Revolution
Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours: Blancpain’s Tourbillon for the Depths
With the revamped Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours, the Vallée de Joux brand once again splashes sophistication and luxury on its legendary diver.
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Vallée de Joux village; home of Jaeger-LeCoultre since 1833 and Blancpain since 1992 revival.
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Blancpain thread.
Blancpain shrinks its ultra-thin dress watch to 38mm and debuts a first-ever sunburst salmon dial for the Villeret line
The first modern dive watch. Designed in 1953 for French Navy combat divers.
Revolution
With the revamped Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours, the Vallée de Joux brand once again splashes sophistication and luxury on its legendary diver.
Deployant
The new Blancpain Air Command rides the waves of its predecessor but somehow lacks the finesse of the black dial model. Limited to 500 pieces, the 2019 model is mostly sold out if not completely sold out in stores. The new model benefits from it being a lighter and stronger material - titanium, and for those who prefer a subtler look, has a mostly matte finished case. In and of itself, the watch design is nicely executed and has a great movement behind it. And for those who prefer a blue dial over a black dial, a contemporary look over a homage, the new blue dial variant might be a better choice. But for those who prefer a more historically reminiscent timepiece, the 2019 homage would still be the leader of the pack.
Hodinkee
Chatting about Danny's latest Talking Watches, Cole's artful time in Miami, and the latest addition to Logan's collection.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Marc Hayek, CEO of Blancpain, Breguet and Jaquet Droz, said it best. “Platinum is among the noblest and most precious of metals,” he told The Financial Times. “It has extraordinary properties that make it extremely resistant, but also difficult to process and finish. Creating platinum watch cases requires special savoir-faire. It results in beautiful white/grey-coloured models that do not tarnish. Hence, platinum is … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: Five platinum watches to put on your wish-list appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Resurrected two years ago with modern materials and tech, the Air Command was originally a 1950s wristwatch reputedly created for the US Air Force that was never serially produced, resulting in just a dozen examples made. With the success of the vintage-looking 2019 remake, Blancpain has followed up with the regular-production Air Command Flyback Chronograph in a modern palette, with a blue dial and a case in either titanium or red gold. Initial thoughts The Air Command reissue of 2019 was a hit. The 500-piece run sold out quickly and and now sells for slightly above the original retail price – a feat for a modern-day Blancpain. Unsurprisingly, Blancpain has stuck to the same successful formula with the new Air Command, which retains the same case and design, but manages to look quite different (and will no doubt feel different thanks to the case metal). The dial is finished with a “sunburst” brushing that gives it a metallic glint With its livelier colours, the latest version is arguably more striking than the original remake. At the same time, it avoids the pitfall of trying too hard to look vintage, as was arguably the case with the original limited edition. And the gold version makes sense as well. The Air Command is clearly a luxury-sports watch rather than a military-issue instrument, so 18k gold feels right at home with the design. For those who find titanium too dull or too affordable, the gold version is certainly the one to go for. Notably, Blancpain has...
Revolution
Blancpain updates the 2019 Air Command with few upgrades that makes it nearly perfect sports watch.
Time+Tide
Fifty Fathoms. It’s a reference to an antiquated British unit of measure of approximately 91 and a half metres, but in the realm of horology, it’s synonymous with one of the first (along with Rolex’s Submariner) purpose-built dive watches, and its history is long and storied. First introduced in 1953, the original Blancpain Fifty Fathoms … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Blancpain Bathyscaphe Titanium is a sexy beast of a dive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Bathyscaphe in Titanium: A fresh interpretation of a 65-year old dive watch legend that makes it as dynamic, durable and dive-worthy as ever.
SJX Watches
Founded by Romanian native Andy Bica-Popi but based in Switzerland, Peren styles itself as a Transylvanian watch brand. The micro-brand’s offerings are characterised by a clean, functional aesthetic, a style encapsulated by the Nera Rogue. Peren’s first dive watch is loosely inspired by the Tornek-Rayville TR-900, a rare and obscure dive watch that’s actually a rebadged Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which the Swiss watchmaker made for its American agent who in turn supplied them to the US Navy in the 1960s. Utilitarian and cleanly styled, the Nera Rogue takes after the TR-900, which is reflected in the hour markers and bezel, but is evidently not a vintage remake. And in a nod to today’s fashionable colour, the Nera Rogue has dark-green dial. Initial thoughts Granted, the population of micro-brands is ever increasing, especially those making dive watches, but a handful are both interesting and affordable enough to be worth a second look. Since micro-brands typically rely on the same few outsourced movements (often Sellita or Miyota), it falls to design to distinguish one from another. And Peren manages to set itself apart – albeit only on the second try. The Nera Rogue is actually Peren’s second go at the design. What’s really new on the Nera Rogue is actually its bezel – which is the primary element inspired by the TR-900 – while the rest of the watch is actually identical to a past model known as the Nera that was equipped with a smooth, unmarked bezel, m...
SJX Watches
The latest crowdfunded maker of affordable dive watches, Horizon Watches was founded by a veteran of the micro-brand scene, Fred Bekher, a designer who has penned dozens of watches for horological startups. Mr Bekher’s first design for his own brand is the Nautilus, a dive watch with an Art Deco-meets-steampunk aesthetic. Though the model name sounds like something else, it takes inspiration from literature, specifically the submariner commanded by Caption Nemo from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. “While I was reading [the novel] as a child, I would imagine how the Nautilus looked like”, Mr Bekher says of his love for sci-fi and the steampunk world of Verne’s works. Initial thoughts The model name aside, the Nautilus is an original design – it manages not to look like anything else – which is an achievement in the space of affordable dive watches. It’s also thought in form, something that’s evident in the dial and case construction, notable for a watch that starts at US$350. And the design is appealing, most notably the Art Deco font and the smartly-disguised date. And smart it is: the date window is sized identically to the hour markers, while the date disc is entirely “lumed”, so it glows just like an hour marker. That said, some details do inevitably call to mind other, more famous dive watches, namely the Breguet Marine in terms of the dial and the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms for the bezel, but as a whole the Nautilus passes ...
Time+Tide
Let’s take a quick dip into diving watch history. The brands who really birthed the category as we know it today are Rolex/Tudor and Blancpain – who each began production of their dive watches in 1953 (it should also be noted that Zodiac introduced their Sea Wolf diver in 1953 as well). Brands such as … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The return of the Rainbow Diver Limited Edition! The 2021 Mido Decompression Timer 1961 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The 300m depth rating is for many people a marker of what a proper diver’s watch should be, and there are some obvious contenders out there. But if you look beyond the usual suspects, there are a lot of under-the-radar options also worth considering from chronographs to monster dive instruments. Just don’t mention the term … ContinuedThe post Casting the net: 5 under-the-radar 300m divers from Blancpain to Sinn appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
GaryG's charming wife MrsG is perhaps most enthusiastic about her collection of Southwestern Native American arts and jewelry, but let’s take a look at her interesting watches, which include excellent examples from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Alain Silberstein, Audemars Piguet, and more.
Hodinkee
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC | Limited Edition For HODINKEE
Hodinkee
Introducing a new, limited edition dive watch manufactured by Blancpain for HODINKEE. Pieces are numbered, and available exclusively in the HODINKEE Shop and select Blancpain boutiques.
Revolution
Blancpain is proud to be presenting partner of the United Nations World Oceans Day 2021, Tuesday the 8th of June
Time+Tide
If you love dive watches, Jeffrey Kingston is a name you should be familiar with. He literally wrote the book on the first early dive watches produced by Blancpain and has been a knowledgable fixture in the watch world for nearly two decades. Before he focused his attention on horological scholarship, Kingston was a successful … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: A deep dive with Jeffrey Kingston, the man behind the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms documentary appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Limited editions of Blancpain divers are hot commodities in today’s marketplace, so when they are announced it’s best to act fast if you’re looking to secure one for your collection. They also have the added benefit of speaking to a wider spectrum of wrists, taking on a smaller 40.3mm case diameter reserved for limited editions. … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We take a detailed, hands-on look at the just released Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad diver watch, with many detailed photographs.
SJX Watches
Blancpain’s iconic dive watch introduced in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms was named after the maximum depth then considered to be safe for divers, about 91 m. The Fifty Fathoms also claims the title of being the first purpose-built dive watch, though Rolex contends that its Submariner came first. Produced in a great many iterations, the Fifty Fathoms has become highly collectible in good number of variations, including those bearing the “No Radiations” logo – used in the early 1960s to indicate that radioactive radium was no longer used for the luminescence of the dial. That watch has now been revived by Blancpain as the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad, a limited edition that channels the spirit of the 1960s original, but executed in modern-day Blancpain quality. An example of the vintage Fifty Fathoms “No Radiations” Initial thoughts A staple of Blancpain’s line up, the Fifty Fathoms has been revived in various guises over the last few years, with the latest “No Rad” being the latest of several vintage remakes. The abundance of Fifty Fathoms limited editions – all similar but slightly different – have diminished its uniqueness somewhat, but the “No Rad” is nonetheless compelling. For one, the design has some provenance: the vintage “No Radiations” is a rare watch that’s exploded in value on the secondary market. And the “No Radiations” dial is quaint and quirky, but also historically significant in the transition from radium to tritium, c...
Revolution
The return of the iconic Blancpain “No Radiations” dial.
Time+Tide
The Swiss maisons are at it again, bringing their entire arsenal of craftsmanship to celebrate the Chinese New Year. As we all know, the Chinese market is huge and a great reason for watch brands to bring out the big guns. By big guns, however, we really mean the opposite here, as tiny instruments and … ContinuedThe post Ox-fresh: Celebrate Chinese New Year with wristworn art from Blancpain to Swatch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There’s a strong argument that the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the first real diver’s watch of its kind… and that’s because it was. It’s also true that the Rolex Submariner, which was also released in 1953, but after the Fathoms, did borrow some stylistic cues from the Blancpain. However, if any one watchmaker can claim … ContinuedThe post Dive watch fundamentals – Why Rolex still wears the crown of the deep appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Breguet, as well as its sister brand Blancpain, has made it a habit to introduce a Valentine’s Day edition each year. They are typically variations of existing ladies’s watches that have been dressed up with extra mother of pearl or diamonds; they are rarely interesting mechanically. But for Valentine’s Day 2021, Breguet has the Reine de Naples Cœur 9825 up its sleeve, and it is a surprisingly interesting watch. Presented in the familiar egg-shaped Reine de Naples case, the Cœur edition (coeur is “heart” in French) is inspired by 18th century “expanding hands” pocket watches. Initial thoughts Breguet is capable of many impressive complications – demonstrated by watches like the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 – but they are rarely quirky. Though inspired by historical pocket watches, the Reine de Naples Cœur is clever and original. The repeated use of hearts throughout the design feels a bit affected – the five-minute markers are all tiny hearts – but the watch remains graceful, with a subtle complication that isn’t immediately apparent. Although no photos of the movement are available yet, the cal. 78A0 inside is almost certainly constructed and decorated to a high level, as all Breguet watches are. The fact that it’s limited to just 28 watches is a bit of a shame, especially considering the reasonable price tag of just over US$46,000. Expanding hands Pocket watches with “expanding hands” were invented sometime in the earl...
Time+Tide
Many, many people out there view the ubiquitous Rolex Submariner as the forefather of all amphibious timepieces. And they’re dead wrong. In fact, the first truly fit-for-purpose dive watch was made by one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers in the game – Blancpain. The story of the world’s first dive watch is an interesting one, … ContinuedThe post Dive Watch Fundamentals – How Blancpain gave birth to the modern dive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Blancpain celebrates St. Valentine's Day for 2021 with an extension to the Villeret Women's Date with Cupid motifs in a special 28 piece limited edition.
Time+Tide
The lack of watch fairs and face-to-face watch showings meant that I saw fewer watches in the metal in 2020 than I had done in the last 10 years. But this lack of face time didn’t stop me salivating over a few key pieces that shot straight to the top of my wish-list. These were … ContinuedThe post Glashütte Original, Blancpain and Mido make up Luke’s three favourite watches of 2020 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Blancpain celebrates Chinese New Year with a limited series of 50 watches, The Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2021 Year of the Metal Ox.
Deployant
Our hands-on take of the new Blancpain Villeret Extraplate 6551 with in yellow gold case framing a green dial – a first in the Villeret collection.
Revolution
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe has had an amazing year.
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