Firstly, thankyou to Mr Magnus Bosse for bringing this to us - a great post!
Love it or hate it - the volume of posts stating everyones valued opinions just tells us all how passionate we are for the Fifty Fathoms legacy!
The look is fantastic (for me), I think it really works! I like the gauges / sub gauges / dial markers etc.
And it doesn't matter if we like / dis-like, think its too big, not pratical for professional diving etc etc, they have created the most advanced depth gauge orientated watch, ever.
I suppose the close second is the IWC Aquatimer Deep Two (which forgive me if I'm wrong), has a bourdon tube depth gauge good for 50m.
They have included Two depth gauges in one housing, and although the deco count down timer is only for 5mins, its a very clever complication to include!
We can agree that it isn't a realistic watch for the Professional diver to wear while working - regular pro diving is very rough work - tools / snagging points / and outwith the budget of the majority of professional divers - regular pro air / surface supply divers / shell fish divers (who are the majority) would struggle to justify this. Of course it is easily in the budget range for the Saturation diver - but thats the Seadweller / Seamaster market - always has, always will be (IMHO) - but lets not forgot, saturation diving is typically the 80 to 250m range, so the depth gauge is pretty much useless (apart from the fact that there's a big gauge on the inside of the bell to read just before you jump out the bottom), and the voice of diver superintendant top side tells you when to put down your tools and return to bell - and the deco lasts for normally 4 days.
But the watch as a show case of ability is fantastic. And I like that fact that, although it doesn't looklike a vintage Fifty Fathoms, they have a created a tool watch - not as ornate as the current versions - and with a rugid functional appearance. I really do look forward to the perhaps simplier (slightly smaller?) versions that be come from this.
I would love to see on in the flesh - I'd even like to dive with one, just to get some great working shots at depth, and see how it works!
I, personally, wouldn't want to use it as my full time dive watch - the profile of it I think would be too high - but thats just for my type of diving these days - mixed gas, rebreather, in cold waters, and as we normally dive from RIBs (the wee orange rigid inflatable hull Zodiac type boats) we tend to de-kit in the water so we prefer a watch thats a little slimmer so nothing can catch on it (the Seamaster Professional has a great profile for this). BUT it would fantastic for holiday diving - nothing too stenuous - just a plop into 15 - 30m to see the fishies - and with a neat little 5min safety stop timer for the end of the dive - excellent!!!
In summary, its not a re-incarnation of the Milspec 1, or even the 3H Bund I would eagerly look forward to, BUT, fantastic watch making! A real achievment.
(and hopefully a shift for Blanpain to start making some less ornate / more tool inspired Fifty Fathoms for the range - please, oh please Mr Hayek. and p.s. if you would like me to take some cool photos or video footage in deep dark waters over some long forgotten WW2 shipwreck, send me a PM, a watch, and I'll get it done)
Cheers Tony
This message has been edited by DivingT on 2011-10-26 15:10:27