Tag: Blancpain

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa: A Magnificent Diver Instrument And Watch, Even If It Wasn’t The One Many Wanted

Posted on by Adam Keith
(An uncompromising dive tool and superb luxury watch in one, Blancpain’s Tech Gombessa is special and distinctive)

Blancpain has a way with their customer base. The general theme is, they do what they want under the protection of the massive Swatch Group phalanx, and the pandering of their small but passionate customer base and fans be damned. If consumer demand were the prime motivator of Blancpain’s output, we’d have seen a 41-42mm standard production Fifty Fathoms at least half a decade ago, with a plethora of cool variants in tow. Instead, the world gets a handful of tantalizing and all but perfectly attired limited editions that are nearly impossible to obtain at retail and carry significant premiums when available on the secondary market. So close…yet so far! The watches you can readily get, ones which some of us (like me) admittedly love despite it all, represent the gorgeous but sizable classic 45mm Fifty Fathoms, deemed as “the most beautiful dive watch in the world, but too big for most” and the more easily wearable, yet quirky and often misunderstood Bathyscaphe variants which run the same superb caliber in the 43mm variant and suffer from what I’ll playfully call “Excessive Negative Dial Space Syndrome” (ENDS, if you wish). The penny whistles and groans from the forums and Instagram feeds are almost audible at each new Blanpcain release, in the same instant as dreams for the perfect daily wear diver are dashed yet again. Yes, it’s amazing what you can get away with when a multi-billion dollar, family-owned luxury conglomerate has your back.

(THIS is the kind of Blancpain product that most want. Unfortunately, the painfully small limited editions make FF like these a fantasy for most)

Is this really bad, though? Blancpain makes dive watches, which aside from being exceptional examples of classic high horology in every sense, are also some of the most dedicated and purpose-driven tools for that task you will encounter–a strange and seemingly conflicting set of identities in the world of mechanical watches. No, I’m not talking simply making a watch which can go way, way deeper under water: we’ve seen that very recently. No, what I mean in this context, is a dive watch with brains, one that can measure–as a primary or backup to more modern systems–those specific durations of time that those hardcore users need most, lest they fail to return to dry land…alive. Those not sure of the veracity of that statement, need only look back to the extraordinary X Fathoms, which was–and is–possibly the most advanced and ambitious mechanical dive watch ever conceived. This year, while naturally disappointing their clients yet again, Blancpain has created another exceptional tool for modern pushers of underwater boundaries, the aptly named Fifty Fathoms Tech, which is the first dive watch specifically set up to allow for the longer dives that divers can now undertake, the sort of which Laurent Ballesta, a leader in the field of ocean exploration and photography (and happily for Blancpain–a luminary brand partner) does often with his team, as they explore and chart important marine environments, and the creatures they inhabit. Ballesta, who has been known to rely upon the above mentioned X Fathoms in timing the periods underwater in which he does his award-winning work, has now helped the brand to conceive a different Fifty Fathoms model, which–while obviously less complex than the X– is again tailored to specific needs. In a more haute horlogerie kind of way, the Tech Gombessa appeals to me for much the same reason as the Tudor Pelagos FXD–which was conceived with objectives from French naval divers–and like that watch, yet with subtle differences for needs underwater, is very much intended to be a tool for specific work, its lofty price tag notwithstanding.

(The technical demands of long-duration exploratory dives were the driving force behind the Tech Gombessa’s technical features and design)

Let’s discuss the basics, first. The watch movement inside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is dubbed 13P8…yet astute eyes will grasp quickly that the base caliber is the rugged, refined, and proven 1315 base caliber with 6-position adjustment, impressive 5-day power reserve, and free sprung balance wheel that has for some time now proven its mettle in Fifty Fathoms models such as the 5015 and its slightly less flamboyant Bathyscaphe brethren. The caliber range also has a silicon balance spring now, making these movements champions against magnetic interference. I’m hardly the first to gush over the caliber’s sturdy construction yet beautiful, tasteful decoration (the buttery anglage in particular, the kind of which can only be laid down by hand, is simply sublime) yet the Rolex-like durability and performance under pressure is what keeps this specialized engine a real one, despite luxury touches like the skeletonized 18K gold rotor and the general excellence of every small detail. To reiterate, watchmaking refinement doesn’t necessarily mean….fragility, and the 1315 has proven that the two can in fact, happily coexist. Blancpain has, in this instance, adapted this prodigy to drive a special 3-hour dive time hand, supplementary to the standard 12-hour one, which completes a single trip around the dial in appropriate time. Paired with the unique bezel calibration, we now have a straightforward and instantly legible tracking of dives of up to 3-hours duration–the kind which Laurent Ballesta and his colleagues perform with regularity in their oceanographic adventures. The conical crown at 10 o’clock controls a helium escape valve, a feature which is hyper-specific to certain extreme dive application, but isn’t entirely out of place here given the extreme duration divers that can appreciate the timing capabilities of the Tech Gombessa must endure, and the specialized gas mixtures they must breathe through the lengthy periods they move under water at significant depth. As with saturation divers, recuperation in underwater dwellings may require periods where such gasses are best vented out of the watch via a specialized valve, making it–on this watch–more than just an additional technical boast for serious use with no further qualification.

(Luxury, durability, and proven performance: the 1315 base caliber has been adapted for the 3-hour dive hand here)

The Grade 23 titanium case is large, there’s no denying that point. At 47mm, and just shy of 15mm tall, this Blancpain diver isn’t exactly for the faint wristed—and that’s where a lot of the complaining in the webisphere is coming from (“another giant Blancpain dive watch?? C’mon man!…”) Yet, the case design, reminiscent to me of early Ikepod watches that first surfaced in the 1990s, and sort of space saucer like, has an interesting aesthetic appeal all its own, much like other pieces of specialized diving gear. Besides that, when married to the curved rubber strap that plunges right off the edge of the case at integrated lug attachments, it becomes quite clear that this sea creature will indeed wrap itself very compactly to the wrist. This, in concert with the feathery weight of the titanium, gives the design a lot more utility (and adaptability to myriad wrist profiles) than might otherwise seem to be at first glance, so I’d suggest taking a closer look if the watch tickles your fancy. I feel too, that with the dedicated tool watch ethos that brought this specialized Fifty Fathoms variant to life, the large size just makes sense. While the hoots and jeers of the peanut gallery tell us that the mechanical tool watch is now nothing more than an utter anachronism, you know, “no one” uses them, and luxury dive watches should reflect market realities for the Desk Diver, Blancpain has, nevertheless, done it their way. (And really….just because you don’t, doesn’t mean some other enthusiast, somewhere, might not.) The Fifty Fathoms Tech might be nearly thirty grand, at retail price, but the heads of the stubborn little manufacturer intended it to be the best, mission-specific diver they could, all while giving us the usual Blancpain attention to finishing detail, and watchmaking quality that can only be found at the haute horlogerie level. This is apparent in every aspect of the watch, from the base movement, to the case finishing, the dial detail rendered over a base in nearly “absolute black” finish for exceptional light absorbtion, and the superbly rendered luminous bezel with its glossy sapphire cap. Some may scorn the brand for making an oddball hybrid high luxury hardcore dive tool, and insist that this is why Blancpain remains in comparative obscurity next to its peers as relative to the quality of its watches, but the contrarian in me quite profoundly admires the sassy bastards at Blancpain all the more for it. Maybe someday the magical standard-issue Fifty Fathoms in a 40-42mm size will see the light of day, but I’m honestly pleased with what Blancpain is doing now…but then again, I love the underdog Bathyscaphe and standard 45mm Fifty Fathoms plenty, so I can’t really wish for more, minus my own desire that fellow watch lovers someday find a Blancpain diver they can see donning with pride. Should that day come, I promise you…you will find the Blancpain diver on your wrist something quite special, against anything else on the market.

(A great mechanical backup for specialized divers, and a luxurious mechanical watch all in one. Classic Blancpain recipe!)

There are lots of classic looking dive watches out there, most of them homages to the Two Greats of the 1950s: the groundbreaking Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and the eternal Rolex Submariner. Being that Blancpain started the genre we now know and guard so much, I think they have earned the privilege to do as they like. The fact that brand CEO Marc Hayek is a hardcore diver, and actively plays a role in the development of watches like the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is massively cool, and in fact, if it weren’t for his role, the Fifty Fathoms line might never have seen the resurrection it had beyond the tribute model in the “Trilogy” line from the late 1990s. The modern Fifty Fathoms occupies an interesting niche, both a beautiful luxury watch, and a tool for serious use. But what I admire most about the Fifty Fathoms, is that its origin was rooted in real life use, and it has stayed true to that mission, even with the high horology credentials of Blancpain that emerged from the brand’s resurrection in the 1990s onward. The Tech Gombessa is obviously a tool first, and a luxury object next, an idea which is anathema to some, but will appeal to a select few. Will most of these watches see hard use under the waves? Doubtlessly no, but to say that no one will, is rather presumptuous, and those who will will probably find great utility in the Blancpain Tech as a backup instrument. The remaining buyers will enjoy a unique object with superior watchmaking inside it, as well as a purpose-built aesthetic. I appreciate that Blancpain continues to have a purpose-focused approach to building its dive watches, even if those watches happen to be among the most beautifully finished and constructed in the world. Indeed, quite probably the most. Who says you can’t have Beauty and Beast, all in one?

(Superlative lume! Not just a lightshow, the indications are clear and concise, in the manner of a proper instrument)

Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph Is A Stunner In New Titanium And Blue Guise

Posted on by Adam Keith
(A Patek 5070P it isn’t, but no apologies are needed. Like that legend, this is a gorgeous two-counter blue chronograph!)

Say what you will about Blancpain, but the small manufacture from the idyllic little farmhouse in Le Brassus can certainly put the color blue to fabulous work. As with the previously discussed Bathyscaphe for Bucherer, this Air Command chronograph injects resplendent, beautiful blue into what is otherwise an already very appealing chronograph both inside and out. The result is a superb high horology wristwatch with interesting mechanical capabilities and a charming vintage-inspired design enhanced by razor sharp color and contrasting textures. One could even argue, somewhat convincingly, that this Blancpain watch represents pretty solid watchmaking value for its luxury asking price in our odd times of hyper-priced luxury. But more about that shortly. Let’s discuss the glamorous, newly attired Air Command Flyback in more detail, and see what makes it a standout.

(The coveted 2019 edition of the Air Command, next to its far rarer 1950s predecessor)

Fans of Blancpain and chronographs in general will find the piece immediately familiar in form and layout. It shares the same fundamentals in size, flyback chronograph functionality, and movement form the 500-piece limited edition Air Command Flyback Ref. AC01 1130 63A, which saw introduction in 2019 and quickly sold out…now of course available on the secondary market from time to time, at well above its retail price. That watch, as an aside, represented a quite faithful reproduction of an exceedingly rare semi-prototype Blancpain pilot’s chronograph from the 1950s, but it brought to the table an impressively modern self-winding caliber produced by the Manufacture Blancpain and complete with such niceties as column wheel switching, a vertical clutch for stutter-free operation of the start stop and return sequences, and a freely sprung balance wheel in silicon. Being a flyback chronograph gave this rendition of a pilot’s watch extra gravitas and meant that, just as in days of old when such things were in fact instruments of genuine necessity, our hypothetical pilot could trigger the crisply actuated chronograph repeatedly without a stop in between, keeping measurements in moments of airborne daredevilry just a little bit easier.

(Restrained but sublime haute de gamme finishing, and uncompromising technical details throughout define the F388B movement)

The titanium blue beauty here does all the same, and is animated by the same F388B mechanism, although the massive central rotor in 18K gold is a little more spare compared to the charmingly thematic plane propeller version inside the coveted steel sibling. Rather than stainless steel, the case of this Air Command is manufactured from an extremely unusual and very high grade of titanium, which the brand has also seen fit to promote in its revised Fifty Fathoms collection. Reserved for very specific applications–surgical/dental implantation, and certain aircraft components being two of the notables–Grade 23 titanium is costlier than, and superior to, other titanium alloys in many respects, to include corrosion resistance, ductile strength and durability. It has a lovely color, and although very difficult to work due to its extremely hard properties, takes a beautiful and lasting polish. That polish is something that Blancpain has lavished with tasteful care here and there, just enough to bring out a bit of glamour, without overpowering the ethos of the fundamental pilot’s tool. The clean and elegant case frames a dial which should satisfy the cravings of the most hopeless addicts of blue dialed watches! Displaying a radial sunburst pattern, this dial will be an absolute stunner in the sun, as well as offering a lot of polychromatic depth in indoor settings. This handsome effect is contrasted well by clear and functional luminous Arabic numbers that forego any faux-aged sort of syndrome, as do the polished white gold hands. This is a spectacular canvas for the time display, yet immediately legible at any time, and beautifully presented in the classic two-counter (or bicompax, if you prefer) manner. Blancpain’s decision to keep dial text minimal is to be applauded, too, as is the choice of a sapphire capped luminous bezel that is deliciously thin and unobtrusive, yet a delight to the eye in both color and luster, to say nothing of being a lovely treat when the lights run low. True to a pilot’s watch functionality, said bezel rotates in both directions, giving you yet another timer on top of your chronograph to play with.

(The pump pushers…the cambered box profile sapphire glass..the contrasting finishes. Subtle details abound!)

The movement checks a lot of important boxes for me. First, it is an exclusive mechanism, recognizing that the Manufacture Blancpain and Frederic Piguet have been intimately cojoined for a long time now. It is beautifully finished as all modern Blancpain calibers are, with particular mention to the absolutely sumptuous anglage on the edge of every bridge, as well as the rather technical looking yet still very cool grey finished 18K gold rotor. As on the bridges of movements seen in the Fifty Fathoms line, a lack of typical Geneva stripes in favor of a grained texture is clever, and eschews the typical expectations for a “high luxury” movement, while giving up nothing in terms of visual appeal–especially in a watch with such sporting aspirations. Vertically rather than horizontally clutched for efficiency, this chronograph nonetheless has a classic column wheel to satisfy purists who demand only best in construction and resultant crisp pusher feel, and the balance wheel is both freely sprung and mounted on a bridge; these features combined with the fine adjustment Blancpain performs–a full six positions rather than a typical luxury watch standard of five–and you have a very high performance, yet sturdy and resilient, complicated movement. Adding to this menu of excellence is an uber-rapid balance frequency of 36,000 oscillations per hour, meaning that not only is the chronograph central hand possessed of scarcely bested smoothness of sweep, it provides the capability of timing precision to the nearest 1/10th of a second. With all of these points considered together, its clear you have a truly wonderful automatic chronograph movement ticking inside, carrying the high-beat allure of famous competition such as Zenith and Grand Seiko, with the superior finishing of amongst the best of the manufacture level, to include lofty competition like Audemars Piguet and even Patek Philippe, at least as far as more typical volume watches (such as the annual calendar chronographs) from that esteemed brand go. Fear not those precision-destroying magnetic fields either, as the Air Command benefits from the same amagnetic silicon hairspring technology as other esteemed Swatch Group siblings such as Omega and Breguet. Yes, the F388B is a chronograph movement which is beautiful and luxurious, yet high on real world practicality and chronometric excellence. Maybe you can have it all, after all?

(You can obtain the Air Command Flyback in red gold too, which looks stunning paired with blue!)

Topped off by a supple blue calfskin strap that spices it up with bold white stitching, Blancpain’s Air Command Flyback Chronograph in titanium is a companion redolent of class and charm, while offering some serious muscle behind the sapphire caseback. This is a world class high luxury chronograph without any doubt, and at around $18,500 (US) dollars, the price asked seems more than reasonable when compared against some of the aforementioned big competition. Yes, the retail price is well above an El Primero from Zenith, mind you, but then again, so is the finishing, and that’s a big part of the pricing where high horology is concerned. (Being a Blancpain, it’s also likely that “the number” probably isn’t the number, especially if you ask the lovely folks at the boutique nicely.) And, should you want an even more opulent presentation for this watch’s radiant blue two-counter chronograph dial, Blancpain has you covered there: a red gold variant is available which is gorgeous indeed, as colored golds and blue go together about as well as any two things ever. With the exception of a red gold rotor to match the case, and a price tag some $10,000 greater, it’s the same great timepiece.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Bucherer Blue: Stunningly Beautiful, And Capable As Ever, In A Resplendent Limited Edition

Posted on by Adam Keith

As heir to the throne of vintage Fifty Fathoms divers–the watch which actually beat the vaunted Rolex Submariner to the punch in defining what we what we now take for granted as a dive watch–the modern Ref 5015 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has earned its laurel as the archetypal modern Blancpain luxury sports watch. That being said, I absolutely adore its slightly smaller, and less celebrated familial offshoot, the more subtle (and easier to wear) 43mm Bathyscaphe. So much so, that one is on my wrist as I write this, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the full-size Bathyscaphe has earned its place as among the most comprehensively satisfying watches I’ve had the opportunity to own and enjoy in well over a decade. Probably the only meaningful nit that I can pick with it is the oddball 23mm lug spacing, but I’ll gripe more about that later, after dishing out heaping quantities of effusive praise.

(A little personal inspiration! My trusty Bathyscaphe keeping me on track, as I write about the Bucherer Blue Edition.)

A study in subtlety, might be the best way to describe it. Toolish and somewhat stark on the outside, yet beautifully refined on the inside with its 5-day automatic caliber and gradient sunburst dial that sparkles with polished white gold accents, the modern Bathyscaphe in any of its guises is a multifaceted timepiece that rewards an owner most at close inspection. At the same time, it keeps its high horology secrets discreetly concealed from the public eye, in the way that only a true Watch Idiot Savant favorite can. No wilting violet despite its savoir faire credentials, the Bathyscaphe, like its 45mm brother is ISO 6425 certified and happily pressure-tight 300 meters below the water’s surface…a depth far greater than most humans can survive at, let alone functionally utilize, its luminous hands and bezel pearl brightly shining all the while. Tool and high watchmaking jewel all in one, I adore the Bathyscaphe for its surprising versatility, refined craftsmanship, and brute capability. Many watches offer these qualities to some degree or another, but few put them together in as interesting and enjoyably cohesive–dare I say useful?–a package as this one does.

(A glorious blue sunburst dial, and even brighter luminous material: The Bathyscaphe has superb legibility, day or night.)

Still, with modern-day Blancpain being part of the Swatch Group complex of brands, there have been a plethora of additions and special variants, some with exotic cases in materials like ceramic or titanium, and others with special dial colors or lack of date display–such as the fabulous green Mokarran, a beloved favorite for fans of Blancpain and dive watches alike. The watch here is but another stunning addition to the family, and is being produced in conjunction with the prestigious European retailer Bucherer, for a run of just 188 pieces to be offered exclusively via the retailer’s boutiques. To be clear, this isn’t the first Blancpain diver to be offered in partnership with Bucherer, nor even the first Bathyscaphe: in 2018, a similarly azure variant of the technically brilliant Bathyscaphe Chronograph saw introduction, going so far as to feature a case manufactured from blue ceramic. This time, we get back to basics, and the result is no less superb–the epitome of a high luxury tool watch, with a little something extra special thrown in for good measure.

The case is familiar, at the standard 43mm, but is offered in black ceramic as have been certain iterations in the past. Due to that exotic and extraordinarily hard material, you can expect a watch that is essentially immune to scratches, but does carry the decided risk of chipping or shattering if dropped or impacted severely. That said, with a modicum of care, that should be easy to avoid. What is new, for this model, is an absolutely ravishing blue dial that is a sybaritic joy of contrasts and textures. Not only does this version show off the radiant and sublimely variant sunburst of other members of the family, it also shows off a contrastingly-grained section at the dial’s edge where the hour markers reside: to me, the effect recalls, ever so slightly, some of the classic “pie pan” type dials seen in certain vintage watches, while giving a new and even more complex dimension to the radiant light play already on display. Like many, I’m a sucker for a beautiful sunburst dial, and while a few companies do an exceptional job of producing them (Rolex would certainly come to mind here), I don’t think anyone does it any better than Blancpain, and the ample open space on this reference offers an expanse of serenity to amplify the effect. Fine details abound, as we’ve come to expect from any Blancpain watch: the distinctive block hands with their delightfully fine and elegantly curved syringe tips are made from highly polished white gold and catch the light with every turn of the wrist or shift of a light source. Yet, they–like the dial–are in no way garish or a detraction to timekeeping functionality. The luminous plots on the hands are huge and make reading the time effortless whenever you deign to look. Hit those hands with even a short exposure to a bright light source, and they all but explode with a brilliant glow that lasts well through the night. Keeping the chromatic theme consistent is a lustrous blue ceramic bezel insert, created using the innovative and high tech “Liquid Metal” amorphous metal bonding technique developed by the Swatch Group, and familiar from some of the top-range dive watches from Swatch Group sibling Omega.

(Brawn and beauty in one: Blancpain’s exclusive 1315 caliber, with a rotor exclusive to this edition)

The movement remains the richly crafted and time-proven Blancpain 1315 caliber, a caliber that has seen service in the 43mm Bathyscaphe and 45mm Fifty Fathoms for quite some years now. For those not familiar with it, this movement was developed from the ground up by Blancpain in conjunction with the firm’s movement manufacturer Frederic Piguet. It offers both the high-end finish and constructive quality and materials expected of a movement in the haute de gamme category, and the toughness and reliability of a workhorse-type tracteur, along with a very impressive 5 day power reserve courtesy of three mainspring barrels, and a freely sprung balance with magnetism-foiling silicon hairspring for superior timekeeping stability. Few movements anywhere in the industry offer such an impressive combination of luxury, innovation and durability. In my own experience, the 1315 has delivered all promised, being both extremely resilient, and very precise in terms of daily rate. It’s also beautiful to behold, with some of the richest bridge bevels you can hope to find, lovely sunburst textures on the winding wheels, and opulently large jewels set in polished countersinks on the spiral decorated bridges; if you seek out a disassembly pictorial of the caliber (such as this one from the esteemed Peter Speake-Marin) the fine finishing extends to areas of the mechanism only the watchmaker will see. In the Bucherer edition, you get another special aesthetic touch: here, the 18K gold winding rotor, showing off the same lovely bevels and textures as the base model, offers the Blancpain insignia in conjunction with that of the retailer’s, highlighted against a signature blue motif which unifies the theme of blue, and with it, the ocean conservation programs Blancpain remains actively involved in funding.

Each of the 188 Bucherer Blue Bathyscaphes will be individually numbered on the edge of the caseback. A fabric strap, slightly different than the meticulously crafted NATO type strap, or sailcloth option, that normally graces the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe completes the watch. And on that note, we return one final time to what is probably my only real complaint with both the modern Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphe collections: the full-sized watches have a 23mm lug spacing, and if you ever try to source 23mm straps…you’ll quickly realize its very much an uphill battle. Yes, one can make do with squeezing a 24mm in (which looks ok but not perfectly tailored) or deal with an unsightly, sloppy gap by going to a 22mm, but that really shouldn’t be necessary with a watch that is such an absolutely glorious “strap monster” in every other respect. I know, I know…the brand offers a few very nicely designed (and expensive) options in NATO or sailcloth, but if the 43mm Bathyscaphe had a lug width just one millimeter narrower, a whole universe of aftermarket straps would open up for owners of these watches, and make this often overlooked, but truly fabulous high-end diver, a force to be reckoned with against just about anything out there. “Blancpain, hear the collective prayers of your Fifty Fathoms faithful, please!” Be that as it may, this is still a damned fine example of Blancpain’s virtues as a house of horology, and at a suggested list USD price of around $17,000, a notable value when shopped against the most vaunted high luxury sports watches from the “Big Three”.

(Even the box is striking and different: a watertight Pelican container, complete with a fitted soft case inside)

A Grande Finale AP Royal Oak Jumbo, a Complicated Patek Philippe Table Clock, And Other Standouts Of Only Watch 2021

Posted on by Adam Keith

The annual Only Watch charity event provides a spectacular showcase for the finest–yet simultaneously most diverse–in horology each year, with independents and brands alike producing exceptional and unforgettable “Pièces Uniques” that go to auction in Monaco for the good cause of battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). There are many beauties already announced for 2021, and I wanted to illuminate just a handful of the standouts amongst many. Before I do so, I should point out that the single thing I love the most about the Only Watch event offerings, is how wonderfully wide-ranging the offered watches are, running the gamut from classic and stately, to wild and fun, with movements breathakingly complicated and refreshingly simple–it is a veritable smorgasbord of diversity from great watchmaking houses all across the spectrum in size and public visibility. To someone looking in, the event is a fabulous slideshow of just how extensive the watchmaking universe really is, and an opportunity to appreciate the most special and rare of timepieces. I wish I had the time to share them all, but I’ll hit some highlights that spoke loudest (to me)…

Pulling no punches at all, Patek Philippe floored me with their announcement of this keywound, complicated table clock! Despite the masterful in-house designed and manufactured movement with a perpetual calendar showing day, date, month, leap year, moon phase, and calendar week, as well as power reserve for the 31 day autonomy, this creation is just as notable for its rich Art Deco ornamentation and the luxurious appointments, which include hand-decorated sterling silver, gold, and select American walnut. The harmony and complexity of this piece are stunning, and suggest what we already know: this will grace one hell of a desk of power, whose owner has the means to acquire whatever his or her heart desires. Fittingly to that last point, the Only Watch 2021 desk clock was modeled after another watch lover of this description, automobile baron James Ward Packard, who was famed as an avid collector of complicated and rare Patek Philippes, and had a similar piece delivered to him in 1923. Interestingly, Packard’s great rival in Patek Philippe collecting, banker Henry Graves, Jr–who of course won the one-upmanship game going on with Packard after getting his eponymous Supercomplication in 1933–had a unique Patek Philippe table clock of his own, too. (Of course he did.) Bottom line: the historical lineage of this Patek Philippe clock is simply irresistible, and what an utterly amazing object of art, horology, and miniature architecture it is!

Going in a totally different direction towards the popular sports watch, Blancpain is offering up another tantalizing variant of its eternally gorgeous Fifty Fathoms dive watch, which I’ll admit I wish wasn’t limited to a single example.

This particular Blancpain Fifty Fathoms variant grabs your eyeballs by the proverbial collar thanks to an extensive and potent use of orange superluminova material throughout the sapphire capped luminous dive bezel, and the dial. This use of orange, which also extends to the famous and historically fascinating “No Radiations” mark at 6 o’clock, honors the color theme of this year’s Only Watch auction, and in my opinion, looks absolutely smashing on the classic Fifty Fathoms. Turning the watch over shows off a characteristically finely decorated F. Piguet 1151 movement with blackened gold winding mass much in the style of other Fifty Fathoms models, but with a special motif highlighting the Only Watch association, as well as the words “Piece Unique” on the edge of the caseback, in case you weren’t satisfied that yours will be the only one in existence.

Among more obscure artist brands, Atelier de Chronometrie announced this absolutely breathtaking watch (the modestly named AdC21) which reminds me of some of the observatory watches of the 1940s–hardly a surprise, I guess, as the young yet highly talented, artisanal brand from Barcelona has built their star on creating pieces that represent the best in the vintage wristwatch era, to the extent of even using fine, old stock calibers as base movements–which they then rework extensively.

The rose gold case of the AdC21, largely handmade in the shop, looks ravishing. It frames up the similarly golden toned sector dial, which shows off curved sword hands in rose gold, as well as a fire blued seconds hand for just that one delightfully rich pop of notable color contrast. As stylish and classic as all of this may be, the real show can be seen behind the exhibition caseback, where a slow beat, handwound movement with an indirectly driven center seconds function ticks in stately 18,000 vph fashion.

The finish and attention to detail of this movement, as in the past with earlier creations, can only be described as a labor of love. I’m not certain which vintage caliber ADC used as the base–I know they’ve used vintage handwound Omega calibers in some earlier debuts–but as always, the tiny team of watchmakers pulled out all the stops, from the chamfers on the bridges, to the finish on the flanks and tooth profiles of the wheels in the gear train. The result is clearly exceptional in every way. Only Watch or not, this kind of dedicated virtuosity makes me very interested in Atelier de Chronometrie and, their (hopefully bright) prospects for the years to come.

Bright and bold colors, a practical complication, and a refreshing sense of freedom and fun bring the Speake-Marin’s One & Two Dual Time seen just above to life. I find myself really engrossed with the contrasts and striking look of this GMT piece in everything from the three dimensional multi-layered dial with explosions of orange, yellow and red, to the skeletonized cutout showing some of the underlying mechanism. Of all the orange-themed watches I’ve seen–again, this color has been selected as the official visual theme of Only Watch 2021–this one seems to use it among the most effectively, and interestingly. While the brand is not quite as endearing to me as when Peter himself was at the helm, this is still a very impressive piece tilted towards the avant garde–definitely not one to be slid surreptitiously under a dress cuff!

And, taking us back to familiar and hallowed territory, is this sensational interpretation of what is arguably Audemars Piguet’s single most iconic single watch – the reverential Royal Oak “Jumbo”. Always coveted, now exceptionally expensive to acquire, AP’s thinnest and most fundamental Royal Oak can get any watch enthusiast practically salivating, regardless of metal and dial combination. How about this then?

Limited to a single piece for the Only Watch cause, it’s wrought from a jaw-droppingly cool combination of satin blasted titanium and polished bulk metallic glass–a material sharing characteristics of other glass formulations, but also being an alloy of palladium, one that offers a fascinating combination of strength and exceptional polishability; in this case, the small links and signature octagonal bezel of the Royal Oak both feature use of this material. The press photos are tantalizing, but I can’t wait to see live photos of it! Sadly, this materially cutting edge, yet delightfully understated interpretation will be the very last iteration of the 15202 before the historic Royal Oak Jumbo model–along with its legendary ultra-slim JLC based movement–is retired by AP in favor of more modern references of the Royal Oak, with modern AP mechanical hearts beating in them. In homage to this point, the dial features the classic hobnail pattern and the marquee and brand signature in the same orientation as the original Reference 5402 Jumbo from the 1970s. The great Jumbo will be missed, but ah, what a grande finale this one is!