Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Radiations

Jun 14, 2019,22:00 PM
 

[Note: This is a reprint of a review I wrote for the Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Radiations on my personal blog.  All rights reserved.  © 2016-2019.]



Specs

  • Brand/Manufacture:        Blancpain
  • Model/Reference:          Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Radiations/5015B-1130-52
  • Movement:                 Blancpain cal. 1315
  • Power Reserve:            120 hours
  • Dimensions:               45 mm Ø, 15.5 mm thick
  • Lug Width:                23 mm
  • Water Resistance:         30 bar
  • Crystal:                  Domed sapphire
  • Bezel insert:             Domed sapphire
  • Dial:                     Glossy black
  • Hands:                    Baton
  • Caseback:                 Solid stainless steel
  • Case material:            Stainless steel
  • LE number:                4XX/500
  • Release date:             2010
  • Total production number:  500

Features

The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Radiations model is the limited edition reissue of the vintage Fifty Fathoms model of the same name. Housed in a massive 45 mm highly polished stainless steel case, the Tribute was released in 2010 as a limited edition of 500 units.

I bought my Tribute used via the sales corner of a watch forum. A cool story about the transaction is that the seller lives several hours from me. It turns out he was going to be in the area where I worked the day he was to mail out the watch. Since he was in the area anyway we ended up doing a face-to-face transaction for the watch transfer over lunch. I paid for the watch on a Sunday night and took personal delivery by lunch time on the following day. Even more interesting is that the seller is an active U2 pilot for the US Air Force and we talked about some of his pilot stories during lunch. A pretty awesome day.

(photos: reintitan @ gmail dot com)






On the glossy black dial is a prominent yellow roundel with the red radioactivity symbol crossed out and the words "No Radiations". This originally referred to the use of tritium luminous on the vintage Fifty Fathoms models which had previously used highly radioactive radium; tritium being much less radioactive and less dangerous to handle than radium.

The Tribute model uses Superluminova for its luminous material so the "No Radiations" symbol is still very valid.

(photos: reintitan @ gmail dot com)










The photos below show a Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Radiations alongside a vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms No Radiations and a vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Milspec 1. The size differential between the modern and vintage watches is most apparent in the third picture down.

(photo credit:  www.woundforlife.com)


(photo credit:  www.woundforlife.com)


(photo credit:  www.woundforlife.com)


The lug width is a very uncommon and strange 23 mm and the straps are secured by lug pins using hex screws. One hex screw head needs to be held in place while the hex screw head on the other side is turned to remove the lug pin.

The Tribute is fitted on an OEM sail cloth strap with stainless steel pin buckle. A second rubber strap is not supplied in the package.

(photo credit: vipereaper30)


One practice by the current Blancpain company is to engrave the company name on the side of the case of their watches. I really could live without this. I hope that they discontinue the practice in the future.

(photos: reintitan @ gmail dot com)


One of the most striking aspects of the watch is the bezel insert constructed of a one piece domed sapphire crystal ring. All of the markers on the bezel insert are luminous.

(photos: reintitan @ gmail dot com)



Movement

The Tribute is powered by the in-house Blancpain cal. 1315 with an impressive 120 hours of autonomy via 3 mainspring barrels. That's a 5-day power reserve on one full wind! The movement is protected by an anti-magnetic cage, but the anti-magnetic rating is not documented, but the cal. 1315 uses the same silicon (Si14) hairspring as the highly anti-magnetic Omega cal. 8500/8400.

(source: www.blancpain .com)

Packaging

The Tribute is presented in an a black Pelican® case which is held in an outer black cardboard box. Inside the Pelican case is an inner leather one-watch flip-top watch case which actually stores the watch.

Along with warranty credit card, watch manual, and polishing cloth are a series of "post cards" that reprint vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms advertisements, patents, and manuals (one of them is for the military issue Tornek Rayville TR-900).

(photo: vipereaper30)



More posts: Fifty FathomsMilspecTornek Rayville

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Comments: view entire thread

 

Thanks my friend! [nt]

 
 By: reintitan : June 15th, 2019-20:43

Great write up bro!! Awesome story of your deal too!

 
 By: hongT : June 15th, 2019-19:26
Love my no rads🧡 Cheers bro! ...  

Thank you brother Hong!

 
 By: reintitan : June 15th, 2019-20:45
Your vintage No Rad is just about the best one I've seen out there. One day we'll take group pics of our No Rads!

You got it bro! [nt]

 
 By: reintitan : June 23rd, 2019-19:52

Suuuuuperb! [nt]

 
 By: amanico : June 15th, 2019-23:22

Thanks Nicloas! [nt]

 
 By: hongT : June 16th, 2019-03:26