Founded in 1735 by Jean-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland, BLANCPAIN has been creating innovative watches while respecting tradition for over 200 years. From Wednesday, March 16th to Tuesday, March 29th, Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, 5th Floor, Watch/Promotion will host the Blancpain "New Collection Fair." During the fair, the brand's attractive collections will be showcased, including the popular "Air Command" pilot watch released at the end of 2021, and the first-ever Grade 23 titanium model of the "Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe."

Blancpain is a "manufacture" brand that consistently produces its own mechanical movements. Since its founding, it has manufactured only mechanical watches, and all of its watches are equipped with in-house mechanical movements. Led by the brand's flagship diver's watch, the "Fifty Fathoms," Blancpain creates professional watches that pursue functionality and practicality.

The "Air Command" we're introducing today is one such example, a timepiece that incorporates modern technology into a pilot's watch originally manufactured by Blancpain for the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. The design harmonizes the vintage watch aesthetic of that era with a sophisticated deep blue color. It respects past models while being designed to suit the present age.

The new "Air Command" model follows in the footsteps of military chronographs.

The "Air Command" pilot's watch features a flyback chronograph, a countdown rotating bezel, and a tachymeter on the dial for measuring ground speed. The flyback chronograph is a mechanism that eliminates the three button operations usually required for chronograph measurement—stop, reset, and restart—by allowing the next measurement to begin instantly with a single push of a button. This is a point of functional beauty that shows careful consideration to allow air force pilots to concentrate on flying as much as possible.

The vibrant deep blue dial with a sunburst finish features highly legible hands and indices coated with Super-LumiNova, resulting in a functional yet beautiful design. Furthermore, the movement boasts robustness and high precision, including the use of a silicon balance spring, making this a timepiece that evolves the practical pilot's watch of yesteryear into one suited to modern life.

The "Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe," derived from diver's watches, is now available in its first Grade 23 titanium model.

At this fair, in addition to the "Air Command," we also want you to pay attention to the first Grade 23 titanium model of the "Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe." Titanium is a material that is excellent in terms of robustness and corrosion resistance, and above all, it is lighter than stainless steel. As a result, even though the case is large with a diameter of 43mm, it is comfortable to wear.

This model uses Grade 23 titanium, which is also used in medical devices. Grade 23 titanium, considered the highest grade, is a difficult material to process, requiring extensive machining, and is therefore rarely used in the watch industry. The deliberate use of such an extremely difficult material is typical of Blancpain's continued innovation.

The in-house Caliber 1315 used in the "Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe," like the "Air Command," employs a silicon balance spring, providing excellent magnetic resistance, and also boasts a power reserve of approximately 5 days, significantly reducing the need to wind the watch. The transparent case back, which exudes understated yet high-quality luxury, allows you to admire the K18WG rotor, showcasing the luxurious use of materials.

The "New Collection Fair" will feature a selection of popular models. We invite you to come and see the timepieces created by Blancpain, a brand that has created innovative collections while cherishing the traditions of Swiss watchmaking, in person at our stores.

Click here for a list of articles about watches.

►View Blancpain products at ISETAN MITSUKOSHI LUXURY