold or grade 23 titanium case, the watches come in blue or black dial options, with matching bezels. Thinner at 14.2mm thick (down from 15.5mm), the diver otherwise looks nearly identical to the 45mm version, retains the 300m of water resistance, and is powered here by a caliber 1315 automatic movement that’s visible through the exposition caseback.
For those who aren’t aware, the Fifty Fathoms is one of the most iconic, if not one of the most important, dive watches ever made. The diver category was on the aggressive rise following the invention of the aqualung in the 1940s, but the blueprint for the dive watch wasn’t really established until 1953 with Blancpain’s debut of the Fifty Fathoms — a blueprint that’s still very much referred to today. The timepiece has gone through many iterations over the years but was revived for the modern world in 2003, with 2007 seeing the introduction of the Fifty Fathoms Automatique 45mm.
If you’re interested in a much more wearable 42mm version of the Fifty Fathoms Automatique, head over to Blancpain’s website, where the new watches are priced from $16,600 on up.
