like most great achievements, the Fifty Fathoms was the product of passion. In this case the passion of Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpains CEO from 1950 to 1980. Fiechter was a diver, and for him the creation of a great diving watch was more than a routine new product introduction it was the opportunity to bring together two of the driving pursuits of his life, watches and the sea. Thus, when approached by the French military, it was the project for which he had been waiting. Blancpain developed the Fifty Fathoms especially for combat swimmers, the superheroes of the Seas. In 1952, the French “Nageuers de combat” (combat swimmers) was instituted by the French government as an elite team of tactical soldiers – the NAVY Seals of France. Captain Bob Maloubier was at the helm of this group, whose missions included underwater intelligence, sabotaging operations, and clandestine port-attacks. The team was already using tools such as compasses, depth gauges, and yes, watches, but none were specifically designed for the rugged tasks at hand. This is another watch I looking to add in my collection soon, but this is a very hard to find in original condition, most of the “vintage” ones are fake.