Good evening gentlemen.
I fancy adding one to the collection, as there's no sign of my Daytona or Seadweller arriving in the near future. So for you lucky owners of one, what are your thoughts? I remember trying one on in Dubai airport 4 years ago, but wasn't enamoured, but there again it was stupid o'clock in the morning & the sales staff surrounded me like sharks. What's it like with the sailcloth strap, or is the bracelet a better option?
Thanks
Adam
Hi Adam,
It's a magnificent watch and one of my favorites. I have the chronograph version which is not everyones cup of tea though but I prefer it. Sailcloth strap is so comfortable but the bracelet is spectacular if you can justify the very expensive extra cost. Simply stunning watch imo
2017-06-06 11.16.25 by ataripower, on Flickr
Superlative. I managed eventually to get my bracelet to fit with the two half links. Works well on sale cloth too.
But if a Daytona or Seadweller is what you really want, why not hold out for one. Much more satisfying, even if you have to wait a little.
Been desperate to love the FF, but the bezel, albeit incredible, kills it for me as I just see a shiny car tyre.
If you have smaller wrists then you should try one first. It’s true they wear smaller than a 45 suggests but I felt in my 6.75 wrist it was too much. Try to track down the 40mm ones if you are like me and then they are awesome.
Agree Bout trying one on. You won’t regret trying one in person:
Originally Posted by ataripower
Hi Adam,
It's a magnificent watch and one of my favorites. I have the chronograph version which is not everyones cup of tea though but I prefer it. Sailcloth strap is so comfortable but the bracelet is spectacular if you can justify the very expensive extra cost. Simply stunning watch imo
Pure class 🔝🔝🔝
It is a great watch if you can carry the 45mm off ok. Just don't buy it at retail price though.
One of my favourite watches, they do occasionally pop up on sales corner at reasonable money. Be patient one will turn up. I prefer the model with the display back.
Good luck.
Cannot comment on the Daytona but my ff blows the sd43 away, it is a stunner. I have mine on sailcloth which I think is the essence of the watch. Very comfortable to wear and amazing dial.
It wears smaller than the 45mm would suggest, feels more like 42 or even 40. But as others have said try one on for size. Bet you love it.
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I've been very near the top of the waiting list for both for 18 months, I know they've had a few in, but the owner vets the list rather than the manager & has syphoned a few off for "Mates." So Lord knows when I'll get mine.
This is exactly what I’ve been thinking for a while. It’s clearly a decent piece of kit - but I can’t see anything but the car tyre bezel when I look at it...
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Guess you love it or loathe it.
The bezel is one of the highlights for me!
M
Last edited by snowman; 29th November 2017 at 13:09.
I just don't like the look of them - great brand, great history, great quality but not for me. Guess what makes this hobby fun though!
If you like the look i can recommend the Classic FF or the newer FF Bathyscaphe. I had the classic one and switched now to the Bathyscaphe as i like the more modern look of it.
The Sailcloth wears very comfortable and with the rubber inner part it also has a great durability.
I love the FFs (any version) more than any standard Rolex. The FF Bathyscaphe for examples is antimagnetic even with see through caseback, has a 120h power reserve, silicon hairspring, liquid metal bezel (ceramic with "melted in" metal numbers), black gold rotor
Classic FF
Bathyscaphe
Looks like a trip to Owen & Robinson on Saturday, then!
No personal ownership experience but having seen and handled both I have to say I’d kill for a classic FF. A fabulous watch.
On the other hand the Bathyscape leaves me totally unmoved...
Simon
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Last edited by mycroft; 29th November 2017 at 21:33.
I really want to see one in the flesh as I feel Im missing something looking at the pics. To my eye its too bubble shaped.
Last time I looked in the window they only had the larger 500 fathoms and lots of bathyscaphe. So give them a call, if it is a trek for you. If I head past on Friday, when I am next in Leeds, I will post an update.
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Apart from the Limited edition milspec, which are the 40mm ones?
Apart from the Milspec the only other classic styled Fifty Fathoms that was 40mm was the 2003 ,50th anniversary edition, of which there was only .....wait for it .....only 50 made, one of our long standing continental members here has one .
There are other 40mm varieties though in the Air Command series , when I was in the Boutique in Bond Street recently they even had a NOS Air Command in the window for sale .
I haven't owned a new Daytona , so I cannot comment on that with any personal experience, but I love the Fifty Fathoms at 45mm, and I suspect it's a less common watch than the Rolex . As has been said, go and try one on as they wear smaller than you'd expect given the dimensions that are listed. This is partly due to the case which is shaped like an upside down hamburger and partly due to the short lug to lug size which means the strap easily comforms to the smaller wrist . With a bracelet on ,the watch does become a larger watch as the end links of the bracelet expand the case size across the wrist .
For me the sailcloth strap is the best way to go with the Fifty Fathoms , it's waterproof, it's comfortable and very robust too. The Bracelet is also beautifully made, but some find the tapper from 23mm to only 20mm harder to live with than the strap, due to the bracelet being solid and having no "give " like the strap does . I would also say that the deployant clasp that is available for the sailcloth strap is very comfortable and well designed, its low profile, and sits very well on the wrist, it has double trigger push buttons and is beautifully finished. Only downside is the strap is screwed to the strap both sides so it's difficult to adjust the strap to a different size hole without a screw driver . Of course you don't get this with the standard pin buckle on the sailcloth and the deployant isn't cheap at 800 quid .
The watch itself though is beautifully made, it's a very tactile watch, lovely feel of quality from the polished case, to the screw in spring bars. The crystal and bezel are a work of art, the doomed sapphire on both give the watch a sort of vintage look on a modern watch. The 120 hr power reserve is an attraction to me and manually winding the Frederique Piquet in house movement you can't help but melt into the buttery magic of the feel .
Early watches do have a issue with bezel springs that can break, but generally that's about it , some don't like the "Blancpain" engraving in the case side, but to me this is much like the Cyclops on a Rolex, it's a sort of signature for the brand .
Early watches ( up to about 2011/2012 ) came in a wooden presentation box, with a leatherette inner that does have a habit of peeling much like the Older Red Leatherette Omega Boxes do , but after 2012 they came in the standard floating Pelican Case with the inner travel box.
I have had a handful of the fifty fathoms variants at 45mm and I love the size on my 7.25inch (18.5cm) wrist. The standard FF is 15.5cms thick and my thickest is my Quantieme complete Calender at 17.5cms . For me neither of these is an issue, but I rarely wear a shirt and tie, but when I do the standard FF works fine. I recently owned a Gold FF's which was gorgeous, but I needed funds for something else ,so it went, but that was worn to a wedding and worked well with my suit . I would say a Daytona would be a little more dressy than a standard Fifty Fathoms, but the lack of date always has an influence on my choices .
If your looking at a Daytona then maybe you could consider the FF Chrono or the Quantieme Annual Calender , if of course your happy with the case size of the FF's family .
Last edited by BryanEbru1512; 30th November 2017 at 11:35.
These watches do look much better in person. I like the lumed bezel (why don't more diver watches do this??), but the 'Blancpain' across the side is a bit too 'in yer face' for me.
I have to disagree about the in your face comment. The case design means the bezel overhangs the side of the case and when on your wrist ( left handed wearers anyway ) the "Blancpain " isn't really visible unless you look for it .
The bezel though is gorgeous with the lumed markers , in fact the whole watch has lume that most can't compete with, it shines through the night and is still visible clearly in the morning . The doomed sapphire on both the bezel and the crystal give a vintage look as the light plays with the sapphire , it's also very tactile , far nicer than a flat surface you get on a ceramic bezel and flat crystal .
To me it is one of those "once you see it" kind of things. Very much like the rolexrolexrolexrolex, or the special edition seamasters with it engraved on the side. Once I've seen it, well that's a watch I won't be considering any more.
I know what you mean, but unlike the Rolex rehault which you see as you look at the watch, the " Blancpain" isn't seen. Take a look at the images posted above , and apart from the side views I posted, you can't really see the " Blancpain". Just my opinion .
Last edited by BryanEbru1512; 30th November 2017 at 16:38.
I love the Blancpain on the side of the case and when I used to wear one, I didn’t see enough of it as it is out of normal view - so definitely not something that is ostentatious
It’s funny... I always forget the branding is there until someone mentions it in a thread. How can anyone notice it when the watch is on the wrist? I certainly don’t.
Same here.
Because the majority of the time my watches are side on to my line of vision. That branding would be as noticable to me as the HEV on a SD.
100% agreement on the 'overhang' - even though mine doesn't have a bezel, the branding is barely (rarely) visible unless off the wrist.
I agree I have never really ever noticed the Blancpain on the side of the watch when I have been wearing mine! Great watch, relatively discreet but if people do notice it then they often do give positive comments.
I have the Dark Knight edition which I know is not for everyone but it is a beautifully made watch, which is very comfortable to wear.
Here is the picture of mine which I obviously didn’t take as I am a terrible photographer! I bought mine from Tony Learningtofly who clearly has better skills than me and I stole his pic when I bought it! Hope he doesn’t mind!
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150, in total – 3 batches of 50 each for USA, Europe, and Asia.
Yes that's right, I'd forgotten that they that, well remembered .
I bet they didn't pay for them.....nice bit of PR for Blancpain.
I thought it was just because those divers were French... BBC divers would've wore CWC!
Instead of a substitute, I'd hold out for the Sea-Dweller or Daytona if that's what you really want.
That's very nice, first Chrono I have seen, to be honest I did not know they made one.Hi Adam,
It's a magnificent watch and one of my favorites. I have the chronograph version which is not everyones cup of tea though but I prefer it. Sailcloth strap is so comfortable but the bracelet is spectacular if you can justify the very expensive extra cost. Simply stunning watch imo
Bp do a lot of work with these types of dives, it is in their dna being the inventor of the dive watch after all.
There is an event on in a week at the natural history museum where one of those divers from blue planet will be present to give a talk.... along with fine food and champagne of course.
This
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Thanks, I believe there aren't that many out there so not surprised you haven't seen one. It's uniqueness is one of the many reasons I like it :-)
Great watches, and this model probobly sells less than the standard Fifty Fathoms, for a number of reasons. Although this watch also houses a fabulous Frederique Piquet movement, it's a different movement to the standard Fifty Fathoms . Its doesn't have the 120 hour power reserve , nor does it have movement hacking capabilities the standard watch does, it's a little thicker than the standard model too which will put some off as the extra thickness does make a small difference if you have a smaller wrist . The flyback chrono is a work of art however , it's crisp to start stop and flyback or reset and it's a column wheel chrono so you can leave the centre second hand running on the chrono , if like me you like centre seconds rather than on a sub dial ,and without any issue to the movement, i.e. It doesn't affect the amplitude of the watch for time keeping and only affects the 42hour power reserve minimally. The chrono pushers aren't screw down like they look, which confuses a few people and though I've never tried it according to Blancpain's bumph they can be operated submerged ! The sub dial hands are also lumed , pretty when night time viewing , but does busy the dial at night .
Wish they made a no-date version.
Id wait for the seadweller.
The BP is well engineered and beautiful.
But I found it too much when wearing. It was too shiny shiny and round and shiny shiny. Was like wearing a bauble rather than a watch.
I have a SD 16600 & a PAM 176, so I can carry the size off. I think. I won't know until trying one on. Someone said the SD126600 left him cold, so that has the alarm bells ringing for me. Plus I've never owned a Blancpain before.
Excellent summary!
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It's not the size. The bp wears smaller than it's dimensions suggest.
I've had many sd's, ff, bathyscaphe, pams. The 126600 is the one that's staying. The bp lasted a week.
Go for it if you like it of course but it didn't work for me :)
I would echo this but also advise to give whatever you get some time to get a feel for it. I was initially meh about the 126600 but it has very much grown on me and I now like it very much.
Still prefer the ff however.
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It is a stunning watch and as others have said doesn't wear big. To me there was an element of fragility about it. I was terrified of banging the sapphire insert and it breaking. I had read stories of it happening on other forums. There were also stories circulating of the spring in the bezel snapping and both of these incidents would lead to expensive repairs.
I'm sure the watch is perfectly robust, but the above just kept eating away at me and in the end I moved it on. I think the spring thing was older watches and has now been rectified so wouldn't be an issue if buying new.
That’s funny my view of the FF is completely different. I’ve given the sapphire insert some hefty knocks and it’s still unmarked.
It’s my favourite watch and I wear it during the week, every week.
A gratuitous wrist shot
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