Hodinkee
Introducing: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback In Green
A green dial and bezel for a tough diver's chrono.
454 articles · 3 videos found · page 12 of 16
Vallée de Joux village; home of Jaeger-LeCoultre since 1833 and Blancpain since 1992 revival.
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Blancpain thread.
37.4mm steel, box sapphire, meteor-grey sunburst dial, cal. 1150 with 100-hour reserve. Blancpain marks 70 years of the civilian diver with a faithful re-edition of the 1968 Bathyscaphe. 300 pieces, €14,850.
Blancpain shrinks its ultra-thin dress watch to 38mm and debuts a first-ever sunburst salmon dial for the Villeret line
Hodinkee
A green dial and bezel for a tough diver's chrono.
Deployant
Blancpain introduces two Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe watches - the Chronographe Flyback with a green dial, and a Day Date 1970s in a desert sand coloured dial. We had a hands-on session with the watches earlier today, and will publish our detailed findings soon. But in the meantime, here is the press release and some of our live photographs.
Revolution
Blancpain announces two Bathyscaphe watches, one particularly with the tropical green dial was a hit with the earlier Bathyscaphe Mokarran limited edition
Hodinkee
A new sandy-colored dial honoring a historic dive in one of the world's hottest places.
Significant picks and unusual objects highlight this week's round-up of vintage watches from around the web.
Deployant
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe model now comes in a version combining a blue dial and bezel with a Sedna® gold case.
Hodinkee
A tropical green diver offered in support of hammerhead sharks.
Quill & Pad
MrsG, GaryG's charming wife, is perhaps most enthusiastic about her collection of Southwestern Native American arts and jewelry, but here Gary takes a look at her interesting watches, which include excellent examples from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Alain Silberstein, Audemars Piguet, and more.
Revolution
Blancpain launches the Bathyscaphe Mokarran Limited Edition with an extraordinarily good-looking green dial, a first for the Bathyscaphe.
Deployant
Blancpain releases the new Bathyscaphe Mokarran Limited Edition: a special watch dedicated to protecting the great hammerhead shark.
Revolution
Marc Junod, Vice President of Sales at Blancpain brings Revolution through all of the maison’s 2020 novelties.
Time+Tide
The Home Delivery Watch Fair is back, with Part 2 of (pretend) Baselworld! In this episode we have Rolex predictions with Frank from Monochrome, a live schnitzel dinner with beers, and watches from a slew of brands including Rado, Blancpain, Hublot and H. Moser & Cie. Video Giveaways In each of these Home Delivery Watch … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Virtual Baselworld 2020 Part 2 is live, and we have Rolex predictions, a live schnitzel and lots and lots of watches! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A staple of Blancpain line-up since the brand was reestablished in the early 1980s, the extra-slim Villeret wristwatch is stripped to the bare essentials but classically-styled, and it’s now available in stainless steel, and also red gold. Understated and thin, the Villeret Ultraplate 6224 is an automatic three-hander with a date display, and just over 8 mm thick, hence the name – ultra plate translates as “ultra flat”. Initial thoughts Reminiscent of classic dress watches like the Patek Philippe Calatrava and the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin, the Villeret Ultraplate is a simple design that’s easy to replicate, which is why similar styles can be found in cheap as well as expensive watches. What differentiates such watches is the quality of execution, particularly in the details. The dial of the Villeret Ultraplate is unadorned, and almost plain, but the Roman numerals are solid gold appliqués affixed to the dial by hand, adding much-needed height and texture to an otherwise flat dial. The slender, open-worked leaf hands also complement the simplicity of the design. Such hands are not overly common, making them appealing. And then there’s the date. While it adds extra utility that is appreciated by some, I am not a fan. The date hampers the purity and symmetry of the dial. With a retail price of a bit over US$8,000 in steel, the Villeret Ultraplate is competitively priced for a dress watch powered by a high-end, automatic movement. Extra-thin The case is ...
Deployant
Blancpain adds 8 novelties to the Villeret Ultraplat 38mm collection. In steel or red gold case, with and without diamond bezel and alligator or bracelet.
Hodinkee
Who knew what a blue dial could do?
SJX Watches
A contemporary take on the brand’s iconic watch – itself based on a 18th century pocket watch – the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Plasma Ceramic is a sleek and modern open-worked wristwatch, now in a new, high-tech case material. Originally available in ordinary ceramic, the watch has now been given a case of “plasma ceramic”, an unusual material that’s best described as a ceramic that resembles metal. The material begins are white ceramic that’s treated with a plasma gas, essentially ionised gas created at 20,000°C. The process of plasma carburising transforms the surface layer of the white ceramic into a metal oxide, giving the ceramic a grey, metallic finish while retaining all of the desirable properties of ceramic including hardness, low density and scratch resistance. Though plasma ceramic has been a hallmark of the Swatch Group and its many brands, including Rado, Omega and Blancpain, it is being used for the first time by Jaquet Droz. The case measures 41.5 mm across and 12.48 mm high, making it a tad larger than its gold counterparts, which is typically the case for ceramic cases due to the necessities of construction in an ultra-hard, but potentially brittle, material. Unusually for ceramic that is typically mirror-polished all round, the case is finished with contrasting surfaces – the bezel and top surfaces of the lugs are brushed while the case band has a polished finish. A clear sapphire disc forms the Grande Seconde dial, wit...
Deployant
Blancpain extends the Villeret line's the Quantième Complet and the Ultraplate with stunning new midnight blue dials and in red gold cases.
Revolution
Blancpain’s first novelties kicking 2020 off are two blue dial Villeret pieces, the Ultraplate and Quantième Complete
Time+Tide
Blancpain, Rolex, Omega, DOXA … these are the watchmakers we normally associate with being the doyens of creating dive watches. However, as Seiko is keen to point out in their latest trilogy release, the Japanese firm has been deeply submerged in the art form of birthing amphibious timepieces for quite some time too – 55 … ContinuedThe post Diving through the decade – Seiko’s latest dive watches pay tribute to three classics appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
While the true beauty of mechanical timepieces is almost always on the inside, Blancpain’s métiers d’art collection makes a compelling case otherwise.
Time+Tide
Jean-Claude Biver is a horological superhero. The legendary watch entrepreneur brought Blancpain back to life, resuscitated Omega and turned Hublot into a super-brand for which LVMH paid almost half a billion dollars. As a result, he’s assembled a private watch collection that would do King Midas proud. Auction house Phillips understands the appeal, which is … ContinuedThe post Jean-Claude Biver reveals “the most beautiful watch I have ever seen” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
You have to dive deep to come up with a thrift-store find this good.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is, in the context of a fit-for-purpose dive watch, the original. Nothing like it had come before, and because of it, watches like Rolex’s ubiquitous Submariner exist – the Fifty Fathoms was the catalyst for what is arguably the most popular sub-genre of timepieces ever created. But, while recognising … ContinuedThe post Genesis, with a twist: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Black Ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
For centuries, perpetual calendars placed pushers on the case. In 2004, Blancpain change all that.
Deployant
Blancpain releases a new jewelry timepiece inspired by a cocktail watch once owned by Marilyn Monroe. Introducing the Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2020.
SJX Watches
Every year Blancpain (as well as its sister company Breguet) debuts a limited edition for Valentine’s Day. The concept is a bit kitschy – the watch is usually decked out in diamonds and hearts – but this year’s edition is a notably interesting watch. The Saint-Valentin 2020 is powered by a newly-developed form movement, the cal. 510, that is both rectangular and skeletonised. While traditionally Jaeger-LeCoultre has been the leader in form movements for ladies’ watches, most notably with the tiny cal. 101 and with other movements found in the Reverso as well as various Cartier Tanks, Blancpain has notched up a win in the segment with the cal. 510. The cal. 510 is relatively large for what is supposed to be a small movement for a ladies’ watch, measuring 12 mm wide and 25.2 mm long. But it is impressively constructed. It’s fitted with a good-sized barrel that gives it a 50-hour power reserve, which is lengthy for such a tiny movement. That is especially so considering the relatively large balance wheel that is free-sprung and equipped with hour regulating weights on its recessed rim. Additionally, the bridges are all open-worked, revealing the going train and barrel ratchet wheel. The result is also an obvious two-tone look, with the gilded wheels contrasted against the rhodium-plated bridges. And the components are finished carefully and completely, although it appears some of it is done by machine. The rest of the watch is arguably less interesting than ...
Quill & Pad
To celebrate the new Chinese Year of the Rat, some high-end watchmakers have created special editions depicting some form of the resourceful rodent. Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at eight of them.
Deployant
Blancpain releases a new Métiers d'Art Porcelaine, with a hand painted porcelain dial for the Chinese New Year of the Rat.
SJX Watches
Originally introduced in stainless steel and red gold earlier in the year, Blancpain has just unveiled the top of the line Villeret Ultraplate 6605, now in platinum with a deep blue dial in an 88-piece limited edition. Ultra plate is French for “ultra flat”, and it aptly describes the line, which includes both automatic and hand-wound models. The new Villeret Ultraplate 6605 is essentially the hand-wound, time-only version of the self-winding (plus date) Ultraplate 6223 that’s a decades-old mainstay in the Blancpain line-up. At 40mm wide and just 7.39mm high, the Ultraplate 6605 is compact on both dimensions and exceedingly elegant. It’s also slightly larger but thinner than the automatic 6223. Entirely polished, the platinum case is done in typical Blancpain style, with a thin, double-stepped bezel and slim, short lugs that allow the watch to wear smaller than expected. The deep blue dial has a simple sun-ray finish and features applied Roman numerals in white gold, along with a pair of elegant, open-worked leaf-shaped hands – a tiny detail but one that lightens the dial. Powering the watch is the hand-wound cal. 11A4B. Though a new movement, it is based on the automatic Frederic Piguet cal. 1150 introduced in 1988. The 11A4B is essentially an enlarged, hand-wind variant of the cal. 1150, with a diameter of 27.8m versus the 1150’s 26.2mm. Some of the enlargement is thanks to wider base plate and bridges, while retaining the original architecture – explain...
Deployant
A legendary pilot's watch comes back as a re-issue. Here, we bring you the details and our thoughts on the Blancpain Air Command Chronograph.
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