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242 - BLANCPAIN / LIP - Fifty Fathoms - Antimagnetic - Waterproof.
See original version (French)

Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Sale commission
Description
BLANCPAIN / LIP - Fifty Fathoms - Antimagnetic - Waterproof. Steel diving watch, black dial with luminescent Arabic numeral hour markers and applied radium baton minute markers, humidity indicator disc, signed, luminescent skeletonised hands, bidirectional bezel in Bakelite and notched steel with Arabic numerals, baton and diamond-shaped hour markers, domed crown, automatic movement R.108 based on A. Schild AS 1361N, signed on the rotor ‘LIP / BLANCPAIN FIFTY FATHOMS R.108’, numbered ‘45XXX’ on the bridge, anti-magnetic capsule engraved with the words ‘PATENTS + PENDING’, screw-down case back, signed and numbered ‘992100’, engraved on the inside ‘RAYVILLE SA / SWISS’, folded and perforated steel bracelet. Diameter: 41 mm. Circa 1957. (needs servicing; dial heavily corroded (radium); scratched crystal; bezel detached from the case; a few cracks on the bezel; impact marks on the crown; scratches; signs of oxidation on the movement; bracelet added after the watch was made) Expert: BOUTEMY Launched in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is regarded as the first true professional diving watch, preceding the Rolex Submariner by a year. Born out of a collaboration between Jean-Jacques Fiechter, then director of Blancpain and a keen diver, and Lieutenant Commander Robert Maloubier, founder of the French combat swimmers, it was designed as a genuine mission-specific instrument meeting the demands of underwater operations. It incorporated innovations that have since become the standard features of diving watches: a large graduated rotating bezel, a high-contrast dial with radium-based luminescent material, an automatic movement minimising the need to adjust the crown, and a case design ensuring excellent water resistance. Adopted from the outset by numerous military units and professional divers around the world, the Fifty Fathoms remains one of the most iconic watches in the history of watchmaking.
See original version (French)
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About the sale JEWELLERY, COINS & FASHION
Auction location
Auction time 09/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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