When you can mix your passion with your profession, you’ve found something truly special. That’s exactly what Jean-Jacques Fiechter did as CEO of Blancpain in the 1950s. Fiechter was an early adopter of the then-emerging sport of diving, and his firsthand experience with the challenges of the underwater world put him in the perfect position to deliver when Captain Robert “Bob” Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud approached him. The two French Navy officers were seeking a purpose-built dive watch for their combat diving unit, designed to reliably accompany them on underwater missions while providing critical information such as immersion times. Fiechter and his company, Blancpain, were ready to take on the challenge, armed with both watchmaking know-how and a diver’s perspective. 

Following several prototypes that didn’t meet expectations, the Fifty Fathoms was born in 1953. It was the world’s first true diving watch, named after its 50-fathom (91-meter) depth rating. 

Beyond the water-resistant case, the original Fifty Fathoms watches came equipped with other key features, many of which became standard on modern dive watches: a rotating (but lockable) bezel with a luminous 60-minute scale to track dive times, a large and legible dial furnished with luminescence for reading in low light, and an automatic movement shielded from magnetic fields by an inner iron case. 

In the early 1960s, radium — the radioactive material commonly used in watch dials for its glow — was officially recognized as extremely hazardous. To reassure divers, both professional and recreational, Blancpain began clearly marking its watches as radium-free. The brand introduced a distinctive symbol: three red bars on a yellow background with a black cross, along with the words “no radiation” to make the message unmistakably clear. 

It’s that fascinating chapter in Fifty Fathoms' history that Blancpain revisits with the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad ref. 5008D-1130-B64A, a watch that celebrates the legacy of one of the most influential dive watches ever made. 

The design of the No Rad Tribute watch leans heavily into vintage inspiration while staying firmly rooted in Blancpain’s modern collection. The matte black dial is punctuated with geometric hour markers — a mix of round plots, rectangles, and a diamond at 12 o’clock — identical to the historic model it’s based on. All the luminous material across the dial, bezel time scale, and hands is done in a warm “old radium”-colored Super-LumiNova, echoing the patina of aged tritium without any of the risks. 

Naturally, the focal point is the bold “No Radiations” (a.k.a. No Rad) symbol at 6 o’clock — the same one that appeared on military-issue Fifty Fathoms watches used by elite German frogmen in the 1960s. The vivid red and yellow emblem against the otherwise monochromatic dial gives the watch a distinct character that collectors have long been drawn to. 

Blancpain also kept the classic date window at 3 o’clock, framed with a white border, and paired it with a unidirectional bezel that uses a domed sapphire insert — a nod to vintage Bakelite bezels, but far more durable. The box-shaped sapphire crystal adds even more dimensionality to the dial and enhances the old-school aesthetic. 

Sized at 40.3mm, the stainless steel case offers a well-balanced size favored by many enthusiasts. This diameter is reserved exclusively for limited-edition Fifty Fathoms models, lending an extra layer of collectability. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the in-house Caliber 1151, a self-winding movement with a silicon balance spring, twin barrels, and a generous four-day power reserve. The rotor is skeletonized in the style of early Fifty Fathoms rotors, complete with a cartouche-shaped cutout originally designed to soften shocks during use. 

Staying true to its tool watch origins, the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad offers 300 meters of water resistance and is equipped with a black Tropic-style rubber strap, a design historically preferred by divers for its robustness and comfort. 

With only 500 pieces produced, the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad carries one of Blancpain’s most storied designs into the modern era. From its historical significance to its thoughtful construction, this limited-edition model reflects why the Fifty Fathoms remains a benchmark in the world of dive watches.