A patented innovation
Featuring a patented innovation co-developed by Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, the Tech Gombessa is the first timepiece capable of measuring immersions of up to three hours.
Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2:
Tech Gombessa
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Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2:
Tech Gombessa
Designed for long-duration deep dives
Designed to serve
extreme divers
Inspired by the invaluable heritage of the 1953 Fifty Fathoms – the world's first modern diving watch – and, above all, by his own underwater experiences, Blancpain's President & CEO embarked on the design of a new mechanical diving instrument with fellow diver Laurent Ballesta.
Worn by the very best
The Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa meets the most stringent requirements of the Gombessa Expeditions divers, who perform long-duration deep dives to further marine research.
A new chapter in the Fifty Fathoms saga
With the launch of its Tech Gombessa timepiece, Blancpain is writing a new chapter in the history of its iconic diving watch. In this 70th anniversary year, 2023 also resonates as a rebirth of the very first Fifty Fathoms with the arrival of this innovative new-generation timekeeping instrument.
Designed for
long-duration deep dives
While the 1953 Fifty Fathoms satisfied the most experienced divers at the time, today's divers can now spend several hours underwater on highly technical closed-circuit dives and thus have new timekeeping requirements.
Tested by top divers
The Tech Gombessa's exclusive features were honed during extensive testing in real-life conditions. Blancpain's President & CEO personally tried several different prototypes during dives, as did Laurent Ballesta and other Gombessa divers.
Two passionate divers & five years of personal involvement
The Tech Gombessa was meticulously co-designed over five years by Marc A. Hayek and Laurent Ballesta, both seasoned closed-circuit rebreather divers.
Measuring immersions of up to three hours
Unlike conventional diving watch bezels, the bezel on the Tech Gombessa has a three-hour scale linked to a special hand that completes one full rotation every three hours.
Luminescent
markers
The bezel markers feature a white luminescent coating that emits a green glow to match the colour of the dive-time hand.
The hour-markers are orange with a blue glow. These colours are echoed by the hours and minutes hands to differentiate between time-related information and dive-time data.
The bezel markers feature a white luminescent coating that emits a green glow to match the colour of the dive-time hand.
The hour-markers are orange with a blue glow. These colours are echoed by the hours and minutes hands to differentiate between time-related information and dive-time data.
Dial
For optimum legibility in the dark, the dial has a special 'absolute black' finish that captures almost 97% of available light.
The applied hour-markers are designed as large luminescent blocks to similarly enhance readability.
Case
The grade 23 titanium case is hypoallergenic, extraordinarily robust and remarkably light despite its 47 mm diameter. This material was chosen for its barely-there, comfortable feel on the wrist.
The case is water-resistant to 30 bar (approx. 300 metres) and is equipped with a helium valve.
Lugs and strap
The watch features central lugs – a first for Blancpain – that are attached from inside the case middle and integrate the strap.
Screwed to the back of the lugs, the black rubber strap is equipped with an internal titanium reinforcement to ensure it holds its shape and an extension for wearing the watch over a diving suit.
The buckle features an extremely wide and ergonomic pin designed to guarantee a secure fit to the wrist and facilitate the fastening of the extension.
Back
The back of the watch reveals the 13P8 automatic movement, which meets the same reliability and strength criteria that have made the Fifty Fathoms the ultimate diver's watch for the past 70 years.
Stamped with the Gombessa Expeditions logo, the anthracite-grey oscillating weight has an innovative shape that features three large openings for admiring the movement.
