It’s a diver’s watch, but it’s dressy.  It’s dressy, but it’s a diver’s watch.  It’s modern, but it’s vintage – and its styling is extremely clever.

Blancpain could so easily have celebrated 60 years of their Fifty Fathoms collection with something bolder and chunkier, instead the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 2013 is reminiscent of the original 1950′s Bathyscaphe models which were smaller in diameter to the Fifty Fathoms models at that time.

For a tool watch, this piece offers a quite beautiful face-on plainness which is, of course vintage inspired, but it is unusual all the same – diver’s watches, even the vintage models so often feature branding overload, with up to three lines of text, usually on the lower dial resulting in dial-shrinking clutter.

On the Bathyscaphe 2013 edition, the branding is diminutive, in keeping with the scaled down styling of all its features, except for the  hour and minute hands which are broad, stubby and highly readable and are therefore entirely fit for purpose.  In contrast, a slender seconds hand with an elongated red tip reaches right to the dial edge, it’s little lume-coated dot replicating that of the hour markers.  Set against a sunbrushed dial these are clever design details and their inclusion has produced something quite unique, marking a departure for the collection.

Not just a handsome vintage face, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 2013 adds a thoroughly modern scratch resistant “Liquidmetal” insert to its unidirectional bezel and inside the automatic Calibre 1315 features a silicon balance-spring, which brings anti corrosion, non-magnetic properties to add to the piece’s dive credentials.

The steel case measures 43mm across, but also available is a 38mm white ceramic bezel with white dial edition, destined for the brand’s ladies collection.

Think it’s a bit too … quiet?  Check out the Blancpain X Fathoms Dive watch – 55.65mm of edge to edge chunkiness here.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Even manful eyes can not fail to notice the beauty in this – the new Blancpain Retrograde Calendar watch.

When it comes to ladies watches, Blancpain are not a brand to simply “pinkify” or downsize their men’s timepieces.  Their portfolio of watches for women features a profusion of  mechanical-powered pieces, many with complications, all serious and not in the slightest bit syrupy, and like the others, the new Retrograde Calendar watch combines its loveliness with some horological expertise.

On a background of mother-of-pearl marquetry, the hours and minutes are indicated in a small subdial at 6 o’clock.  This perspective allows the retrograde date indication to gain dial domination, and rightly so, for it is an exemplary example.  At its centre, Blancpain’s genial little moon-man indicates the current phase of the moon and around him the pearly sky is set with diamonds.  At the dial edge, the “odd” days of the month arc and are indicated by a seductive serpentine hand tipped with a golden star.  A diamond-set bezel and crown would be worthy finishing touches, but there’s more – a flower-shaped rotor is visible through the sapphire caseback providing the perfect design finale.

Inside is the Blancpain Calibre 2650RL and two editions will be available, white gold or red gold each with a case size of 36mm, each presented on a white leather strap.

More Blancpain?  Dip into our extensive archives here.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Perhaps you are familiar with the Only Watch Auction, held in Monaco every two years?  – the one, which last year raised over $6 million for the AMM (Against Muscular Dystrophy).  For the same worthy cause,  Blancpain have put forward for auction a mighty and meaty Lamborghini Gallardo LP 600 GT3.  And ’tis not just any old Lambo, this is the one in which Marc Hayek (Blancpain’s CEO) won last year’s Amateur-CLass ADAC Masters  Series.

The auction, which will take place on May 12 in Monaco, will feature 90+ vehicles and over 100 Ducati motorbikes (rumour has it that there will be an ex-Stoner and an ex-Rossi model among them).

More details at Blancpain.com and at RMAuctions.com for some drool-worthy images of what’s for sale.

Popularity: 1% [?]

This is the Blancpain Villeret Squelette 8 Jours, a piece which once again showcases both the splendid Villeret Collection and also the talents of Blancpain’s Master Watchmakers.

The Villeret is an important part of the Blancpain portfolio – recognisable by its rounded trim-bezeled case, its flat face and its svelte silhouette, it slips beneath the cuff and at all times behaves like the perfect dress watch.  For this piece the designers forego the flawless guilloché dial decoration often associated with the Villeret for some meticulous openworking, not only that – what remains of the movement has been hand-engraved leaving behind an exquisite labyrinth as beautiful as it is intricate.

Such a timepiece has its creation measured in hours and days.  A trio of artistic crafts have been used – bevelling, skeleton-working and engraving.  Sapphire crystal front and back allow a look-see into the the stunning anatomy within.

Inside is Blancpain’s Manufacture Calibre 1333SQ  hand-wound movement, with its generous 192 hours of power reserve, hence the title “8 Jours”.

The simply stunning Blancpain Villeret Squelette 8 Jours features a 38mm white gold watchcase and comes presented on a black alligator leather strap.

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Popularity: 3% [?]

Due to be officially unveiled at Baselworld  2012 is the  Blancpain Villeret with Flinque Lacquered Dial.  With this piece, not only do you get the superb textured guilloché finishing with its waves and undulations, but also a neritic depth achieved by building up layer upon layer of applied blue lacquer.

The Villeret Collection is not to be fiddled with. Recognisable by it’s big flat face and barely-there bezel it is a dial which begs to be decorated, and this one with its translucent blue lacquer applied over several layers adds both freshness and beauty.

Everything about this watch is slender.  On that unambiguous dial are skinnied but shapely Roman numerals resting right at the dial-edge and elongated eye-lash slim hands.  A perfect litttle retrograde seconds display is at 6 o’clock, providing a nucleus for the on-dial guilloché work.  An erratic but elegant serpentine hand doesn’t just point to the date, it cups each day of the month seductively as it circles the dial – superb.  The svelte watchcase measures 40mm across and is constructed from white gold.

Inside is the ultra-slim Calibre 7663Q self-winding movement with three days of power reserve and a guilloché rotor viewable through the sapphire crystal caseback.  Notable is the fast date adjustment via an under-lug corrector at 5 o’clock.

The Blancpain Villeret with Flinqué Lacquered Dial comes presented on a matching alligator leather strap.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Details have just been released of the Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2012.  The Le Brassus manufacture have an excellent tradition – each year they pay tribute to the most romantic day in the calendar with a special limited edition ladies watch.

The Saint-Valentin collection is exquisite and thematic of all the amorous stuff you might expect – hearts, touches of red and sprinkles of sparkles, but what’s best about this very feminine niche in Blanpain’s portfolio is that these timepieces are not syrupy, candy-coated love tokens – they are powered by mechanical calibres, some even have complications -when we wrote about last year’s edition we stated that it had “what every girl really wants ….” this year Blancpain have done it again. The 2012 piece is be-jewelled, it is pretty, it even has a pink oscillating weight, but inside that very girly watchcase is the mechanical self-winding Calibre F185 with a very nifty flyback chronograph function.

The Saint-Valentin 2012 has 2.95 carats of stones all put to good use on the bezel, the lugs, the dial, even on the caseband.  The crown is diamond-set, the pushers have rubies and those little heart-shaped subdials on the engraved mother-of-pearl dial are playful additions.  The chronograph function is displayed by the central sweep seconds hand which features a perfect little heart-shaped counterweight.  The piece will be constructed from white gold and measures 36mm, small enough to be wearable, big enough to get noticed.

The Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2012 will be a limited edition of just 14 pieces.

Like to see last year’s Saint-Valentin edition?

……. And the one before that?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Blancpain release a new piece the Blancpain X Fathoms Dive watch described by the brand as “the most high performance diving watch ever produced”

Brilliant -  there has been so little “hyped” up press launches since the flurry of activity that is Baselworld that we presumed they had become a thing of the past.  But Blancpain have been administering manageable little doses of excitement-inducing press releases for over a week now – seek peeks, teaser videos – it’s just like old times!!  Not only that, the brand also choose to mix the exteme theme of the watch with an extreme location, the wonderfully over-the-top Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Mall in Dubai Zoo, that’s the biggest mall in the world and the biggest aquarium in the world with nibbles and press chit chat to follow over dinner with the world’s biggest fountain show at the foot of the world’s biggest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa.  Hoopla !!

So, is the watch worthy of its launch? You bet it is -  and with only a hint of Fifty Fathoms around the bezel, the “X” is an all new piece.  It is huge  – 55.65mm across, with a case constructed from titanium with satin brushed finishing, but never mind its size, the dial is what you will notice first – it is bursting with activity and indications including a mechanical depth gauge capable of measuring current and maximum depths up to 90 metres.

A combination of hands in various colours are required to make it all work: a small red-tipped hand on the inner dial displays maximum depth; the yellow-tipped hand displays current depth; a blue-tipped hand marks the first 0 to 15 metres of  dive distance using a scale on the outer dial and at 10 o’clock is a clever retrograde 5 minute counter display used to time decompression stops.  A wealth of information, all usable and still readable, a serious diver will have no problem taking a reading from this piece at a glance.

A new movement, the Blancpain Calibre 9918B was created to power the X Fathoms, a three-barrel mechanism which gives 5 days of power reserve and water resistance of 300m.

The impressive Blancpain X Fathoms comes presented on a high-tech rubber strap and with only sketchy details and specifications available thus far, expect this one to continue to grab headlines for a day or two.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Blancpain present a new piece, the exquisite Blancpain Villeret Timezone 30 Minutes Demi-Savonette.  Why?  So any globe-trotting adventurer who travels to those locations which have half-hour time variations will be able to set their wristwatch accurately.  This is a first for Blancpain, yet despite the new technology that unmistakably trim-edged Villeret case remains unchanged – one crown adjusts the date, reference time and second timezone.

The reference time is displayed at 12 o’clock, the half timezone and seconds are in the centre.  At 9 o’clock is a beautiful little day and night indicator for the reference time, with a date window at 6 o’clock which will change in line with the second timezone.  At 4 o’clock is a date change/timezone indicator.  The half-hunter 40mm case is constructed from 18 carat red gold with sapphire crystal beneath the cover.  The opaline dial features textured guilloché finishing although a pristinely clean enamel dial edition was also unveiled at BaselWorld.  Inside is the automatic 5254 DF Calibre with 72 hours of power reserve and guilloché decoration on the rotor.

The Blancpain Villeret Half Time Zone comes presented on a brown leather strap with 18 carat red gold folding clasp.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Blancpain present a preview of next year’s tribute to Saint Valentine to be unveiled at SIHH 2011 – the Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2011.  Unlike last year’s curly pear-shaped beauty, this one has what every girl really wants – diamonds, hearts and a flyback chronograph with complete calendar moonphase.

A heart-shaped ruby at 12 and a heart-tipped date indicator add the required subtle lovey-dovey symbolic touches, but inside is the self-winding Calibre 6763 movement with 100 hours of power reserve.

The Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2011

It has an exquisite white mother-of-pearl dial and it comes in a girly box but otherwise this is a refreshingly serious mechanical piece.  It measures 34mm, is constructed from stainless steel and features an exhibition caseback through which you can view a rotor engraved with three hearts.

Presented on a white alligator leather strap (careful with the makeup girls…) the Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2011 is a limited edition of 99 pieces.

The Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2011

Popularity: 4% [?]

Blancpain celebrate their signature divers watch with a unique exhibition at their boutique on the Place Vendôme, Paris and with a new watch – the Fifty Fathoms “Tribute to Fifty Fathoms”.

The Fifty Fathoms divers watch was created in the 1950′s, designed for and with the assistance of the elite French Navy divers, “Les Nagers de Combat”.  Their requirements were a sturdy, resistant, reliable and highly legible divers wristwatch thus the Fifty Fathoms was born, its bold yet functional epoxy unidirectional bezel and super-luminous chunky hands and markers were originally safety features yet they have become iconic features of the collection.  The watch was not initially meant for the commercial sector, but the new popularity of recreational deep-sea diving presented a lucrative market-place so the Fifty Fathoms destined for use on civilian wrists featured a “strike-through” version of the universal symbol for radioactivity to differentiate these models from those used by the military which used dangerous materials to achieve the readability needed for covert missions.

The Fifty Fathoms Tribute to Fifty Fathoms Watch

The Fifty Fathoms Tribute piece measures 45mm, is made from steel and has all the features loved by the “Fathomisti” – the robust hands and outsize hour markers, the unidirectional rotating bezel with the raised notches and is almost true to the original 1960′s piece from which its design takes inspiration.  The movement is the Blancpain Calibre 1315 with 120 hours power reserve and anti-magnetic shield.  Water resistance is to 300m and the piece comes presented on Blancpain’s black sail rubber lined canvas strap

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Exhibition

For those who prefer a visual history, the brand have created an exhibition of more than 60 pieces which showcases the Fifty Fathoms from its creation in 1953 to the 2010 models taking place at its Parisian boutique.  The event features pieces borrowed from collectors all over the world – real watches owned by real people, not just “museum” pieces, so expect scratches,dents and a unique overview of the collection.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Blancpain  unveil the first ten watches in the new Fifty Fathoms series – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph with Complete Calendar and Moonphases.

The brand, who for the sixth consecutive year will be partners with the Cannes International Boat and Yacht Show will make use of the superb “Vieux Port” location in Cannes to present the first releases of the new collection.

Meausuring 45mm and presented in a fetching navy blue colourway for the dial and bezel, this piece is powered by the Calibre 66BF8 self-winding movement with complete calendar, flyback chronograph and moonphase functions and has a power reserve of 40 hours.  Patented user-friendly correctors under the lugs allow the wearer to adjust the displays on demand without damaging the complex calendar mechanisms.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph with Complete Calendar and Moonphase

First created in the 1950′s, the Fifty Fathoms was not initially meant for the commercial sector – Rolex had cornered that market niche, the piece was originally designed for the elite French Navy divers, “Les Nageurs de Combat”.  With a name inspired by its water resistance capability, the Fifty Fathoms with its bold, functional epoxy bezel and super-luminous Arabic numerals and markers became a signature piece of the Blancpain collection.  Iconic status followed when Jacques Cousteau and fellow divers wore the Fifty Fathoms in the award-winning 1956 movie “Le Monde Du Silence”.

This latest piece was originally unveiled at Baselworld 2010 and not everyone liked itm it has perhaps it is the busy dial which, of course is not to everyone’s taste particularly in a diver’s watch, however with a manufacture like Blancpain often the beauty is to be found within.

The movement in this one has a few technical features other than those finger-friendly correctors.  A column-wheel chronograph in itself (often considered to be the only true chronograph) would be enough to satisfy many aficionados but this piece has the added prestige of having a vertical clutch coupling system.   Eh?……. ok,  I’m not in a hurry anywhere, here’s a brief outline of what this means to you and your watch.

In a chronograph movement without the clutch system, the chronograph hand appears to “jump” into action when the function is commanded.  This is caused by the varying random positions of the intermediate wheel and the chronograph centre wheel which pivot onto eachother at the moment when the  function is started.  The  clutch system not only eliminates this “jump start” it’s construction also dispels with the need for a delicate fine-toothed chronograph centre wheel so it  is also more durable.  Also,  in a vertical coupling clutch chronograph movement the chronograph centre wheel is driven by the running train of the watch – the clutch adds the seconds hand only when the chronograph is running – as opposed to a system without a clutch whose whole chronograph mechanism is impacted onto the running train in it’s entirety when the start button is pressed, this “extra load” can reduce amplitude.  Basically a vertical coupling clutch system ensures a smoother start/stop, uncompromised timekeeping accuracy and due to its re-designed chronograph centre wheel a more durable system – you can run the chronograph timer as  long and as often as you wish.  The development of the system dates back to the days at Blancpain when a younger but equally avant-garde Jean-Claude Biver partnered with Jacques Piguet resolved to continue to invest in and develop mechanical watch movements, when others around them were going quartz.  Their chronograph released in 1987 featured the super slim Calibre 1185 – the first modern high-end Swiss movement to use the vertical clutch coupling system. Ok -  lesson over, class dismissed.

If technical know-how is really not your thing and a plainer dial in that oh-so-mediterranean-blue is what you desire, then perhaps the delectable blue Chanel J12 Marine might just be your bunny……as we say in Ireland.

Popularity: 4% [?]