The world of Swiss watchmaking is filled with intriguing stories, compelling characters, and centuries of narratives that are worth recounting. That?s one of the reasons why the distinct lack of quality documentaries discussing horological history has always been frustrating. The films that do exist are either too focused on marketing than the truth or aren?t available to the general enthusiast.

One such story, that of the modern dive watch, is the focus of a new documentary that is slowly making the rounds with a series of premieres around the world. Produced by Blancpain and directed and written by Jeffrey Kingston, Fifty Fathoms: The History as Told by the Pioneers Who Created It goes behind-the-scenes and details the origin of the emblematic Fifty Fathoms, the world?s first timepiece that scuba divers could depend on with their lives.
The documentary began development in 2017 after Blancpain approached Kingston, who is a longtime Blancpain historian and maintains a close relationship with the Swiss brand, about preparing a few questions for an upcoming interview with the watch’s creator, Jean-Jacques Fiechter.
Jean-Jacques Fiechter
?I thought about it for a little bit and I thought, no, that’s not what should be done,? says Kingston. ?That’s going to be dry, not very interesting, and probably not do the best job of telling the whole story because there are so many other elements. For example, he wasn’t really a part of what occurred when the Fi...