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.
.
Blancpain in the late 1980s and early 1990s
The resurrection of Blancpain was built on a very clear philosophy, fine timepieces with round cases, double ring bezels, white dials and extra/ultra flat movements. This found its emblematic expression in the famous six masterpieces, introduced in the late 1980‘s.
.
It is not possible to overestimate the importance of Blancpain for the revival of the mechanical fine wristwatch after the so called Quartz crisis. The whole range of Grand Complications was re-introduce in the six masterpieces, and this extraordinary capability of the brand found its peak in the most complicated wristwatch of all time, the iconic 1735.
.
At the time the standard size for a fine men’s watch was 33/34mm. It was outdated by a new standard of 36-39mm in the mid/late 1990s and 40-42mm in the early/mid 2000s. Watches got bigger and bigger since, only now we see a reverse trend with timepieces getting smaller again.
.
A rare late example for the pre-model family period
In 1993, when reference 5585 was introduced, the Blancpain catalogue did not specify model families by name like we know them today. Actually the first model families known have been Le Brassus and Specialties, which included the Fifty Fathoms Trilogy.
Prior to that the watches were listed by their name and reference number only, from 1994 onwards we saw some designs under a numerical model family, like the 2000 and 2100.
.
The combination of two key complications
Let’s now focus on reference 5585, the first Blancpain to combine the sublime 1185 chronograph caliber with a perpetual calendar module, all in a small case, measuring 34mm in diameter and 11,5mm in height.
.
See-through case backs were a non-issue at the time, so the watch has a solid case back with a brushed finish and engravings of the Blancpain signature and the individual number of the timepiece.
.
Below the solid case back we find caliber 5585, based on the famous FP 1185. The 3Hz movement contains 395 parts and offers a power reserve of 40 hours.
.
Reference 5585 features the typical white dial with applied Roman numerals and of course the Blancpain typical moon phase indication.
.
The dial diameter is the exact fit for the movement size, an element purists will appreciate. Each of the three subdials provides two indications, the thin pencil hands are a nice fit to the overall design code.
.
Appearance on the wrist
A 34mm timepiece is considered very small in our time. Still, a 34mm watch can have impressive presence, as we can see here with the 5585 on the owner’s 17cm wrist:
.
The subtle and timeless design of the Quantieme Perpetuel Chronographe also provides a very good basis to explore different strap options. This watch will go with any sort of strap, and it is a nice companion for any outfit, from casual to formal.
.
Conclusions
I think this almost 30 years old Blancpain is a great example for the beginning of the mechanical wristwatch revival. It shows some virtues that maybe went out of fashion for while but now seem to come back: it’s subtle, refined, versatile, no detail jumps out, no detail falls behind.
.
It also shows that a watch does not need to be large to create wrist presence. Furthermore this specimen tells a very interesting story with many angles, what cannot be said for every timepiece.
Reference 5585 was made in a total quantity of less than 400 pieces in all metals, of which less than 150 have been made in stainless steel. So on top of everything said before, it is a rare bird.
.
A combination of Chronograph and Perpetual Calendar is currently not in Blancpain‘s catalogue, but there’s the Quantieme Perpetuel Chronographe Flyback A Rattrapante, formerly part of the Le Brassus line, now in the Villeret collection. You can find it here on the Blancpain website.
The discontinued Leman Quantieme Perpetuel Chronographe Flyback ref 2685F can be found here in the blog.
I hope you enjoyed this Flashback essay. All photos are credit to the fellow enthusiast and owner of the 5585, whom I want to express my gratitude for allowing me to cover his 5585, and his excellent photos are doing this beautiful justice.
Cheers
Henrik