LIP BLANCPAIN Fifty Fathoms, Rotomatic Incabloc Stainless... Lot 118

LIP BLANCPAIN Fifty Fathoms, Rotomatic Incabloc Stainless steel diver's wristwatch, round case, graduated rotating bezel, black lacquered dial, applied triangular hour markers and Arabic numerals, luminescent hands, central second hand, track minute track, double "Blancpain Lip" signature, automatic movement R108/AS1361N, screwed stainless steel caseback, numbered 14982, engraved inscription 'Rayville SA Swiss' inside the caseback, black Tropic bracelet 19mm (small slot) D. 35 mm (Very good condition, works, crown changed, one screw missing from the movement's attachment, plan a revision) Fifty Fathoms': in French, 'cinquante brasses', equivalent to 50 x 1.83 m, i.e. a water resistance of a little more than 91 meters, the limit depth for a dive with compressed air at the time. On the initiative of Captain Robert Bob Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud of the combat swimmers' unit, Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter, a diving enthusiast, seized the opportunity to develop a waterproof watch dedicated to scuba diving and meeting the expectations of divers (waterproof case, readability in the dark...). The first Blancpain Fifty Fathoms model was presented at BaselWorld in 1954, one year before the Rolex Submariner. In the 1950's, Blancpain was not known in France, so a commercial agreement was signed with Lip in 1954, authorizing them to market Blancpain watches and the first Fifty Fathoms, a totally waterproof diver's watch, through their 2,000 points of sale. Two versions were produced: a military version intended for professional divers, first equipping the French army and then other armies around the world, and a civilian version, smaller. This distribution agreement between Rayville SA (successor of Blancpain) and Lip was terminated in 1957, at a time when Fred Lip was working on the launch of the Lip Nautic range, intended for water sports. This model has become mythical, it adorned the wrist of Captain Cousteau in the movie "The Silent World". Bibliography (for an illustrated model) : Marie-Pia Auschitzky Coustans, "Lip, des heures à conter", Edition Libris, 2000.