Swatch and Blancpain cook up a storm with their latest watch collaboration

One of the biggest watch launches of 2023 was the Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Like the MoonSwatch before it, this Bioceramic beauty takes a legendary member of the Swatch Group arsenal and brings it to a more attainable price point.

Each member of the original lineup was named after an ocean. Five oceans and five watches led us to believe that there wasn't any plan to expand the range. That's not the case though – the Swatch group simply looked up and found another ocean on the surface of the moon.

That's exactly what the Ocean of Storms is – a 4 million square kilometer lunar ocean site. Fortunately, that size isn't translated into this watch. Instead, you'll find the same manageable dimensions as the other models.

A 42.3mm case diameter is paired with a 48mm lug-to-lug width for easy wearing on all but the most slender of wrists. That case sits 14.4mm thick, and houses the Sistem51 automatic movement inside.

This time, the colourful cases are done away with. In their place, an all-black construction exists to give a classy, mysterious appearance. It's definitely the most subdued of all the models in the range.

In fact, this does give a little more life to the range. Pushing beyond being a bit toy-like, the Ocean of Storms could quite happily sit in a more formal setting without showing itself up. Throw a nice leather strap on there and you've got a great desk diver.

Price wise, this model will set you back the same £350 as the other models in the range. Of course, as one of Swatch's limited edition collaborative models, it's only available in selected stores, and not online. 

In the UK, that means a trip to either the Swatch Covent Garden store, or the Swatch store on Prices Street in Edinburgh. Good luck getting your hands on one if you don't frequent those stores.