Marcus Hanke
[PuristSPro Moderator]
11515
Baselworld 2013 report: Blancpain
Blancpain at Baselworld 2013
presented by Marcus Hanke
presented by Marcus Hanke
This year, Blancpain presented to me only five of its new watches, two of which are breathtaking new complications, however. Therefore, I am posting more pictures per watch.
I will start with the watch that has seen the most discussion already, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. If you have not done so yet, please do not miss to read Oliver’s excellent article on this new watch:
blancpain.watchprosite.com
and
blancpain.watchprosite.com
There is hardly anything to add to this concise report, other than my personal opinion on the Bathyscaphe: It leaves me rather unimpressed. With the 2007 Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain succeeded in launching what quickly became a cult watch. There is hardly any doubt that this Fifty Fathoms is one of the most desirable and popular diving watches of the recent years, up there with the Sea Dweller and the Submariner. This Bathyscaphe is ... well, mediocre; an average tool watch in design, exclusive only in price and its movement. Not that it is overpriced, some manufacturing details (ceramics and liquid metal bezel, ceramised titanium case, and especially its fine cal. 1315 movement) indicate an upper tier watch, but it does not spark similar emotions as the “big” Fifty Fathoms. If one desires an excellent diving watch with state-of-the-art technology in case and movement, one is better served by an Omega Seamaster, at a substantially lower price.
There are two versions shown here, the first has a 43mm brushed stainless steel case and a metallic grey dial:
The other, not mentioned in the press material, has a black titanium case that has been treated with ceramics and a black dial:
A final member of the Bathyscaphe family is the ladies’ version, coming in all-white, with a diameter of 38mm and equipped with the cal. 1150 movement.
It is interesting to see that the expensive brands discover the caseback-abrasive NATO strap. This strap was for watch enthusiasts what jeans were for the young people in the late Sixties: sign of resistance against established conventions and ideas of the “old”. Horology anarchos enjoyed wearing an old and beaten Rolex on a NATO strap, if possible with stripes. All kinds of colours, but preferably faded with dirt stains, this is the NATO strap that, when attached to a rather expensive watch, should tear it into the mud of anti-bourgeois expressions; converting a Nixon into a Ché Guevara, this is what NATO straps are intended to do with a costly timepiece. Why not?
But like jeans, that were ripped with rage by the Punk generation when their parents started to wear expensive denim with sports jackets, and that were later released with articifially produced rips and huge price tags as fashion goodies, to be worn by exactly those who were the original targets of these symbols of protest, now snobbish NATO strap variants are included as fashionable attachments with exclusive timepieces only wealthy would buy. It’s time to find a different strap type for the “antis”; old and oily bike chains come to my mind ...
The following ladies’ timepieces, however, do not attempt a similar social splits, but express exclusivity in every detail - and beautifully so, I should add. The Chronographe Grande Date is unique by its eccentric dial for hours and minutes at 12, while the chronograph second hand remains central. “Subdials” for chronograph hours and minutes are reduced to elegant numbers at 9 and 3, while the position at 6 is reserved for a big date indication. The complete lack of registers for the chronograph counters makes clear that its function is used as a pure style element only.
Added is a golden arc stretching over the mother of pearl dial, set with diamonds, while different variants have diamonds on the bezels, in one or two rows.
The watch is powered by a selfwinding cal. 26F8G movement, featuring a flower-shaped winding rotor.
Diameter of the case is 38.6mm.
For years, watch enthusiasts kept discussing the differences between tourbillon and carrousel. Thankfully, Blancpain offers an educative lesson now by revealing a watch featuring both: The Le Brassus Tourbillon Carrousel has a flying tourbillon at 12 and a flying carrousel at 6. To exclude any confusion, each is labelled on the “dial” ring.
Every balance has its own mainspring barrel as a power source. The substantial crown winds them both simultaneously, to assure the exactly same power output for the two balances. A power reserve indication is realised on the back side of the movement. A differential gear connects the two balances and transfers the average of the rates to the hands. Does this really make sense? No; but neither do expensive mechanical watches in a time when accurate electronic timing components cost a few cents.
The massive movement’s power reserve is at 168 hours, while the case is also massive, with a diameter of 44.6mm.
With only one balance, but an added cathedral chiming mechanism and a chronograph, the Le Brassus Carrousel Répétition Minutes Chronographe Flyback really excels. As its designation suggests, it features a flying carrousel balance and a flyback chronograph with a central 30 minutes hand.
It is not easy to keep apart the four pink gold coloured hands: The long second hand is for the chronograph seconds, the shorter one with the red tip is the central 30 minutes counter hand.
The most important feature of the selfwinding movement is its minute repeater mechanism on three coils, a so-called cathedral chime. This is really a marvellous timepiece with excellent finish, in a 45mm pink gold case with a fire-enamelled dial ring.
This message has been edited by Marcus Hanke on 2013-07-08 15:22:29
More posts:
Baselworld 2013 report: Blancpain
Blancpain at Baselworld 2013 presented by Marcus Hanke This year, Blancpain presented to me only five of its new watches, two of which are breathtaking new complications, however. Therefore, I am posting more pictures per watch. I will start with the watc...
Dear Dr. Hanke
Thank you very much for this amazing series of posts from Basel all across the Forums Appreciate your work and tremendous effort very much Yours truly Damjan
Can't agree more with what you said on the Batyscaphe...
And your observations on the Nato made me laugh a lot, too. Nicely put, Marcus. Best, my Punk Friend. ;) Nicolas
I don't know why but i have much sympathy for Blancpain than Patek .
Marcus , Thanks for the report.I like the Blancpain Complications and the flower for the rotor is also innovative. Regards...
An 'educative lesson'?
Dea Marcus thanks for your excellent article on the this year's Blancpain novelties. I have to say that the Le Brassus Tourbillon Carrousel is a most telling piece. Blancpain had in the past... - a simplified flying tourbillon that many people claimed it ...
You are right ...
... at first sight, I thought BP had confused the labels on the dial, since I would thought the carousel to be at the top. But you know yourself that one barely has time to examine a timepiece in detail suring these short (less than 30 minutes) presentati...
Not a simplified tourbillon
Hi Magnus Don't want to pick a fight, but I simply cannot agree with the label "simplified tourbillon". There is nothing simplified about it. In order to make the tourbillon thin, Blancpain (and actually Vincent Calabrese) de-centered the balance wheel. M...
Simplification is the REAL intellectual challenge...
so in my view the term 'simple' has no negative connotations whatsoever. The fact that brand boast with parts count it totally counter-intuitive to me. If in any industry, business or science you permanently strive for the most complicated solution you sh...
