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Blancpain Bathyscaphe 43.6mm Ceramic
Ref. 5000A 0140 NAOA
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Stepping up in Blancpain's range
Villeret Quantieme Phases de Lune 29mm Automatic Mens Watch White£13,200
Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm Mens Watch Black£14,200
Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42.3mm Mens Watch Black£15,500
Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42.3mm Mens Watch Black£17,100
Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune 43.6mm Mens Watch Green£17,100
The Fifty Fathoms line traces back to 1953, when Blancpain produced what many consider the first modern diver's watch for military frogmen. The Bathyscaphe is the collection's more contemporary expression — rounder, lighter in feel, freed from the lugged case of the original — and this ceramic variant takes that logic furthest. The movement inside is the Calibre 1315, built in-house around three series-coupled mainspring barrels that together deliver a five-day power reserve; the solid gold rotor wears a dark NAC coating, and the balance spring is silicon, making it resistant to magnetic fields that would disturb a conventional hairspring. At 43.6mm the case sits wider than many dress watches dare, yet at under 14mm thick it disappears under a cuff in a way that full-rated divers rarely manage. Ceramic accounts for much of that: the material is lighter than steel at the wrist and virtually impervious to scratching, so the matte black finish stays matte. The blue dial layers two textures — a sunburst at the centre, radial brushing toward the edge — that shift against each other as the light moves, and the Liquidmetal hour markers sit flush with the bezel rather than proud of it. The NATO strap is matched in colour to the dial, and its buckle is ceramic, ground from the same material as the case rather than added in contrasting steel.
- Reference
- 5000A 0140 NAOA
- Brand
- Blancpain
- Collection
- Fifty FathomsCase Size: 43
- Case size
- 43.6mm
- Case thickness
- 13.83mm
- Lug width
- 23mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 1315
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49.7mm
- Power reserve
- 120 hours
Learn more about Blancpain
Jehan-Jacques Blancpain registered as a watchmaker in Villeret in 1735, which makes Blancpain the oldest name in the industry by registration date. The dial still carries JB 1735.
The claim comes with an asterisk the house is candid about: production stopped during the quartz crisis. The name was dormant until Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet bought it in 1983 and relaunched it on a defiantly contrarian promise — there has never been a quartz Blancpain, and there never will be. In a market then convinced mechanical watchmaking was finished, this proved commercially astute as well as romantic.
The technical high-water mark of the modern era came in 1991 with the 1735 Grande Complication, which combined a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, moon phase, minute repeater, and split-seconds chronograph in one wristwatch.
Blancpain's other lasting contribution is the Fifty Fathoms of 1953, developed with French combat divers and predating the Submariner. It established the vocabulary of the dive watch — rotating bezel, high legibility, real water resistance — and remains the collection most buyers know.
The Swatch Group acquired the brand in 1992. The Villeret line continues the classical side of the house: round cases, double stepped bezels, and complications presented without ornament.
- 1735
- Jehan-Jacques Blancpain registers as a watchmaker in Villeret.
- 1953
- The Fifty Fathoms establishes the modern dive watch.
- 1983
- Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet revive the dormant brand.
- 1991
- The 1735 Grande Complication is released.
- 1992
- Acquired by the Swatch Group.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,425), Blue Dial Watches (837), Sports Watches (714), Dive Watches (494), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (211) and Ceramic Watches (107).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 49.7mm lug-to-lug keeps the 43.6mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 120-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 43.6mm sits at the larger end
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 5000A 0140 NAOA | 1183-170-3/92 | PAM01661 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,850 | £9,190 | £8,450 |
| Case size | 43.6mm | 44mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Titanium bracelet | Fabric strap |
| Power reserve | 120 hours | 60 hours | 72 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 120 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
23mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 49.7mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £8,850, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £8,850 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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