Last week, Blancpain introduced the Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback Ocean Commitment limited edition timepiece, which has a portion of the sales from each watch going to support oceanic environmental causes.
This special Bathyscape Chronograph comes in a 43.6 mm diameter grey satin-brushed ceramic case. The crown and pushers are ceramic as well. The blue sunburst finish dial features applied, lume-filled Liquidmetal indexes, combined with large luminous treated rectangle shaped hour and minute hands. This makes it easy to read the time in any lighting condition.
Subsidiary dials at 3 and 9 o’clock, feature a perfect circular guilloche finish, and count the chronograph hours and minutes, respectively. A small seconds indication is located at 6 o’clock, and includes a luminous continuous sweeping seconds hand.
The unidirectional rotating dive bezel is made of matte grey ceramic with a polished blue ceramic insert, dive scale and a single lume-filled Liquidmetal marker at 12 o’clock.
Powering the Bathyscape is the self-winding in-house caliber F385 which runs at 5Hz, and offers 1/10th of a second chronograph precision. It is a flyback chronograph, so you can time successive events with by pushing a single button, no need to stop-reset-start the traditional way: with two buttons. A vertical clutch ensures smooth actuation, particularly in regards to the chronograph seconds hand when it starts. The balance spring is silicon and the balance wheel is free sprung with gold screws for fine regulation. Power reserve is 50-hours.
The crown can be locked, however, the pushers are pump style (and cannot be locked). Despite having non-locking pushers, the watch is rated water-resistant down to an impressive 300 meters. Moreover, thanks to sealed pushers, the chronograph can be activated underwater with no risk of water entering the case.
Each Ocean Commitment Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback will be individually numbered. In addition, each purchaser of one of these limited edition timepieces will receive a copy of Blancpain’s collectible volume entitled Fifty Fathoms The Dive and Watch History 1953-2013. The copy received by each purchaser will be hand numbered to correspond to the serial number of his watch.
According to Blancpain, “Every client will automatically be enrolled in the Ocean Commitment Circle and receive a certificate confirming that a donation has been made for that watch. Thanks to their purchase, they become an active player in reinforcing Blancpain’s support of oceanic initiatives. Special advantages will be granted to the members of the Circle, such as close relationships with Blancpain partners, opportunities to meet them, exclusive information and news through the members area of Blancpain’s new Ocean Commitment website, private invitations to scientific expedition report presentations as well as documentary film premieres.”
The Blancpain Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback Ocean Commitment comes with a blue sail-canvas strap. Winding rotor specially decorated for this limited series bearing the logo for the Ocean Commitment. Sapphire crystal back. Limited edition of 250. (Ref. 5200-0240-52a)
