Blancpain Fifty Fathoms BUND Barakuda

This ultra-rare Blancpain Fifty Fathoms BUND Barakuda is a historic combat diver's watch issued to the German Bundeswehr in the 1960s.

In the mid-20th century, the demand for reliable dive watches grew rapidly – especially in the military sector, where maximum robustness, precision and water resistance were essential. Launched in 1953 as one of the very first professional dive watches, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms quickly set new standards and was soon adopted by the French Navy as an operational tool watch.

In the 1960s, Blancpain produced a special model for the German Navy combat divers – in collaboration with the equipment specialist Barakuda, who also lent its name to this rare version. Today, the "Barakuda" ranks among the most sought-after military watches for collectors around the globe.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms BUND Barakuda presented here was used by the German Bundeswehr. Its caseback bears the official NATO Stock Number (NSN 6645-12-129-8664) as well as the engravings "BUND" and "BARAKUDA" – clear signs of its military provenance.

Technically, the watch meets all the key requirements of a professional military dive watch: high water resistance, antimagnetic case, automatic movement, luminous hands and markers contrasting against a dark dial, and a rotating bezel. Most striking is the vivid orange Bakelite bezel, which gives the well-proportioned 43 mm case a bold and unmistakable presence on the wrist.

Condition Report
Dial: excellent condition – crisp black surface – clean two-tone hour markers – original aged tritium lume on hands and markers – perfectly preserved printing – signed "Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 1000 Automatic Incabloc T < 25 MC SWISS".

Case: natural signs of wear – clearly legible and intact engravings on the caseback: 6645-12-129-8664 BUND BARAKUDA STAINLESS STEEL SWISS – case number on the back: 209xxx – original screw-down crown.

Bezel: vivid orange Bakelite bezel – bi-directionally rotatable.

Movement: automatic caliber AS 1902/03 – timegrapher values: rate: -17s/day, amplitude: 307, beat error: 0.1.

Bundeswehr supply number: 6645-12-129-8664
Case number: 209xxx
Movement number: 634xxx

Int.Exe.: 26254