Horological Meandering

Hi,

I had identified the Blancpain Leman Grande Date on a 71 type bracelet as a great candidate to add to my collection. Well after speaking with my BP AD he informed me that BP no longer makes the 71 bracelet for the Leman line. He was as surprised as me (they are revamping the whole line apparently). Buying that watch on either a rubber or leather band was not what I had in mind (particularly after seeing how nice the bracelet was). This has made me reconsider and revisit my search. Hence I am back again to the Watchprosite help desk...

Here is my current collection(see below):

Here are 4 watches to some degree or another meet all or most of my search criteria. I was trying to add a new brand if possible, have a black dial and have it fall between the IWC and GO in terms of more formal than the IWC and more sporty than the GO. I have decided that lume is a must, so all of these have it. The GMT aspect is actually a nice to have. It just happens that the Chopard, JLC and UN all had it, but I was really looking at the other features (see the table above). The Chopard and the JLC seem more towards the sporty side and the UN and the BP towards the dressy side.

What do you think of these four watches in general comparatively and in terms how how they fit into my goal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

Bob

P.S.

Other watches considered were:

- AP Royal Oak,
- Breguet Marine Large Date,
- GO Senator Zeiger Datum,
- Grand Seiko High Beat,
- Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Co-axial,
- Rolex Datejust and GMT Master II,
- VC Overseas Auto.

No message body

I have one (going to be sold) and hardly ever use the functions...

Thanks

...the JLC and UN best.  I've considered the JLC myself, and have gone into the boutique and AD to handle the watch a few times.  Ultimately, I decided I didn't want a GMT at this time, but I do think the JLC is a very handsome watch.  The UN is a beauty as well, and I like the home time and big date displays.

Cheers,
Daos

go for a BP FF you won't regret it. I think that it is a great sport dress kind of watch.

Best regards,

George

Thank you for the suggestion, but the FF is while subdued in its decoration is both a diver (like the IWC) and an extremely large watch (45 x 15.5 mm). If it was available in a smaller size, I would have owned it years ago.  It is a beautiful piece.

I am looking for a piece <42 mm and <13 mm in thickness. Aside from its water resistance, I would put the FF in the same sport genre of a Rolex Sub or GMT in its aesthetic.  I think a non-decorated bezel may be in order.

Thanks Much

Bob

through a Blancpain Boutique for my Aqua Lung last year. If you have a Boutique nearby, it costs nothing to try. My Aqual Lung is a wonderful watch; very confortable, accurate and readable.

I would also have a close look at Rolex GMT Master II. It is really a well made watch, good gmt function and very accurate.

Finally, the "old" Aqua Lung was a "limited esition" of 2005 watches. I am not  very surprised if a new version with a nice BP movement will be presented in Baselword next week.

Best, Kari

Kari,

I suspect that you are right regarding BP and Baselworld, but I feel that it may take longer to see the full size of the changes planned at BP.

Regarding the Rolex, is it really less "sporty" than the IWC?  Yes it is smaller in diameter (40 mm) which helps; but I am beginning to think that watches with decorated rotating bezels (like the Chopard as well) on a bracelet are going to trend into a similar camp. The other watches in the image below, I feel fit the gap a bit better. 

The BP has everything going for it aside from the bracelet.  With a bracelet it leans toward "sporty".  On a strap, it is less sporty.  Since that is now the only way it comes I need to think what that means. Since I do not like rubber bracelets, it cannot be worn in water which is a shame for a 100 m watch. 

The JLC albeit a duplication of a brand that I own seems to have a somewhat dressy bracelet and while the dial is quite sporty, without a decorated bezel leans "sporty" but to a lesser extent to my eye.

The UN is a new brand and definitely leans towards the dresser side of the casual watch spectrum to my eye.

Bob

So, Chopard is out (too sporty) and that leaves these three...

Blancpain:
+ New brand
+ Novel F. Piguet calibre
+ Display back
- Rubber strap w/ deployant

Jaeger-LeCoultre:
- Does not add new brand
+ Novel JLC calibre
- No display back
+ Adds a GMT function

Ulysse Nardin:
+ New brand
- Movement base similar to IWC(2892-A2)
+ Display back
+ Adds a GMT function

very systematic...and project management....flow charts and insertion tables!!

i think the Aqua Lung will prob be your best bet, and substantially different from existing collection.

all the best,

Horo

 

Here are some larger images.  I threw a Rolex Datejust in for fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

still BP Aqua Lung

The SBGE001 has bracelet, lume, sporty-dressy, adds GMT function, power reserve.

I have had a BP Aqua Lung for 5 years and despite its name, it doesn't feel like a watch you want to swim in, even on a bracelet.
The delicate case, the display back, etc just don't inspire me to consider it a rugged watch. It feels fragile to me.
Don't get me wrong, I like it - but not as a dual-purpose watch.

Good luck on the quest

Cazalea

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2011-03-20 09:41:05

Hi,

I have definitely considered that GS model.  It is indeed a beauty, but it is large at 43.5 mm x 14.7 mm. This is about the size of my IWC.  Perhaps I need to rethink my size constraint since so many manufacturers went large.

Bob

without being a Rolex, it's got a real nice hefty feel, has an automatic movement, and is around 39-40mm (but no lume).
It's the only model of a watch that I bought new, owned, sold, and bought another new one.

I like it with black leather strap

Ken

.. looks very nice with red coat!

Ken