The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[andrewgreg]



surprised blancpain doesnt get more wrist action on here.

same as breguet, doesn't got more attention here.

 

[in stitches]

while they both make some fantastic offerings, blancpain probably loses out to JLC much of the time, and breguet to ALS, PP, AP..... similar price points in general i think, though i have not checked blancpain prices in a while.

however, if i was a real collector, they would both have real representation by me.

 

[andrewgreg]

Blancpain is more expensive than. And for some model, with very similar function, blancpain can be 3k more expensive as far as i know.
JLC represent better value but I like Blancpain's design. As for quality I heard JLC is better.

For breguet, tourbillon is the best but it's $$$$$. I think breguet is better than AP. Sorry but I think most AP are ugly especially the royal oak, looks like casio.
Yes breguet lose to VC, PP, ALS. I actually german watches more than swiss.

 

[aleksandr]



I love that BP. That moonphase just hits all the right chords for me

Love the slight whimsy on the date indicator.

 

[medtech_expat]



Really? Ive spoken to a few hardcore wis and they all are aghast at the mention of Dornblueth in the same breath as Lange.

insert aghast emoticon here

Its really difficult to find a brand that exceed the finishing standards of Lange.  Whether you like the watch or their name on the dial is an entirely different matter.  Journe makes a beautiful watch very low production numbers.  However the few people I've met that owned them said they were terribly unreliable and had to undergo frequent repairs, which detracted from the ownership experience. 

I've owned and sold two Journes (chronometre souverain, octa calendrier), and both of them required a significant factory overhaul. I like the Journe design as a counterweight to the more stark dials of Lange, but can't imagine ever picking one up again.

Sorry but I think most AP are ugly especially the royal oak, looks like casio.

 

[dbln79]

Casual day...

 

[medtech_expat]



In addition there is the Patrimony Traditionnelle manual wind at 38mm which has a different case, dial, and I believe uses cal 4400.

This particular one is my favorite of the Patrimony family. Perfect size, and the subdial for seconds is a nice touch.

 

[Cylon]

I came here to say exactly what has already been said

I'm one of those people who chose JLC over BPV--buying the JLC Master Moon 39 over the Blancpain Villeret--for a number of reasons (in no particular order):

1. Case size. My wife did not like the wrist presence on the BPV at all. Said it looked like an "old man watch." I dunno how much a diff 37 to 39mm makes, but there you have it.
2. As andrewgreg said, JLC represents better value, and overall has a better reputation
3. the boldness of the stripped down minimalism on the JLC, won out over the busyness of the BPV (tho I too love the moon on the BPV)


Sidenote: I too dislike the Royal Oak, but the bracelet is beautiful. Dare I say the bracelet is more beautiful than the watch.

 

[in stitches]



Casual day...

Sup

 

[Concordia]



That was the point of my question. I like the design of the explorer dial, generally, but prefer a smaller size. That is why I was considering an Air King, which is smaller but has a similar dial. And also why I asked about finding a 36mm Explorer
Have I mentioned that I don't need another watch? I think I have.

The Rolex website shows a 36mm Air King.

 

[Keith T]

Happy Friday.

Seamaster on Zulu.

 

[Dino944]

surprised blancpain doesnt get more wrist action on here.

Blancpain makes a good quality product, but its hard to say what their niche is, they are largely overshadowed by other companies including its sister company Breguet. For years they made watches that were nice like the 2100 but it had no real impact or presence. Breguet's dress watches are known for their amazing guilloche, they invented the tourbillon, and most watch people know the Type XX. Among major companies (I mean non-independents ) Lange and Patek are largely considered to have the finest finishing, and Patek has better resale and collectability than most watches. Until about 50 years ago VC was considered the top swiss brand, they are credited with pioneering the use of uniformity of parts/machinery in watches, and have tremendous history as the oldest continuously opperating watch company. AP created the genre of luxury sports watches with the Royal Oak, and are known for using unusual matterials in their watches such as tantalum, alacrite, forged carbon, and although I don't care for the Offshores they helped bring forward the trend of larger watches. Then there is JLC, which has lower starting price point, great quality, and is considered a tremendous value. Blancpain makes a great product, but they seem to be in the background of the watch world (sort of like GP) and not really a name or brand that competes directly with Lange, PP, AP, VC, or Breguet...even if they make watches that are in in the same price range of the other brands. I've looked at BPs before, and although they make a good product, I find that there are offerings from other brands that are higher up on my "Must haves" list.

I think breguet is better than AP. Sorry but I think most AP are ugly especially the royal oak, looks like casio.

As for whether Breguet is better than AP, it would depend on what you are comparing. As a general statement, I am not sure I'd agree. As for the RO, its a very polarizing watch. People love it, or hate it. Clearly one can see where you stand. However, saying it looks like a Casio...you start to lose some credibility or you need stronger prescription glasses. If you said it resembled a GP Laureato, Rolex Oysterquartz, IWC SL Jumbo Ingenuire...I'd say yes on some level it does, although the RO was the original and the others followed borrowing various styling elements of the RO. Like it or hate it it created the luxury sports watch market which other companies including PP, VC, GP, IWC, and others have jumped into with their own offering that are similar to the RO.

 

[Fang66]



surprised blancpain doesnt get more wrist action on here.

Don't worry, there's plenty of wrist action in this thread.

 

[Dino944]

This particular one is my favorite of the Patrimony family. Perfect size, and the subdial for seconds is a nice touch.

+1

If I were buying a Patrimony it would be the Patrimony Traditionnelle manual. I prefer its case and dial to that of the Contemporaine which I find a bit bland. I am also not reall a fan of the cal 1400 used in the small Patrimony Contemporaine...but thats just a personal choice.

 

[Kai]



Sidenote: I too dislike the Royal Oak, but the bracelet is beautiful. Dare I say the bracelet is more beautiful than the watch.

I'm not a fan of the Royal Oak, but it's a beautifully executed watch.

An anecdote:

A good friend of mine is a doctor. A man gave him a top of the line Royal Oak (gold and steel) in appreciation for successfully treating his wife when she had "incurable" cancer.

My doctor friend had no idea that the watch was anything special. Until I told him the value of the watch, he had assumed that it was worth a couple hundred dollars at most and that the gold was merely gold plate.