Considered by many as the original diver’s tool watch, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the dive watch to feature a turning bezel and automatic movement. The timepiece was launched in 1953 in collaboration with the elite French combat divers, the “Nageurs de Combat”, who needed a reliable, durable, legible, and water-resistant watch. The at-the-time Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter had a tremendous passion for diving, and quickly accepted and succeeded in their challenge. The early Fifty Fathoms dive watches of the 1950s featured radium luminescence, allowing for a constant glow in dark environments to help with legibility.

The present lot, a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung No Radiations nicknamed “No Rad”, is perhaps one of the most collectible and desirable dive watches. On top of being very well preserved with a strong case and bezel, the later timepiece from the 1960s features a large “No Radiations” symbol at the bottom half in which collector envy for. This is due to better education regarding the effects of radium it falling out of favor in the public’s eye. Instead, the watch features tritium luminescence which has developed a fantastic patina. The desirability for the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms “No Rad” has been so high that in 2021, Blancpain created a tribute timepiece limited to 500 pieces. However, the present lot is a wonderful opportunity to own the rare, original timepiece.