Lip Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Owner Review : Historical, splendid and rare

The "Fifty Fathoms" is the first tool watch dedicated to diving! Launched a few years before the famous Rolex Submariner, it was the first waterproof watch capable of withstanding a pressure of 50 fathoms, hence its name: "50 Fathoms." It was also the first diving watch with a rotating bezel, made of Bakelite no less! In the 1950s, the Swiss brand Blancpain, still relatively unknown in France, turned to LIP to distribute the watch on the French market and manage its after-sales service. This is why the dial bears the name of the French company LIP. Commander Cousteau and his team wore the first examples of these watches during the filming of "The Silent World," which won the Palme d'Or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. It is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement and is wound by the movements of the wrist. It displays a sublime tritium tint on its indices and a magnificent, even patina across the entire dial.