Blancpain has just introduced what they claim to be the most high performance mechanical dive watch in the world. The X Fathoms is not the deepest diver in the world, not even close, but it does have a number of professional diving features that make their claim plausible.

The X Fathom's coolest feature is a mechanical depth gauge, shown in the central of the dial via a display with "0-90" markings in yellow and a dedicated hand. As the display indicates, the depth gauge works from 0 to 90 meters. This function is rarely seen in mechanical watches - although Panerai, IWC and JLC are the three brands that have produced mechanical depth gauge wristwatches in the past. The biggest advantage of a mechanical depth gauge being built into a timepiece, is that it eliminates the need for a dedicated depth gauge. Many divers wear both a depth gauge and professional dive watch.

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Earlier this year, Blancpain held a traveling vintage exhibition that consisted of more than 50 historic Blancpain dive watches, as a Tribute to Fifty Fathoms. The exhibit was displayed during Baselworld 2011, which is where I was able to take photos of some of the most important and collectible timepieces.

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Introduced at Baselworld 2010, the Blancpain Carrousel Sapphire is quite an impressive timepiece. It features a rose gold case with a sapphire crystal on the front, back and on both sides of the case. It even features a sapphire crystal in place of the plates and dial, which creates the illusion that the movement is floating inside the case. It looks really cool in person. Another key feature, is the carrousel movement (a "carrousel" improves accuracy by negating gravity's effects, much like a tourbillon). A carrousel movement is very difficult to produce, and very rare. Accordingly, the price is what you would pay for a tourbillon, or more.

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This is the new Blancpain Carrousel Répétition Minutes Le Brassus. It is the second part of an ongoing collector series, called Le Brassus. Two years ago, Blancpain presented the Le Brassus one-minute carrousel movement, a world's first (a carrousel, like a tourbillon, negates the effects of gravity to improve watch accuracy). This year, a minute-repeater has been added to the already complicated one-minute carrousel movement. Next year, another complication will be added, followed by an additional complication each year thereafter.

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Introduced at Baselworld 2010, this watch is like the original Blancpain Super Trofeo Flyback Chronograph watch introduced at Baselworld 2009, except for a few changes. The case is polished titanium, instead of DLC treated steel. It biggest change is the addition of a carbon fiber dial and lugs. The in-house flyback chronograph is unchanged, as is the layout of the dial. An Alcantara strap is still included, as is an additional leather strap. Overall, I like the new look, however, I do wonder how durable the lugs will be. If the lugs were made of forged carbon, like what Audemars Piguet uses, I wouldn't worry too much. But considering it is non-forged carbon fiber, there is definitely a chance it may crack in the future, as carbon fiber can crack or bend if there is a lot of pressure on it.

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Baselworld 2010 marks the 275th Anniversary for Blancpain and is the occasion for the debut of a new Villeret Collection. The first timepiece from this new series to be unveiled is a new complete calendar moon-phase model featuring a fully secure calendar mechanism, and under-lug correctors, fitted into a half-hunter red gold case.

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Last week, I had a chance to visit the flagship US Blancpain boutique. It is located in Midtown Manhattan, on Madison Avenue, between 66th and 67th Street. The boutique is fairly small, at about 1000 square feet, but within that space they probably have the widest selection of Blancpain watches in the country.

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At the 32nd edition of the International Boat show, next week, Blancpain will launch its brand new 500 Fathoms diver's watch. And the manufacture from Le Brassus is presenting a world first at the Blancpain booth: a 500 Fathoms Cannes 2009 limited series of 50 dedicated to sea-lovers.

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