Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com More than any individual, Captain Robert Malubier of the French Marine Nationale can claim to be the father of the modern sports watch, and this Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph is part of his lasting legacy to horology. As the individual tasked by naval special forces to dictate specifications of the 1953 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms tactical watch, Maloubier set in motion the events that lead to our golden era of dive watches. At the behest of his service, Maloubier laid out the basic format for the watch that became the Fifty Fathoms; automatic winding; unidirectional dive bezel, antimagnetic movement shielding; shock resistance; outstanding legibility; substantial size; extreme water resistance. Maloubier's brainchild quickly spawned a civilian counterpart and beat everything - including the 1954 Rolex Submariner - to market. In 2007, Blancpain recast its iconic dive watch in a modern luxury mold. The historic features envisioned by Captain Maloubier remain, but contemporary refinements included greater size, finishing standards, material quality, and improved watchmaking technology. As with each Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the standout features are the dial and bezel. Working from the outside in, the sapphire-capped bezel sports a super premium aesthetic born of its unique convex cap. Few watchmakers accept the expense and difficulty of producing sapphire bezel caps, but Blancpain's effort proves that the payoff is stunning. The c