Ornatus-Mundi
[Zenith]
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There is a very timely article by "Nikon Guru" Ken Rockwell on the 'Leica Cult'...
in which is also muses about why Leica earned a cult following, whereas Contax, despite its qualities, failed. Love him or hate him, Rockwell often has a point, such as here. He writes:
"[...] Most of them (cults) center around a dead male prophet. If he was martyred, all the merrier.
The key to having a dead
prophet is that he is no longer available for comment. As we say here
in the West, dead men tell no tales, which helps the fundamentalists
because they all claim that their interpretation of The Prophet is the
only interpretation.
Prophets usually lived so long ago that things they experienced have little to do with life today.
In the (Leica) case of the prophet Oskar Barnack, he died in 1936, twenty years before today's Leica M system was introduced in the 1950s.
Barnack died just a few years after the first interchangeable-lens screw-mount
Leica came out, and has been dead through all subsequent development,
yet Leica cultists still parade around holding posters of Barnack
hoisted up on poles as if everything done today is in His honor.
Look
at Leica's own sales literature: Barnack is everywhere, just as fringe
organizations parade with huge posters of their martyrs as they march
through town.
This is why Contax went out of
business after the 1950s as its products became obsolete, and Leica is
still around. Even though Contax was the better camera (Ansel Adams
shot Contax in 35mm, not Leica), Contax had no prophet to pimp it to
cult status. Ditto for Canon and Nikon: no martyr, no cult. They've had
to survive on their abilities at making useful photo tools, not
religious and devotional artifacts."
More here:
kenrockwell.com
(I hope the link is ok!)
This could also be true for Ferrari versus Lamborghini. They had Enzo, but who is Ferruccio?
Best,
Magnus
This message has been edited by Magnus Bosse on 2009-05-27 03:26:13
Blancpain & Lamborghini - The Alliance Between Two Legends
Blancpain and Lamborghini. - An alliance between two legends For the first time in history, Blancpain and Lamborghini, passionate creators of mechanical fascinations and curators of excellence, have united to give rise to the world's first ever Lamborghin...
The Cars and Atmosphere
It was a warm and sunny day in New York city. Arriving at the Blancpain boutique a little past 6’O clock in the evening, one could not help but to immediately notice a crowd of people, the red carpet, and the spotlight shining on the two “beasts” parked r...
are the cars....
equipped with a blancpain watch on the dashboard? cheers ps great post- thanks
Don't think so. But wouldn't that be nice?
Like the Bentley with Breitling on the dashboard.
The Watch
With all the people congregating in the boutique, it was difficult to take photos and carefully examine the watch. Hence. I went back to the boutique the next day to take some proper photos of the Super Trofeo Flyback Chronograph. The watch comes in a lar...
Wow... stunning indeed...
i love the cars amazing looking machines and the watch looks pretty good as well, funny enough i have one on order hope i made the right choice as i havent handled it yet, thanks for the great pics and report
Thanks a lot Jon for the report.
Here is an ugly pic I took in Basel. And of Marc Hayek with Jeff Kingston: And the Tourbillon L-Evolution: Sorry for the poor quality of the pics. Fr.Xavier...
Almost good
Thanks Jon for the posting. The new chronograph looks very cool. Who would have thought? Blancpain and Lambo... Regards, MTF
Thanx for the report
Somehow i'm not that crazy about Blancpain's new releases this year, except this Super Trofeo! Although it's no small watch it felt very comfortable and didn't look large at my wrist. I was unaware of the fact they're using a Piguet column wheel chronogra...
Trofeo Chrono buckle and strap
Anyone know if the alcantara strap and buckle will fit a Fifty Fathoms? Would be great for those of us who own the FF in the DLC finish
Thanks for the coverage report Jon!
I'm sure I'm of the vast minority, but I've never liked Lambos that much. To me in terms of a watch analogy, I find Lambos to be the equivalent of a 50mm solid yellow gold watch w/ matching YG bracelet - a gaudy car that screams look at me. You cannot dre...
I think that's the point...
People who purchase and drive these cars DON'T want to dress them down, same probably goes for the all gold watch. Of course these vehicles are mechanical masterpieces. It speaks more about the individual rather than the car IMO. A perfect example is a ce...
Showmanship aside, I can understand why some people like Lamborghinis or all-gold watches
To some, they are truly beautiful. Maybe audacious designs tend to make people equate them with ostentation (and maybe some of them are tastelessly and intentionally ostentatious) , but sometimes it's these audacious efforts that make them art and inspire...
Great report Jon.........
The event was nicely done. The after party was better, I wish I could have made the after after party! Why don't you show a picture of that Rolex your talking about. I have to say that it is a very cool, in you face, J Lane style, watch! Tony
Hey, Tony, wished I could have been there to party with you! Jon, very well done.
and I agree with you about the sometimes ironic turn of events where a brand can be successful and be reviled for its very success. It's very easy to pooh pooh something because of how daring or nearly universally envied it is, for being a "show off" bran...
Hear hear Thomas,
I think this is the spirit and the mission of the Purists to disentangle the superficial marketing gibberish and the true underlying craftmanship. On this note, stay tuned for my Vertu Signature Review=) Jon (Z3)
Lambo now vs. Lambo years ago
Lamborghini is actually a brand with a very short history. Originally it was developed by a tractor company owner who got mad that Ferrari would not build him a car in the way he wanted. So....he added exotic car production his tractor assembly plant. Bei...
Exactly
Nice car, but geared towards more the aggresive styling audience. Espadas were prettty nice, though. Have always preferred the older Ferrari and Maserati (new ones look like Jaguar)
Interesting comments
Hi, Jeff, I look forward to your article. I find your comments interesting. Which high performance cars do you have extended and long term ownership experience? As you know, here on PuristSPro, we are always interested in reading the comments and opinions...
Comment on earlier Lambos
Hi Thomas: It is interesting that my comment was re-affirmed just yesterday when I received this month's issue of Car and Driver. Reviewing the simply dazzlingly excellent Lambo Gallardo LP-560-4 Spyder, they noted "Perhaps you've noticed that Audi's asce...
Whan you say you track your car, do you mean....
Hello Jeff. When you say you track your car, do you mean autoX, club racing, or DE? What kind of Porsche do you own? Curious......
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 al...
ps: Jeff, all else aside, I do have to say that I find this comment beneath you...
appealing to a passing comment from a Car and Driver about something like this - "Perhaps you've noticed that Audi's ascension to the front office at Sant'Agata has transformed the maker of the volatile '60's Miura into something dependable....Firing up t...
I am often amazed how brand names can be reinvented to
suit modern advertising and a wish to sell to Joe public. The legitmacy of brands such as AP and Patek are that they have remained as brands in a continuous form since foundation. What VW have been very good at completing is a turnaround in the brand and ...
There is a very timely article by "Nikon Guru" Ken Rockwell on the 'Leica Cult'...
in which is also muses about why Leica earned a cult following, whereas Contax, despite its qualities, failed. Love him or hate him, Rockwell often has a point, such as here. He writes: "[...] Most of them (cults) center around a dead male prophet. If he ...
Maybe in 200 years...
Hi,Magnus, Who is Ferruccio? Maybe someone in 200 years will find a picture of an Italian guy at a flea market and "rebirth" the Lamborghini company... ;-) Seriously, Magnus, Ken Rockwell?!? I'm not sure I'm following your point in this post. But then, ma...
Mmmm - really?
From http://www.blancpain.com/e/philosophy " Discover the aesthetic and technological know-how for which Blancpain has been renowned since its creation in 1735. Individuals devoted to their craft who over the centuries have refined their skills and brough...
Guess I disagree somewhat
There is indeed a divide among sports car buffs. Do great cars that have no faults become too good? Do we love sports cars when they have flaws, because the flaws make them charming? I do not subscribe to the view that flaws are a good thing. Personality ...
I find it IMMENSELY fascinating the parallels...
between cars and watches. What I find equally fascinating is the psycho-dynamic allows the self-same enthusiast to frame the common issues differently, when going from one category (cars, watches, planes, boats, etc etc etc) to another. As an incorrigible...
At least the new Lambos are more discreet!
Hi, And with Audi at the helm I guess they are reliable! Cheers Dje ps: but I'm not too fan either, having a hard time being a fan of any modern car! They are nearly just tools!
sorry I dont understand.
Hi, Jerome, Countach, okay. But what about Islero? Jarama? Espada? 350 and 400GT? The sensuous, achingly beautiful Miura? The Countach knew what it was and wasn't ashamed of it - extreme, in your face. Sorry, I'm not sure I understand the comparison. Chee...
Thanks for the report Jon
I like the sense of occasion that Lamborghini cars possess, indeed VW/Audi has done a great job with revitalising the brand. That being said I am not always a fan of some of the crowd that drives such cars, at least here in Singapore. - SJX
Thanks for the report...
I think and agree that while the watch doesn't not have anything groundbreaking, the alliance with this marquee car brand should be enough to push it out into the Lambo crowd. Good area of the consumer market to target. Thanks for the great report and gre...
the watch is a bit of a letdown too combine with lambo IMHO
the lambo is a very radical brand and the watch should have been more radical to suit it. to pick up on the analogy Ping used, the watch is more an M5 than a ferrari. Graham
The Blancpain-Lamborghini partnership is MUCH more than co-branding!
Dear All: May of you have (correctly) stated that the Super Trofeo Chronograph bears nothing truly innovative in a technical sense. However, it is an exemplary case in point for Blancpain's excellence in ultraslim watches. But let's risk look into the fut...
A grain of salt...
Magnus, I have to take that comment from Blancpain with a grain of salt. Carbon fibre (or CFRP, to be precise) is actually quite a mundane material. It is merely - simply put - very fine strands of graphite, usually in a weave, inside a polymer (plastic -...
I agree with you to a certain (large) extent...
but I would say that this unfortunately is a consequence of the modern watch market. Companies of a certain size (and I think Blancpain has that size) are forced to adopt a marketing-driven R&D. What I want to say is that I feel that they do not necessari...
Very good points, well made.
I have to remember the phrase "marketing driven R&D". You also make an excellent point concerning delivering Entertainment. I have to remind myself of that. This isn't pure engineering. I just get frustrated with the "dazzle them with technical jargon...
Interesting comment about Aluminum...
I know of more than a few other high end highly technical brands that will be releasing Al use in movements. Can you share with us more details, why Al vs Ti, forged carbon, traditional maillechoat, brass, etc? Or is this yet another "innovation flavour o...
Dear Thomas, it too early, and I do not know much...
but I know the intention of this partnership as Mr Hayek discussed with me. And I am confident that Blancpain continues its Tradition of Innovation in the sense you mentioned. Nothing is for sure or taken for granted... If I know more I'll of course let y...
Aluminium in a VC would be excellent
Hi, I've long hoped to see an aluminium cased VC, as it would also remind how daring VC could be in the past too! But aluminium for calibre parts would be even more fascinating! Cheers Dje
Aluminium
TM. My guess on the choice of materials: Aluminium: It's light. But it would need a surface treatment of some sort. Plus it's easy to machine etc. Though I wonder about the coeff of expansion. Also, it's something "new", so it provides, as you wrote, some...
well...
Well, maybe i'm a bit cynical toward this type of marketing marketing. Personally i don't care for co-branding or even more than co-branding. In the end Blancpain's goal is to make and sell watches. The more marketing bla-bla they use, the more they distr...
Well Mono, as i posted...
Well Mono, as i posted the Azimuth press release i should say that i do partially agree with you about the connection to the car market, but still think the watch stands on its own merits as a twin disc rotating system when the Urwerk is a quad disc syste...
maybe
The number of disks is indeed different, but the design has so much similarities with Urwerk's design that it can't be neglected. The marketing Azimuth used to 'distract' our attention by talking about being inspired by race cars, even made it worse in my...
Interesting and always worth waiting to see the results. However,
and generally this might be advisable, if you are going to put a chronograph together for a sports car, (and a racing series one at that), it might be worthwhile making the 'graph' part readable. Both the '9' and the 'date window' obscure the readout. And...
That detail did not escape me...
and here is what I wrote on my presentation in the "official" Blancpain Forum: "But here Blancpain stretched the design element too far: Does someone have a clue how the hours counted by the chronograph should be read? Was the designer not aware that the ...
Design wise, and in particular the case side view, its a winner. Now if Blancpain
can just stop using the 'bog-standard Piquet movements', implement the new materials in a sensible manner, and get the dial right, they might prove formidable opposition to other firms in the watch-car nexus chrono market. Given the above, I would certain...
Even more interesting... and looking forward to seeing what
marvels await. One other small request: a free-sprung movement as regulated just looks 'ugly' (IMHO)! Thanks Magnus Andrew H
Thanks for the report
I love Blancpain and Lamborghini, so your post made me happy. This watch is very nice and I appreciate many of its details. However, I don't feel a "Lambo soul" in it. Maybe this "association" Blancpain/Lambo is too young in my mind, I need to get used to...
