A few hands-on impressions of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1

Mar 24, 2023,08:59 AM
 

Last week I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the prototype of the new 42mm FF 70th Anniversary ref 5010. I hope you‘ll enjoy some live photos of this limited to 210 pieces edition, which should be delivered to customers by mid 2023.




This new timepiece is immediately recognizable as a typical modern Fifty Fathoms, which is no surprise since Blancpain sized the 45mm FF 5015 down to 42mm in every aspect and true it’s aesthetic balance.









The domed sapphire bezel and domed crystal are of course prominent and very sensual details of the FF 70th Anniversary.







Unique to this Fifty Fathoms are the numerals and indices, which are executed as fully SuperLuminova coated blocks. The pencil hands are a nod to the original FF from 1953, but not unique to the modern FF since we saw the similar design with the 2010 Tribute to Aqua Lung.

The dial itself is comparable to the 2003 50th Anniversary FF, it’s the same color and the same subtle sunburst finish, adding a beautiful touch to it in the direct sunlight.









Now, do those new numerals and indices have an effect on the luminosity? Judge for yourself…





A key question is of course „how does the 42mm size wear?“. On my 16.5 cm wrist it sits comfortably, with a lot of presence. I would say the FF 5010 wears true to its nominal size, on the wrist it is the perfect size for those who consider the 45mm FF too big and the 40mm FF too small.







Since the watch shown is a prototype I cannot show you any photos of caliber 1315 and it’s platinum rotor. But what I can offer is a family shot of the 50th and 70th Anniversary FFs in perfect harmony.





If you like to see more photos of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 you are kindly invited to find them in my blog.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheers
Henrik


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a welcomed addition

 
 By: keks : March 24th, 2023-09:54
size seem great but personally i wish it was no date.... bracelet looks great!

This is a very attractive piece Henrik!!

 
 By: K-Lo : March 24th, 2023-12:02
Love to see it on a bracelet!! I am hoping act III has a blue dialed watch!

Great report, thank you very much!

 
 By: Artoxares : March 24th, 2023-13:09
Do you think non-limited editions will be proposed as well? If so, do you have any idea of the next releases date? I could be VERY tempted by the same case in brushed steel or titanium... Best Nicolas

Jolies Photos...

 
 By: MSB : March 24th, 2023-16:24
Henrik, Lovely photography as usual highlighting the interesting domed glass surface. MSB

Thanks for sharing...

 
 By: rdragon : March 28th, 2023-22:06
Likley only handled briefly, but how do you rank this in terms of wearability/likability among the 3 different sized FF's - 45mm FF, 42mm FF (70th anniversary), 40mm FF (any version of the recent LE's)?

Well, that depends on your wrist size…

 
 By: shortys home : March 29th, 2023-10:48
… since all three versions have rather short lugs and a common case shape it comes down to those very personal preferences. What I can say: it is exactly the middle ground between the 40 and 45mm models, easily wearable on a smaller wrist and still enough... 

Thank you, Henrik!

 
 By: AlexSunrise : March 29th, 2023-19:58
Great photos, as always! How does it compare vs the 45mm version? From your photos it gives me the impression that they wear similarly… Thanks, Alex

Many thanks

 
 By: Blue and White : April 7th, 2023-05:31
…for the impressions, Henrik. Beautiful photos and the size is better for most wrists. I find both hands and indices quite disappointing, compared to the regular model, appearing a little cheap.