Vintage Seiko FFF FiftyFiveFathoms – Blancpain Homage - pic heavy

[Daywatch 4]

This is such a cool looking, reliable, shockproof and functional Seiko-watch when You see it in the metal that I decided to put up this post for any other member interested in reproducing this or a similar FFF/ Tudor.

Below a compilation of related links on everything. This may be done without any previous experience and without specialized tools, found all in the homes drawers.

Hope You like this. Enjoy the brief tour:

 

 

History of Fifty Fathoms – borrowed from Hodinkee http://www.hodinkee....-fathoms-review

 

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the original modern dive watch. Yes, you read that correctly. While many people would instinctively give this title to the more well-known Rolex Submariner, the Fifty Fathoms actually debuted a number of innovations a year before the Submariner. While the first commerical Fifty Fathoms was released in 1953, the story goes a little further back than that. Captain Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, commanders of the French Combat Diving School, were looking for a purpose-built watch to put on the wrist of the most elite dive soldiers on the planet and couldn't find anything to suit their needs. Remember, at this time there were no dive computers and a watch was absolutely necessary for ensuring both personal safety and coordinated timing during difficult missions. They drew up some requirements for this ideal watch and shopped it around to various companies, but none wanted to invest in what they saw as a niche market. Luckily, Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter was an avid diver and decided to team up with the commanders to create the watch they needed.

 

The Base watch was a golden Seiko SNZH57 (the 55 is Silver)

 

Thanks to Greg´s nice review I bought this in the first place, You may find it here, it says it all :

http://www.rwg.bz/bo...opic=58791&st=0

and this is another review:

http://bladebarrelbe...comment-page-1/

 

 

This is available on Amazon, the best price I found was with Creation Watches (Singapore) they ship for free with DHL in less than a week to EU (might have to pay local VAT on import but often they just go through). There is one "Made in Japan" model and a cheaper, somewhere else made one, noticeable on the dial lettering, basically it´s the same:

http://www.creationw...watch-2718.html

 

It´s such a nice classic looking watch that it doesn´t need any modding and an easy step is to just change the bezel ring, bought the lumed one from Yobokies here:

http://forums.watchu...ble-784063.html

 

Mod 1 - just change the bezel ring and put it on a Brady sailcloth strap with golden stitching

 

 

Alternative hands/dials/bezel rings etc. are also available from 10watches/ Dagaz

Here: http://www.10watches...ts/show/1854400

 

Mod 2: One evening did the bezel ring, the next finished the rest using these instruction links:

 

Thx Maxwas – worked very well.

http://www.rwg.bz/bo...showtopic=68624

Thx toehh – this is how it´s done:

http://www.rwg.bz/bo...l=&fromsearch=1

one remark: the stem has to be completely pushed in to be able to press on the marked spot to push it completely out;

and here are some tools – this helped a lot too:

http://forums.watchu...ver-158771.html

 

For the red second hand tip just used some red acrylic paint - it matches the "automatic" red quite well

 

 

 

 

 

General info on all Seiko movements and specs:

http://www.seikowatc...dex.html#divers

 

Last but not least, the sailcloth Brady strap is fantastic with in-built lugbars and a fast release button on the backside, they come in different colours and stitching from here:

http://bradystraps.c....php?id=33&=SID

 

Thanks All for viewing, hope You enjoyed this.

[andyboy 5]

Great job mate.

 

Looks really good.

 

I have done a couple of mods on the SNZH and very pleased with them.

 

 

Enjoy it mate.

[Higs 73]

Lovely.

 

Mine says hello....

 

[Bash64 17]

Really great post! The extra info makes it very easy for anyone wanting to try a mod on their own. Really nice pics also. Not everyone changes the bezel with the FFF mod, but I think yours really makes the watch. Nicely done!

[Beefalope 0]

Great watch and outstanding photography.

[Pharmo 33]

Fantastic work..looks abdolutely stunning.

 

I have held off this mod for too long :(

[James. 4]

Wore mine today, try it on NATO, mucho more'o comfortable'o than sail cloth'o

 

 

[Bash64 17]

Wore mine today, try it on NATO, mucho more'o comfortable'o than sail cloth'o

 

 

i

 

Is the leather NATO yours too James? Really like that one!

[chekkarn 0]

Outstanding!

[James. 4]

Wore mine today, try it on NATO, mucho more'o comfortable'o than sail cloth'o

 

 

i

 

Is the leather NATO yours too James? Really like that one!

 

Yup, it's like a faded grey colour. From a strap maker over on homageforum.com. Love it, currently on my Halios, FFF is back on SS

[ShovelnTC 31]

Great watches and mods, I've only done the dial and added the Brady but that returns so much bang for the buck it makes a lot of the Reps seem high cost.

[Daywatch 4]

Hi James, that vintage leather nato really looks the part, have to get me one of those. Fantastic dial and seconds hand on Yours

 

Thanks Guys, nice comments, haven´t been here for a while, using it on a black shark-strap with white stitching now, also great and these Seikos are fantastic quality with a quite silent, solid movement, always underrated them....a lot (price/quality value relationship is incredible compared to reps, outstanding specially with rep prices going fast up the hill)

 

[Quicklink 0]

Amazon has these snzh57's for $150 w free shipping. About to pull the trigger on one of these later this week!

[RUSH2112 11]

Thanks for posting the story behind the watch. Didn't understand what all the fuss was a until now. It's on the list.

[Bertram 0]

Nice job! It looks great. I love my military version.

[tofurky1975 0]

Where did you get the Tornek-Rayville? I NEED TO KNOW!!!

[Maahinen 0]

I would be interest too where to get these parts......