Blancpain has announced its contribution to Only Watch, a charity auction that will take place in Geneva, Switzerland this November 6th. The watchmaker has supported the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy since its creation in 2001 and is renewing its participation in the charity auction with the dedication of its one-of-a-kind Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad model, created exclusively for this event. The Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad watch revisits a Blancpain diving instrument from the mid-60s, which was notably used by the German Navy’s Combat Swimmers. The timepiece had the characteristic feature of a stamp on the dial with a “no radiations” logo indicating that Blancpain did not use luminescent materials composed of radium – a highly radioactive element declared harmful to health. This distinctive symbol has defined the success of this timepiece, which has become one of the most sought-after Fifty Fathoms watches among collectors.
The Blancpain model created for Only Watch is characterized by a chapter ring, hands, and a bezel time scale featuring orange-colored Super-LumiNova. Bespoke to this special piece, this shade refers to the color theme being used for the 2021 Only Watch event. The dominant element on the dial remains the “no radiations” logo referenced above, whose original yellow and red colors have been replaced by orange and yellow, respectively. The Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad model created for Only Watch is distinguished by a matte black dial punctuated by the traditional geometrical hour-markers combining round dots, rectangles, and a diamond-shaped mark at 12 o’clock.
Water-resistant to 300 meters, the steel case measures 40.3 mm, a diameter exclusive to limited-edition Fifty Fathoms watches. It houses the Blancpain Calibre 1154, a finely finished self-winding movement equipped with a silicon balance spring and endowed with a four-day power reserve. Its two barrels wind by means of a rotor in solid gold bearing a special “Only Watch” inscription. A black NAC coating and a cartouche-shaped aperture, a detail observed on some of the historic timepieces in the collection, including the very first Fifty Fathoms, also distinguish this horological offering.
For another timepiece headed to the Only Watch Charity Auction, check out URWERK’s UR-102 Gaïa.
