Short answer
The Fifty Fathoms 1953 is a dive watch Blancpain released in 1953. It was built for French Navy combat swimmers. The number "5050" in a listing title is not a Blancpain reference number that public records confirm. Sellers use it as an internal code for a batch or a version. A "1:1 replica" of this watch is an unauthorized copy of a trademarked design. Selling it in the US is illegal under federal counterfeiting law.
What the 1953 original is
- Year: 1953. Blancpain showed the watch that year.
- Origin: a request from Robert Maloubier, an officer with the French combat divers.
- Design lead: Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain's CEO at the time.
- Depth rating: 50 fathoms. That equals 300 feet, or about 91 meters. The name comes from that rating.
- Case size: about 41 mm. Large for 1953.
- Bezel: rotating, with a locking mechanism to stop accidental turns.
- Dial: a moisture indicator showed if water entered the case.
- Case: screw-down crown and screw-down caseback.
- Movement: an automatic caliber. Early examples used an AS 1361N.
What "5050" refers to
I could not confirm a Blancpain reference "5050" for the Fifty Fathoms. Blancpain's published vintage references use other numbers. In replica listings, four-digit codes mark a factory, a batch, or a revision. The code tells you which seller version is meant, not which Blancpain model. Ask the seller what the code maps to. Most will not name a source.
What the listings claim
Pages with this keyword often promise a 41 mm case, sapphire crystal, automatic movement, ceramic bezel insert, and Swiss or Japanese internals. Some of these claims hold. Many do not. Reports from buyers include case diameters off by 1 to 2 mm, bezels that turn without the lock, printed markers instead of applied markers, and movements that cannot be traced to a named factory.
Legal status in the US
The Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. sections 1114 and 1125, covers trademark infringement and false designation. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. section 2320. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports of entry. Penalties for trafficking reach $2 million and 10 years in some first-offense cases. A buyer faces seizure of the item in most cases, not charges. The seller faces civil and criminal exposure.
Alternatives
Several brands sell dive watches with a 40 to 42 mm case, a rotating bezel, and 200 m or more of water resistance. These are legal, serviceable, and cost less than the asking prices on replica pages. If the goal is the 1953 look, a homage with a sterile dial and no Blancpain name avoids the trademark issue.