Blancpain

SJX
[Purist]
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A look at the Blancpain collection

I recently visited the Blancpain boutique in Singapore to look at the collection. Blancpain is a brand I know about and have been familiar with in the past, but one that has not really caught my attention recently so this was a welcome refresher.

Overall the fit and finish of the watches is outstanding. The movements are well executed, especially the later in-house calibres. For example the anglage is obvious and well polished, though there are no sharp inward angles. Everything else is similarly well done, screw heads, counter sunk jewels and so on.

Cal 6639 of L-Evolution

Blancpain’s movement designs favour large calibres with small balance wheels, bridges that cover almost the entire movement like a three-quarter plate, and large jewels. This gives the calibres quite a distinctive aesthetic.

One of the most popular Blancpain lines is the Fifty Fathoms. The appeal is obvious: a vintage-inspired sporty watch with high-end details like sapphire-covered bezel and in-house movement.

Notably the modern FF watches are at a much higher price point than the originals, usually the inverse is true for modern remakes. But the current FF watches are high-end luxury watches with all the features that go along with that, the originals were military issue and decidedly functional. This is reflective of the divergence of the vintage Blancpain company and its modern incarnation.

Though the cases on the FF collection are all 45 mm, they don’t wear that big.

The FF flyback with complete calendar is in some ways the flagship of the line but I find the dial too busy.

My favourite of the line is not any of the diver models but the Air Command chronograph, which is reminiscent of 1950s European air force issued chronographs.

And the predecessor of the FF, the Concept 2000. This was Jean-Claude Biver’s first attempt at fusion with rubber and titanium.

Though simple and mostly classical, the Villeret is the other distinctive Blancpain collection in my opinion. This particular aesthetic has been around since the reestablishment of Blancpain in 1983.  

My favourite is the complete calendar – day, date, month and moon phase. This is the archetypal Blancpain watch in my opinion. And this was also one of the "Six Masterpieces of Watchmaking" promoted by the company when it was resurrected in '83.

The Blancpain complete calendar is not just a simple calendar watch. All indications can be adjusted at any time without damage to the movement, unlike most calendars which can’t be adjusted for several hours before and after minute. And the watch has the under-lug correctors for the calendar which give the case a much cleaner profile. And because this particular model has a hunter case back, the under-lug correctors are hidden behind the case back.

Another interesting model from the Villeret is this limited edition ultra thin automatic, also fitted with a hunter case back. It has a guilloche dial centre with a grand feu enamel chapter ring. Admittedly the design is pedestrian but the combination of dial materials is quite fetching. Note the thickness of the dial visible through the date window due to the enamel.

The other highlight of the Blancpain range is the L-Evolution. I’m not a fan of the design, which I find over the top, but the finishing is certainly excellent. These are fitted on usual rubberised alligator straps.

All the dials are semi-open and multi-layered, which provides for a high level of detail on the dial. I do wish the hands were a bit more three-dimensional though.

The cases are hefty and multi-part as well, again with interesting details like the sandblasted lugs.

As it historically has Blancpain still does classical designs better than modern styles in my opinion. But design aside Blancpain does have many beautifully finished timepieces.

- SJX

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