Blancpain is not often mentioned here on OF. I am, from time to time, searching for a vintage one. Anyone here who has a love for them and would like to show and tell?

 

Love them. Will love to add them to the collection. But nothing to show or tell.

 

FF, or something else?

 

Nothing vintage but had this tribute/anniversary one for a while.....

Very nice at I think around 40 mm, well made, and the x-71 bracelet is as accurately described as extremely comfortable.
Miss it quite a bit as I am preferring this size of watch more now

 

Other than the Fifty Fathoms, is there any other worthwhile vintage BP? They disappeared for a while with most of the assets sold off because of the quartz crisis / revolution (you choose the word you like) and were reconstituted in 1992.

 

Here are a couple. Both came from a good friend in the community, fortunately before prices went crazy. They are great desk divers and are under the radar for most people, which i like. The background history is interesting and they are certainly up there with the early SM300s and Submariners in terms of historical significance.Would love to have a 3-6-9 dial but not at today's prices.

 

I would love a vintage FF, but unless you have one that has some proof it's legit, they can be scary to get into...

 

It's funny, there is an interview with Jean-Claude Biver (hodinkee, I think?) where he actually states that Blancpain was not an expensive brand before they resurrected it. The new "reissues" are so far off from the original military issued pieces, that it's not even funny. Of course saying that on timezone/watchuseek might get you banned .
As far as others, the Air Command chrono (also military issue, I believe) has a following:
http://forum.chronomania.net/mix_en...525f5c810d0bc890a336b738b6a8bf3d#.VTJst1L3anM

 

An esteemed member here has (or at least had) a sweet AC. I have literally never seen one listed for sale in 10 years, and I have looked. Surely out of my budget today.

 

I like the older No Rad and T's, difficult to find unmolested examples and so many fakes and put together you really have to study and
depend on other collectors to sort out. I only own this one at present. Smaller and still fairly cheap compared to the larger size. m

 

This is the issue with re issues they can never be replicated like for like one hundred percent.

 

If you want the history you need the original, but you need to know your stuff have help from your friends and have the wind blowing in your direction not to mention help from the big boss way above the sky.

 

FF of course but I am open for anything good looking, interesting and vintage. When researching it - it becomes clear there are lot of fakes, put togethers, and frankens out there... There was an FF for sale over here a couple of years ago but there was some doubts around it so I passed. Now there is another one (not FF) that might be interesting...

 

I'd love the extraordinarily rare Tornek Rayville, which was basically an adapted 50f. There's one for sale in the US, but way out of my league...
http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...0038/lot-baf23c0e-433e-4c5a-9d23-a476011e7838

 

And here is James Dowling waxing lyrical on the TR-900
http://www.timezone.com/2012/07/07/the-military-divers-watch-a-revisionist-view-by-james-dowling/

 

^ it's amazing what kind of cottage industry has been created by the demand for vintage military issue watches. I'm surprised Rolex hasn't "reissued" a ceramic bezel milsub yet!

 

If that TR is legit it will go for far more than that estimate. Not even in the ballpark.

 

So agree

 

I have had this Blancpain Aqualung for 15 years already. Its one of my favorite watch that never fails to get noticed because of the "no radiation" sign.