Blancpain Bathyscaphe... 38 or 43mm?? Need your help
Hey folks, I need the collective wisdom of the WC crowd to help me decide on a sizing of a watch.
Some context first - Due to the Baltic boiz post and the Baltic love fest in general, I started checking them out. Loved the aquascaphe's blue dial, the sunray pattern, the overall quite clean, vintage, and sophisticated look for a diver. Not super 'tool-y', which is good because I'm not massively into very rugged, massive divers. Although I love diving, my future dive watch will get no dive time.
I then went down my usual rabbit hole of research...first stop, Blancpain because it's the clear inspiration for the aquascaphe and some may say very similar, especially to the fifty fathoms. I think the fifty fathoms is way too big for me, although the ocean commitment limited editions are EXACTLY what I want (40mm and the cleaner fifty fathoms dial), alas it's limited and WAY too expensive for what it is $25k MSRP and $35k grey?!?! Blancpain is nuts.
So, my poll is do you think the 38mm is too small for my wrist?
Should a diver be big and bold and therefore the 43mm is the one? I'm too much in the weeds right now and the 43mm looks good, but I'm at my limit L2L at nearly 50mm. After wearing the 43mm, now the 38mm looks puny. Need some objectivity.
I'm always open minded about watches, so a third poll option is, what other blue divers am I missing?? I thought about the new omega seamaster, will try on, but less "luxury diver" in style. I went down another rabbit hole of vintage seamasters from the early 60s and this version with the arrow minute hand is my favorite (yes, it's not blue but beggars can't be choosers).
No to Tudor or Rolex sub bc meh, a bit captain boring for me, and I want something different. Unless, I go vintage sub, which is a rabbit hole I haven't yet gone down. However, don't really wanna feed the hype train.
Thanks for reaching the bottom and appreciate your opinions!
Avid watch wearer, not collector. Like my children, I love all of my watches equally, but I love my Lange the best.
Get the triple calendar version tho
Oh, dude, the 43mm comes on a strap. It's all good. It'll fit, it's big and bold, and it's clearly the one you want!
Blancpain is meant to be big. It’s known to be big. Get the 43mm.
I love when I find aomeone who has similar taste here, so I can use their radar to find watches that I know I'll like and chat about them.
Appreciate the rec, I'm definitely checking out the new 300. I googled the certina and I want a cleaner dial this time. Usually I like busy watches, but I was drawn into this dover obsession by the Baltic and it's blue dial and the blancpain has a similar feel.
Oh, dude, the 43mm comes on a strap. It's all good. It'll fit, it's big and bold, and it's clearly the one you want!
Was it that obvious? I get my bias/preference already came out in the way I wrote this up. I'm gonna go in cold today again and try on the 38mm first this time and see how I feel.
Get the triple calendar version tho
This or this?
I guess first one (annual calendar) since you said triple. Interesting layout of the calendar windows, weird to see it that way but I think it works. Still allows the dial to be the star, which is important, but doesn't come in non rose gold/blue dial variant. Also, I'm starting to have too many watches and would rather not have to reset the calendar each time if I get to this watch! 🤣 Pure laziness here.
It's all a bit academic because this watch is 28k!?! Wow, that's a lot of cash although I know the finishing is very good, gold rotor, etc. At that price, I'd rather get a Moser streamliner or Czapek Antarctique and have money left over though not like for like. It's also the same price as a VC Fifty Six AC. This is what I call scope creep. I started with a Baltic and now I'm at blancpain! This always happens.
Thanks for your input dude!
This or this?
I guess first one (annual calendar) since you said triple. Interesting layout of the calendar windows, weird to see it that way but I think it works. Still allows the dial to be the star, which is important, but doesn't come in non rose gold/blue dial variant. Also, I'm starting to have too many watches and would rather not have to reset the calendar each time if I get to this watch! 🤣 Pure laziness here.
It's all a bit academic because this watch is 28k!?! Wow, that's a lot of cash although I know the finishing is very good, gold rotor, etc. At that price, I'd rather get a Moser streamliner or Czapek Antarctique and have money left over though not like for like. It's also the same price as a VC Fifty Six AC. This is what I call scope creep. I started with a Baltic and now I'm at blancpain! This always happens.
Thanks for your input dude!
I’ve seen the second one you have pictured on chrono for $10K or thereabouts. At that price I think it’s a really cool piece though I agree not having it be an annual calendar is super annoying. At $30K I agree doesn’t make any sense.
But if I were going to get a fifty fathoms, which I’ve definitely thought about, it would be this one. I actually like the 38mm white dial bathyscaphe as well for a fun summer watch, but probably not enough to actually buy it.
Whichever way you go though FF is such a nice piece, can’t go wrong.
I’ve seen the second one you have pictured on chrono for $10K or thereabouts. At that price I think it’s a really cool piece though I agree not having it be an annual calendar is super annoying. At $30K I agree doesn’t make any sense.
But if I were going to get a fifty fathoms, which I’ve definitely thought about, it would be this one. I actually like the 38mm white dial bathyscaphe as well for a fun summer watch, but probably not enough to actually buy it.
Whichever way you go though FF is such a nice piece, can’t go wrong.
Yeah, I probably will go grey for blancpain IF I go for it bc the price differential is huge!
Yeah, I probably will go grey for blancpain IF I go for it bc the price differential is huge!
Yeah looks like $20K on their website which makes more sense as a price for this kind of watch but at that price I’d want an annual calendar tbh. And even then this watch wouldn’t make my shortlist for $20K watches as you are alluding to.
I haven’t yet seen one on the bracelet though grey market which is what I would want to get
My seamaster 300 heritage says hi 👍🏻
My seamaster 300 heritage says hi 👍🏻
This definitely on my list. Very close to the vintage one and has that arrow hand that I love.
This definitely on my list. Very close to the vintage one and has that arrow hand that I love.
Can consider the 70th year anniversary blue dial, though the bezel markers are not lumed.