Edition Fifty Fathoms - 2020

2020

The Edition Fifty Fathoms has been the expression of our fantastic journey exploring the multifaceted beauty of the ocean through the lens of underwater photography. From macro photos revealing tiny creatures and complex textures, to big animals and underwater landscapes, from black and white poetry to fancy color palettes, the ocean offers infinite possibilities. The seed for this project was planted when we met with Editor, and today good friend, Dietmar Fuchs back in 2003, in Thailand, for the underwater launch of the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms limited edition, and it came to life a few years later accompanying the launch of the new Fifty Fathoms collection. Our objective was to provide a platform for underwater photographers to present their work in the best possible way. To bring to life their photos, and show the beauty that makes us tick and want to immerse again and again into the fascinating underwater universe. This is something all fifty contributors to the project have in common. At the same time, I was already feeling the necessity and urgency to contribute to raising awareness of the state of our oceans, of their fragile beauty and of the complexity of underwater ecosystems. And Blancpain having contributed to the opening up of the underwater world in the 1950's, it had the obligation to pursue its contribution to ocean exploration and conservation in new ways. So the Edition was not only one of our very first initiatives in this direction, but also a cornerstone of what we now call the Blancpain Ocean Commitment. It was not only the series of twelve books, but also the numerous underwater photography exhibitions and dedicated events all around the world. Because we firmly believe that for people to care about the ocean, they need to know and understand what it is all about. You don't want to protect what is unknown. The unknown mostly generates fear. And we wanted to take the fear away and replace it with respect and love. Even though the series of twelve Edition Fifty Fathoms books is completed this year with the volume you hold in your hands, our journey continues. We invite you to stay tuned for our next initiatives, always with the goal of bringing our own contribution to help protect the ocean.