Blancpain

Throughout the history of watchmaking, there have been many examples of ‘double-signed’ dials, where the retailer stamped their name onto the watch they were selling. The present watch has the distinction of not only being one of the earliest Fifty-Fathoms, but also being stamped by the venerable French retailer, LIP. The watch itself carries a rather unique story, having been consigned to us by the family of the original owner.

Interestingly, the original owner of this watch was Etienne Haussmann, a veteran of the Second World War with a penchant for aviation. Etienne was a director of the highly notable private security firm in the post-war years, the Société Parisienne de Surveillance. Their trademark cross-key logo can still be found on signs throughout Paris and France. In fact, it was one of the largest private security firms in Europe at the time of its acquisition by the Proteg group, which is now owned by Securitas.

While the Fifty-Fathoms was originally designed as a diving watch, Etienne purchased his for use in aviation, still fitting it with his vulcanized rubber tropic strap. The bezel became loose at some point during Etienne’s ownership, and according to his family, he simply put the watch away in a drawer, never to return to it. As such, the watch is preserved in truly immaculate condition, with the original crown, dial, lume, bezel, and case all brilliantly preserved. While the lume has aged to a deep caramel color, the only other indication that this is a vintage watch comes from the crazing of its original 1950s crystal, and the sole crack at 7 o’clock on the luminescent radium-impregnated bezel.

As the earliest Fifty-Fathoms to be offered in our 70th Anniversary selection, this represents an incredible opportunity to acquire a watch as its second owner nearly 70 years after it was first purchased in Paris by the esteemed retailer, LIP. We are thrilled to bring it to market on behalf of the original family.