Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms: A Closer Look At Each Watch

After much hype and speculation, Swatch finally released pictures of their collaborative collection with Blancpain: the Scuba Fifty Fathoms. This is the second internal collaboration we’ve seen from the Swatch group, the first of which being with Omega for the bioceramic MoonSwatch. The Scuba Fifty Fathoms shares bioceramic as its case material (2 parts ceramic, 1 part bio-sourced plastic), but opts for a mechanical movement: the Swatch Sistem51. As such, Blancpain continues their 288-year streak of quartz abstinence (the first 235 of which were pretty easy). 

The Scuba Fifty Fathoms – available in Swatch boutiques starting September 9th – celebrates the 70th anniversary of the storied Fifty Fathoms diver. It comes in five ocean-themed color configurations. All are 42.3mm in diameter, 14.4mm thick, and 48mm lug-to-lug. They all come on color-correct NATO-style straps (made from recycled plastic) and feature water resistance to 91 meters, or 50 fathoms. Without further adieu, let’s look at the Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms.

The Atlantic Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Image Source: swatch.com

The Atlantic pays homage to – you guessed it – the Atlantic Ocean. It features a cerulean blue case, a navy blue bezel, and a fumé dial that appears to bridge the gap between the two shades. Through the exhibition caseback, you’ll notice a colorful digital print displaying the Atlantic Ocean, as well as a blue dragon on the rotor. What is a blue dragon? It’s a nudibranch. What is a nudibranch? It’s a family of soft-bodied molluscs. Each Scuba Fifty-Fathoms has a region-accurate nudibranch decorating its rotor. I would have loved to attend the nudibranch pitch meeting.

The Pacific Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Image Source: swatch.com

The Pacific pays homage to – yes – the Pacific Ocean. With a yellow case and a black bezel, the Pacific Scuba Fifty really pops. The dial features a black and white fumé design with a black and white handset and indices. However, the second hand has a bright yellow tip – a nice touch that provides great contrast to the minutes track. On the rotor, you’ll notice a Chromodoris Kuiteri as the nudibranch de jour, but you already knew that, right?

The Antarctic Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Image Source: swatch.com

The Antarctic model is where things start to get fun, not because of its white and gray color scheme, but because of its 6 o’clock moisture indicator: a hallmark feature of mil-spec Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches since the 1950’s. I love that they included this, and in fact, I’d be disappointed if they didn’t. The arctic model is otherwise pretty straightforward – white case, gray bezel, Tritoniella Belli nudibranch on the rotor – all things we’ve seen before.

The Indian Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Image Source: swatch.com

The Indian Ocean model features a green case, black bezel, and orange seconds hand: the only model with a tri-color layout. I’m absolutely obsessed with the green and black fumé dial; I think this is the best-looking of the bunch. If you look very closely, you’ll notice orange indices at 5-minute increments on the minutes track: a nice little detail that will likely go unnoticed by many. On the rotor, you’ll see my second-favorite nudibranch (yes, I saved the best for last): the Nembrotha Kubaryana. Its green, black, and orange coloration is beautiful, and if I owned this watch, I would have a hard time wearing it because I’d be staring at the movement.

The Arctic Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Image Source: swatch.com

The Arctic model features a beige case and red-orange bezel. At 6 o’clock, you’ll notice a crossed-out radiation symbol. I talked in-depth about this in a prior article, but when Blancpain (and the rest of the industry) switch from radium to tritium as their lume of choice, they put these large “No-Rad” symbols on the dials, indicating a significantly lower level of radiation compared to prior models. Again, a very cool addition that feels near-requisite for a Fifty Fathoms tribute. On the rotor – my favorite nudibranch – the Dendronotus frondosus. The red-orange and beige coloration feels right at home in this playful collection.

Header Image Source: hodinkee.com