Since the 1950s, the replica Blancpain Fifty Fathoms family of dive watches has played a major role in the history of professional and recreational diving. Today, Blancpain remains a staunch high-end luxury watchmaker, but it has always insisted on making serious dive watches, and no matter how luxurious or unique they may be, they are still powerful tool watches designed to provide practical service for underwater activities. To test this, I wore a solid 18k red gold Fifty Fathoms watch to experience the cold waters of California firsthand. The watch is reference number 5010 36B30 B64B and has a diameter of 42mm, which perfectly embodies the ideal size for the classic design.

For many replica watch enthusiasts, Blancpain today may be a little elusive, as the company has diversified in recent years. In the past 20 years, we have witnessed many innovations in the brand’s technical and aesthetic design. Today, the brand’s business focus is slightly more conservative, mainly on classic watches with complex functions and historic vintage sports watch series such as the popular Fifty Fathoms series. Today’s Fifty Fathoms is partly about celebrating classic design and striving to create truly “timeless” watches, making it difficult to tell whether a Fifty Fathoms is from today or the past. For example, compare this 42mm wide 5010 Fifty Fathoms to the 45mm wide 5015 Fifty Fathoms I reviewed in 2024.

Gold Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42mm

I couldn’t agree more, the case and dial design of the Fifty Fathoms makes it one of the most visually beautiful dive watches ever made. This design has not only been often imitated, but nobody has surpassed it to this day. Its perfect combination of legibility, elegant lines, minimalist style, and visual impact gives this dive watch an unparalleled classic look. Swatch Group, the parent company of Blancpain replica watches, has taken a bold step to make the classic design of the Fifty Fathoms more widely known. After the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, Swatch launched the Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms System 51 series – a “fun version” of the Fifty Fathoms, available in a variety of colors and priced at around $400. The idea is to make more people aware of the original (real) Blancpain watches, which, even in steel, cost more than $15,000. These are undoubtedly beautifully made watches. In 18k red gold, the price goes up even further.

Gold may seem an unusual material for a dive watch, but it does have its appeal, and not just because of the luxury of wearing a precious metal tool watch. Although expensive and high-end, gold is closely tied to the history of dive watches. It is not corroded by salt water and has a natural resistance to other materials that can damage or fade over time. Although gold is heavier than other metals (the cheap fake Blancpain often chooses titanium as the material for other Fifty Fathoms models), underwater, the weight issue is almost non-existent. So if you want to experience a true vintage dive watch style, it’s not surprising that gold is the case material. In this watch, Blancpain chose 18k red gold, which contrasts with the black dial and bezel, and the overall effect is excellent.

Classic Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 5015 Vs. 5010

Compared to the 45mm wide Fifty Fathoms Automatique 5015, the 42.3mm wide Fifty Fathoms 5010 collection is much more attractive on the wrist. To be clear, while the large 45mm diameter looks great on the Fifty Fathoms, many people’s wrists don’t fit that size. Therefore, the 42mm version of the Fifty Fathoms offers a more suitable wearing experience for small and medium wrists while retaining the wide case and dial. The case is 14.3mm thick and has a water resistance of 300 meters, which is far more than the needs of the duplicate Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The dial is topped with a box sapphire crystal, and the special thing about the bezel is the round sapphire crystal ring above its rotating diving bezel. This transparent sapphire material gives the bezel markings a unique visual effect that cannot be matched by most other dive watch bezels, even those rare sapphire bezels. Blancpain took an extra process step to make the sapphire crystal appear rounded, which is not only more attractive but also intended to evoke nostalgia for the bakelite-style polymer bezel materials used decades ago.

One of the reasons why copy Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches are so expensive is because Blancpain uses the highest quality components almost without compromise. Although the performance of the 5015 Fifty Fathoms is not significantly superior to many other dive watches in terms of specifications, when you look at it and wear it, you will feel that Blancpain deliberately avoided any traces of cutting corners in making this watch. From a functional perspective, this means that compared with most other tool watches, the Fifty Fathoms Automatic watch is not only more luxurious but also more practical than most other luxury watches. This design concept caters to a specific market – those who have both financial resources and a passion for adventure.

Vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Watches

The Fifty Fathoms dial and hands are unique and well-designed, and while not much has changed from past versions, this is Blancpain’s intention – to keep history alive through this collection. The watch is extremely legible, with a generous amount of Super-LumiNova applied to the hands, hour markers and bezel, making the watch exceptionally bright in the dark. There is also a discreet date window on the dial, which is cleverly designed so as not to disrupt the overall aesthetic. The iconic applied hour markers and hand shapes perfectly combine practicality with elegance.

Blancpain equips this watch with an unusually wide 21.5mm strap, which means it may be difficult to replace a third-party strap if you want to. The Fifty Fathoms Automatic comes on a charming vintage “tropical style” rubber strap that is moderately thick and very comfortable to wear. The strap closes with a simple 18k red gold buckle. However, many wetsuits may require a longer strap, which I learned on the California coast. I found it difficult to close the buckle of this watch when wearing a 7mm thick wetsuit because the water there is quite cold.

The Reputation of Professional Dive Watches

Inside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms replica is Blancpain’s own 1315 automatic movement. This movement is essentially the same version that Blancpain has been using for more than a decade, and I’m not sure if there have been any updates, if any. Nevertheless, this movement has been a very good performer, equipped with a silicon balance spring, running at 4Hz (28,800 vph), and offering a power reserve of up to 120 hours (5 days). Today, power reserves of three days or more have become more common, but when the 1315 movement was first introduced, most of its competitors only offered two days of power reserve.

Perhaps it’s time for Blancpain to innovate again to maintain its position as the “premium professional dive watch”, although the 1315 movement is still an excellent choice, especially for a mechanical automatic watch that can be worn daily.

Blancpain Promotes and Participates in The Protection of The Natural Environment

So what did I do on the water with my Blancpain watch? I joined the brand on a small expedition to California’s Channel Islands, one of the least visited national parks in the United States, with Oceana. Oceana is an important global marine conservation and legislation advisory organization that the counterfeit Blancpain has sponsored for many years. The organization has been praised for its proactive work and expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for Blancpain’s continued support. Oceana employs scientists and lawyers who work together to provide data and advice to lawmakers and policymakers around the world, with a primary focus on environmental protection and resource sustainability.

Local governments want to protect natural resources without unduly impacting local business interests that need jobs and tax revenue. Governments and legislators often lack the expertise in marine biology or oceanography to develop relevant policies, so they rely on third-party non-profit organizations like Oceana to provide data, and advice, and help translate them into legislative actions through research and experiments. It is because of the support of brands such as the imitation Blancpain that this is possible. I would also like to personally thank Geoff Shester and his Oceana team for taking the time to explain in detail all the work they do.

Their activities in the frigid waters off California’s Channel Islands were primarily aimed at tracking and monitoring biodiversity. The expedition was part of a larger mission to gain insight into three areas: the impact of climate change on marine life and the environment, the impact of human trash and waste on the ocean, and the impact of fishing practices on the sustainability of marine food resources. In California, scientists at the Oceana Center analyze water samples for traces of animal DNA to identify species of life in the water and understand how they change over time. They also focus on the overall health of marine environments, such as California’s iconic kelp forests and relatively unknown coral reefs. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that changes in water temperature, chemistry, and other species directly affect the health of these environments. By tracking changes in these complex ecosystems, scientists can better understand the cascading effects of environmental change on marine life and resources.

Part of the profits from luxury watch sales are often donated to sponsoring organizations that need the funds. Ideally, organizations like Oceana can use these funds to protect beautiful waters suitable for recreational diving. Take the replica Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 18k Red Gold Diver’s Watch, reference 5010 36B30 B64B, for example, which sells for $34,300. For more information, visit Blancpain’s official website.