Introducing The 38mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

On a sleepy Tuesday in mid-June, Blancpain is releasing a full range of 38mm Fifty Fathoms divers in stainless steel, grade 23 titanium, and 18k red gold. There are 14 different references here, providing plenty to cover, but the dial options are limited to black or blue sunburst throughout. Just last week, upon the release of a pair of mother-of-pearl-dialed Fifty Fathoms in a 38mm case, the brand said that "the new 38 mm case size opens the door to future additions within the Fifty Fathoms family." We knew that more would be on the way, but I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would arrive so soon.

The new ref. 5007 line of Fifty Fathoms can be broken down into three metals – steel, titanium, or red gold – and two dials, black or blue. Matching sail-canvas, NATO, or tropic rubber straps can be had with any model, and bracelets are offered for the steel or titanium cases at a premium of $2,800 and $3,200, respectively.

As the most headline-worthy news here, let's start with the case. The 38mm options will now sit alongside the 42mm references released in 2024 (titanium and red gold) and January 2025 (steel), as well as the 45mm offerings, which date back to 2007 in essence. To achieve the new size, Blancpain notes that the proportions have been carefully reworked rather than simply scaled down. The thickness is now 12.0mm, compared to 14.2mm in its closest sibling, the 42mm Automatique, and the lug width is 19.0mm, rather than 21.5mm, by the same comparison. The uni-directional 120-click sapphire dive bezel is color-matched to the dial. The brand's logo is proudly engraved on the nine o'clock case flank, as is now standard for the Fifty Fathoms.

When presented with the product photography of the latest Fifty Fathoms, you'd be forgiven for asking what exactly is new. The look, out of context and without a wrist or another Fifty Fathoms for scale, is drastically similar to that of the 42mm and 45mm versions. The dials are adorned with applied and lumed hour markers with Arabic numerals at the cardinal indices. Both the black and blue options feature a sunburst finish, and a color-matched date window is snuck in at 4:30. A display caseback shows off the caliber 1150 automatic movement, which offers 100 hours of power reserve thanks to the series-coupled twin-barrel system and magnetic resistance due to the silicon hairspring.

Pricing is very much tied to which strap, bracelet, pin buckle, or deployant your heart desires. The steel model ranges from $16,700 on a strap with a pin buckle to $19,500 on a bracelet, whereas the titanium case is priced from $17,900 to $21,100. In red gold, with only straps available, the price is $30,600 on a pin buckle and $34,000 with a deployant. None of these new 38mm Fifty Fathoms Automatiques are limited editions; all will remain a part of the Blancpain catalog for the foreseeable future.

For years, commenters on this very site and around the watch web have bemoaned Blancpain's design decisions with its flagship diver, the Fifty Fathoms. With one of the richest histories in the dive watch space, the Fifty Fathoms has been offered with thoroughly modern styling and a 45mm case. The respite for collectors came every few years when Blancpain would produce a limited-edition Fifty Fathoms at 40.3mm — slightly under the 41mm of the 1953 original. These LEs would sell out quickly, sometimes in minutes, as was the case with the 2020 Mil-Spec for Hodinkee. Enthusiasts were left feeling as though Blancpain recognized the demand for a smaller Fifty Fathoms but only offered a watch that fit the bill on special occasions; otherwise, this was a 45mm watch. The 2023 limited edition "Act I" in a 42mm case seemed like more of the same, but the strategy started to shift as that 42mm case was added to the permanent catalog in 2024.

Today's full lineup of 38mm offerings is less a testament to changing enthusiast taste but rather a recognition from the brand that this subset of watch buyers had a point. Blancpain appeared to be making the mistake of assuming that folks who read Hodinkee and the like are all too few to make design decisions based on. As it turns out, broader consumer tastes are shifting toward smaller case diameters lately, and over the past few years, we have seen a tipping point toward smaller commercial watches.

Watches and Wonders 2025 was headlined by "newness" that catered to the knowledgeable watch lover. Think the Patek Philippe ref. 6196P-001 Calatrava, the Cartier Tank LC Automatic, and even Grand Seiko's micro-adjust clasp — new releases clearly aimed at giving the people what they want. Watch brands didn't get together recently and decide to lay on the fan service. Rather, they are faced with a market that necessitates experimentation. Buyers of all experience and knowledge levels are no longer buying the new thing simply because it is new. The brands are reacting by addressing the woes in their respective catalogs.

Gone are the days of afterthought Grand Seiko clasps, poorly proportioned Calatravas, and pushing a Fifty Fathoms that is 4mm larger than the original and wears something like 10mm larger. Here are the days of a full slate of Fifty Fathoms offerings: that same 45mm for actual divers who might need the insane legibility, 42mm as likely the most democratic of the bunch, and now 38mm for those who demand a vintage wrist presence or simply prefer a smaller watch.

You don't have to take my word for this being at least in part a reactionary move by Blancpain, take it from Marc A. Hayek, President & CEO of Blancpain, who said "With the addition of new models, we're responding to a clear demand while reaffirming that this collection was always meant for all wrists."

As for pricing, Blancpain's latest Fifty Fathoms Automatique is undeniably priced in line with the rest of the catalog. Critiques regarding price should be levied against the entire brand strategy, rather than this one reference, and those are fair critiques. Let me put it this way: for the consumer who was ready to pony up for a Fifty Fathoms 45mm at retail, I find the 38mm option a much better watch and thus, a much better buy.

Brand: Blancpain
Model: Fifty Fathoms Automatique
Reference Number: 5007

Diameter: 38.2mm
Thickness: 12.0mm
Case Material: stainless steel, grade 23 titanium, or 18k red gold
Dial Color: Sunburst black or blue
Indexes: Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 and arrows at the other five-minute intervals
Lume: Yes, indices and bezel
Water Resistance: 300m
Strap/Bracelet: Straps (in matching colors) range from sail-canvas to NATO, and a tropic rubber iteration, all three available with a deployant or pin buckle. Bracelets are available for the stainless steel or titanium models.

Caliber: Calibre 1150
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, date
Diameter: 26.2mm
Thickness: 3.25mm
Power Reserve: 100 hours (4 days)
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 3 Hz
Jewels: 28
Additional Details: Magnetic resistance due to silicon hairspring automatic movement; series-coupled twin-barrel system

Price: $16,700 (Steel on Strap with Pin Buckle), $18,200 (Steel on deployant), $19,500 (Steel on bracelet); $17,900 (Titanium on Strap with Pin Buckle), $19,800 (Titanium on deployant), $21,100 (Titanium on bracelet); $30,600 (Gold on pin buckle), $34,000 (Gold on deployant)
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No

For more, visit Blancpain online.