Quick specs Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Oceans of Storms
Price: € 400 | CHF 375 | $ 400 | £ 350
Size: 42.3 mm
Reference: SO35B400
Swatch releases another Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms, the Ocean of Storms. It is the least colorful version in the series, as the other Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms are quite bright and colorful. This new one is just black with white accents, which makes it look less plastic then the others. Moreover, with its color palette it comes the closest to the original Blancpain Fifty Fathoms from 1953.
Luckily the Blancpain x Swatch hype isn’t as a big as the Omega x Swatch Bioceramic Moonswatch. For that one people still pay three times more then the list price to get a blue colored plastic quartz. The plastic Blancpain’s are easier to buy, however only in a Swatch shop, not online. That will probably change in the future when the run for all of these models is over. For now it does mean that also for this good looking Swatch Fifty Fathoms, you’ll need to go the a Swatch store.
The Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Oceans of Storms has a power reserve of 90 hours
Is the Fifty Fathoms Oceans of Storms the best choice, should you want at least one model? We think so. We have seen the other five models around the wrist and they all look very plastic, almost toy like. Even the most serious colored one in blue. The good thing about this bioceramic called plastic is that it wears ultra-light. Another good thing is that the NATO strap that comes with it is pretty good. It is long enough to wear comfortably on any wrist size, the fabric is soft and the colors are bright.
Another positive aspect – not everybody will agree – is the Sistem51 mechanical movement. It is visible through the transparent sapphire glass on the back and offers 90 hours of power reserve. Yes, it is unserviceable, by Swatch, but your local watch shop might give it a go if you insist. However, the quality appears to be that good that service won’t be needed for many years, maybe decades. And when it stops after that period, just have the movement swapped. For an automatic watch with a cool design and a price tag below 400 this “non-serviceable” movement shouldn’t be of any concern.
| Technical data Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Oceans of Storms |
| Reference: SO35B400 |
| Movement: ETA Sistem51 (aka Swatch Sistem51) | Automatic | Frequency: 21,600 (3 Hz) | Jewels: 19 | Parts: 51 | Single screw | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Power-reserve: 90 hours |
| Case and dial: 42.3 mm | Bioceramic (ceramic with plastic) | Thickness: 14.4 mm | Glass of bio-sourced material treated with an anti-scratch coating | Black unidirectional bezel with insert | Black dial | Hour and minute hands and markers with grade A super-luminova | Bioceramic crown | Transparent case back with Okenia Luna nudibranch in digital print | Water resistance: 50 fathoms / 9 ATM / 9 bar / 91 meters / 300 feet |
| Strap: Black NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea | With white and grey line pattern | Bioceramic pin buckle and loops |
| Price Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Oceans of Storms: € 400 | CHF 375 | $ 400 | £ 350 |
| Website: www.swatch.com |