A blog entirely dedicated to Blancpain timepieces
Only six months ago I introduced my vintage Bathyscaphe MC4 to you. I purchased the watch from Wind Vintage in Florida and had sent it to the Blancpain Vintage Workshop for authentication and a subsequent service. Now that little marvel returned home and it my utmost pleasure to share the results with you.
The L‘Evolution line of Blancpain was a rather short-lived excursion of the Manufacture into a more expressive and controversial design language. Today I invite you to explore the L‘Evolution Grande Date 8 Jours reference 8850-11B34-53B, let’s look at a large variety of notable details and the overall impression of this timepiece.
A friend and fellow enthusiast had the opportunity to establish a significant pair in his collection: his new Fifty Fathoms Tribute to No Rad 5008 was accompanied by its ancestor, the Fifty Fathoms No Rad RPGA1. Let’s take a closer look at these two beauties, on get together took place in late 2021, the second one just a few days ago. In between the FF RPGA1 enjoyed a full service in the Blancpain Vintage Atelier, so we will see a very interesting before and after comparison.
Today let’s take a closer look at another great example of a 40mm Blancpain Leman from the first decade in the 21st century: the triple calendar Leman Quantieme Complet reference 2863-1130. Among other timepieces from that collection the 2863 has captured a special place in the hearts of seasoned Blancpain enthusiasts.
Since I just received my Leman Aqua Lung Grande Date back from a full service by Blancpain in like new condition I thought it would be a good time to honor this signature timepiece with a dedicated blog essay. So let’s get up close and personal with reference 2850B-1130A, made in a quantity of 2005 pieces and introduced 17 years ago.
Today let’s go back almost 30 years into the early 1990s. Just prior to the launch of various model lines with more contemporary case sizes, the Quantieme Perpetuel Chronographe 5585 was one of the last references building on the aesthetics defined by the famous six masterpieces. Courtesy of a fellow enthusiast I have the pleasure to feature this timepiece, so let’s get up close and personal with it.
During the first decade of the 2000s Blancpain issued annual special editions for the Monaco Yacht Show. Having started with various Leman and ending with 45mm Fifty Fathoms 5085F based editions, the 2203 and 2004 editions had been based on the Trilogy Air Command. Let’s take a closer look at these in two different sizes.
A designated blog post on this timepiece is long overdue: the iconic Flyback 2185F in the stainless steel version on the fabulous X-71 bracelet. Let’s get up close and personal with a timepiece that is just as beautiful today as it was more than a quarter century ago.
In 2008 Blancpain introduced a first timepiece linked to the at the time fresh affiliation with motorsports, the Speed Command. The watch was introduced in two color codes, yellow and orange. Let’s get up close with reference 5785F-11D03-63.
This watch undoubtedly marks a significant milestone in the modern evolution of Blancpain. Introduced in 1994, reference 2100 started what later became the Leman series. Let’s take a look at this timeless watch in it‘s two basic stainless steel versions with black and white dial.
Welcome to the first blog post of 2022, I hope you had a good start into the new year. To kick off 2022 in style, I had the opportunity to capture a timepiece from past collections, and what a marvel it is! Let’s take a very close look at the Leman Chronographe Flyback Quantieme Perpetuel in red gold, reference 2685F-3630-53B.
When it comes to discussing watches in blogs or fora, the segment of highly sophisticated mechanical timepieces for ladies often falls short. That’s an unfortunate fact, especially in the case of Blancpain who have an even longer tradition of mechanical watches for women than of the popular dive watches. So, let’s take a look at three beautiful examples from three decades.
Today we will take a closer look at one of Blancpain‘s signature timepieces, the 38mm Flyback Chronograph 2185F from the 1990s. Actually, we will explore it in it‘s rare titanium version 2185F-1230A-55B.
For now 21 years Blancpain has celebrated each Valentine’s Day with a special thematic timepiece. Let’s take a look at the brand new Blancpain Saint-Valentin and its predecessors since 2001.
Continue reading “A romantic tradition: the Saint-Valentin timepieces” →
A little more than 15 years ago Blancpain introduced an utterly beautiful timepiece in the Villeret line: the Villeret Chronographe Monopoussoir reference 6185-1546-55 with its beautiful Havana dial. Now that we get closer with it, you will see the many shades of this dial, depending strongly on the light conditions (direct/indirect daylight, direct sun /shade, artificial LED light) to provide the best possible idea of this timepiece.
This marvel is now with me for 20 years, so its about time to devote a full blog post to it: my 2100 Moon Phase Calendar Half Hunter aka Quantieme Phases de Lune Demi-Savonette, reference 3563-3618.
Let me try to provide a comprehensive overview on what has been undoubtedly one of the most important watch families made by Blancpain, the Leman series. The overview is split in three parts, we start with the first collection introduced in the mid 1990s under the name 2100 and characterized by a variety of 38mm timepieces.
In 2003 Blancpain celebrated the 50th anniversary of an horological icon, the Fifty Fathoms and therefore the first professional diving watch introduced 1953.
To commemorate this significant milestone Blancpain released the Fifty Fathoms 50th Anniversary reference 2200A-1130-71 in a limited run of 150 pieces, split into three series with 50 watches each for Asia, Europe and North America.
Continue reading “Flashback: the 2003 Fifty Fathoms 50th Anniversary” →
Launched in 1996 and discontinued in 2003, the Blancpain Trilogy series was the first attempt by the Manufacture since it’s resurrection to revitalize the strong heritage from the 1950s that was initiated by the first professional diving watch Fifty Fathoms and the very rare chronograph Air Command.
I remember vividly my excitement when I saw the first ever Blancpain Leman watch with the new case diameter of 40mm in a catalogue 2004: the Flyback Split Second reference 2086. The watch immediately resonated with me, and for a few years to come I was not even aware of this special and extremely limited version of the Flyback Split Second, called A’Toute Vitesse.
Continue reading “Flashback: Leman Flyback Split Second A’Toute Vitesse from 2005” →
An example of the original Fifty Fathoms divers watch manufactured in the early 1950’s.
(This watch was restored & photographed at Blancpain in their restoration workshop.)
Continue reading “Deconstruction Vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms by The Naked Watchmaker” →
The Rolls watch history is linked with Blancpain and the development of the automatic wristwatches. In the 1920s, Frédéric-Emile Blancpain met the British watchmaker, John Harwood, who had been working on the concept of automatic winding in wristwatches. The two worked together and used a Blancpain base movement to develop a circular automatic wristwatch in 1926. – In 1931 F.-E.Blancpain collaborated with the French watchmaker Léon Hatot, with another form of automatic winding system. Placing the movement inside a carriage allowing it to slide back and forth, winding up the mainspring. The size of the calibre meant that a small ladie’s rectangular watch could be made, which had not been available before. The name of the watch Rolls may have been influenced by the way in which the automatic functions. It has also been suggested that F.-E. Blancpain selected the name in connection with the Rolls Royce brand.
Continue reading “Deconstruction Rolls by The Naked Watchmaker” →
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