amanico
[JLC Moderator]
400297
The Bathy 50...
Is one watch I hunt for many years!
The thing here is that you have depth gauges and watches SEPARATED, and even if F.L released the depth gauge integrated in the watch, it wasn't the depth of the ( independant ) depth gauge.
Was it a sign that it wasn't a successful concept, I don't know, but we can guess so.
You certainly also know that the IWC Deep One wasn't a successful watch: There were so many issues with this watch that it costed much more money to IWC to sell it, from what some ADs said, at this moment ( 1999 / 2000 ).
I would eliminate the Panerai offer, because the Depth Gauge was electic... To focus on the two other, interesting diving watches, the JLC, and the latest Blancpain.
The JLC and the Blancpain are hunting on different grounds, even if both have something in common, a certain originality.
The JLC adds a geogaphic function, which is a very friendly complication, but it made professional divers smile.... As they also smiled when they saw an expensive and less accurate mechanical depthmeter while their electronic tools could do better for much less money.
Same thing for the Blancpain, which has a more elaborated depthmeter, maybe too much, and even more costly than the JLC.
At the end for what?
Are we obliged to ALWAYS link a mechanical watch to its utility?
If yes, this is the death of the mechanical watch as Quartz watches do better, for a big fraction of the cost of a mechanical watch.
Exit the Minute repeater, since we have eletricity, exit the Alarm watches since we have cellular phones, exit the Chronometers, since we have Quartz watches, exit the perpetual calendars, the Tourbillons, et caetera...
If not, the dream can go on, the passion, too, and we'll never cease to fall for these mechanical and technical marvels.
My guess is that here, at our virtual home, we priviledge poetry, magic, charm, amazement, dream and passion over reality.
Best,
Nicolas.
Diving watches with depth meter ...
The Bathy 50...