News 
At the end of April, Blancpain paid tribute to Captain Robert «Bob» Maloubier, deceased at the age of 92. A secret agent of the British Special Operations Executive during the Second World War, Bob Maloubier was parachuted into France and, subsequently into Asia.
In the 1950’s he was the founder and commander, together with Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, of the French military’s combat diving corps. It was in this capacity that he became a part of the history of Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms watch.
As well as oxygen cylinders, regulators, masks, flippers and suits, Maloubier and Riffaud understood how important it was to take with them on their missions a robust and reliable diver’s watch. After carefully testing watches then available on the market, they came to the conclusion that none were suitable for the task. It was then that they made contact with Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain at the time, and himself a diver and underwater enthusiast. Blancpain quickly agreed to develop a special timepiece for the combat diving corps. Their collaboration gave rise in 1953 to the first modern diver’s watch, the Fifty Fathoms. Thereafter Bob Maloubier forged close ties with Blancpain. In recent years the former military diver attended many events organised by the brand around the world, and played a part in publication of the account retracing their shared history in the work «Fifty Fathoms, The Dive and Watch History 1953-2013».
Member of the Legion of Honor and three times cited for the War Cross between 1939-1945, Bob Maloubier was one of the two last surviving recipients of the prestigious Distinguished Service Order bestowed in 1945. In early June, the day before the ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, he was recognised as a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony held in Paris.
May 07, 2015