Blancpain

ThomasM
[PuristS]
14331

• Show profile
• Show other posts

I guess we'll just have to disagree, then.

Hi, Jeff,

My comments had two basic aspects, and while you addressed one, your answer to the other leaves me still a bit vague about your intended meaning with your choice of words.

Thanks for your clarification on your personal experiences, context is always helpful.  In return, I offer a little of mine - I've had "regular access to" more than a few "classic era" Ferraris, Lambos, Maseratis, and in a more limited context the Aston Martins, Porsches, et al of the area. If name dropping is important, Bob Wallace and Valentino Balboni weren't personal buddies, but I've managed to share some same car space and time with them...

That said, my original reply to your post can be parsed into two issues, both centered on the definition of this phrase -

"Being entirely candid for many years Lambos... short on mechanical excellence"

With cars, and with watches, especially the high end watches category that Blancpain defines and finds iteself in, there is a HUGE world of difference between being "mechanically excellent" and delivering on (category) performance, implicit and explicit.

Does the sexy Miura or outlandishly high tech (contextual of its time, of course) Countach make promises it doesn't keep? The prices charged? The paper specs? Some would argue yes, others would argue no.  Same with the Blancpain 1735, et al.

What we use to justify the HUGE expenses and often torturous behaviour "high horology" brands inflict on consumers are intengibles - "feel" "emotion" "tradition" "mechanical excellence" even when it doesn't translates to objective performance like MTBF, measurably improved rate stability, ex factory precision in adjustment, etc etc etc

Not too different from the same "justifications" I and other "classic car aficionados" use to explain our love of classic cars.

The BMW E30 M3 is often adjudged the epitome of "M-ness" yet it can barely hold a candle to even modern economy "hot hatches"

I have the opportunity to easily jump from a 1988 M6 into a 2003 Dinanized 330 hp normally aspirated E39 540i, and a 2000 E39 M5  at nearly 400 hp (thanks to the owner!   ) 

Each feels completely different, their rubber meets the road "objective performance" obviously are very different, and in ways not obvious from the paper specs. The E24 M6, in comparison, if ONLY looking at paper specs, is almost a cruel joke, IN CONTEXT.  Yet I would find it highly questionable to someone who would question any of their "mechanical excellence."

In this modality (again, I wish you had clarified) I am left to interpret your intention with the phrase "Being entirely candid for many years Lambos... short on mechanical excellence" you are non-rigorously swinging between using the phrase to refer to

a. "measurable objective performance"

a1. "subjective performance" as represented in "professional journalist" ramblings (your quoting of Car and Driver; should I quote EVO? Classic Car? Octane? Road and Track/MotorTrend/Autoweek, etc al?)

b. some abstract concept of "engineering excellence" (which is what I am focusing on - how can anyone question the "engineering excellence" of the classic Lambo V-12, when it was introduced? or the gear box they used, IF TAKEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TIMES? Even if one were to, with 20/20 hindsight, question the wisdom of the early Miura design of sharing gearbox and engine lubrication? The fundamental idea itself is not without abstract engineering merit, just like the underlug pushers of the BP perpetual of recent vintage...)

c. quality of production, fit and finish

Without a clear understanding of the depth and breadth of your turn of phrase, alas, I'm not sure this discussion can progress meaningfully, in either

airing out SUBJECTIVE aspects of the topic (no final agreement expected or necessary)

or

triangulating into an OBJECTIVE discussion, with meaningful common ground achieved at the end, on the topic (a hoped for conclusion, for any scientific rationalist)

Subjectively, I find the modern Lambo's soullessly efficient machines; along the same lines, Seiko quartz and spring drive models, even Grand Seiko mechanicals, put most of the Swiss high horology output to shame. (yes, I just switched perspectives and attendant criteria mid-complex sentence. It IS pretty easy to do... )

Yet I continue to buy and "spread the gospel" about high end Swiss high horology output, much like you do.

hmmm...

;-)

Cheers,

TM