Bittersweet Memories: BOC Flyback Chronographe

Jun 19, 2017,10:58 AM
 

Hi Guys!

After much consideration I have decided to join the Purists and share my experience; have been a long time lurker here! Whilst this post is the main driver for me joining the community, I would certainly contribute more regularly now that I have finally made the leap..

As an introduction, I am from Singapore, and my love for watches began soon after I started working. I did my research on watches, and eventually got to know the other lesser known watch brands in the industry apart from the big boys. Blancpain was by chance; I like racing and was watching some GT series where I saw this 'cool-sounding' name plastered across a Lamborghini and googled it, knowing it can't simply be white bread. On further exploration of the brand's website I found my dream watch at that time: L-Evolution Rattrapante Flyback ref 8886F; it had all the sporty detailing that sits in line with my love for cars as well. The only thing holding me back was the price, and I certainly cannot afford it at that point of time. I also wondered why on earth did the watch cost that much, a notion that I got to comprehend better on my watch journey as I handled more timepieces along the way..

Long story short, after getting primed by my dream watch, I had a long-term target in mind and worked towards it. I acquired and sold some watches along the way, each step getting me closer to my dream watch. Mid last year, I had a chance to purchase the BOC Bathyscaphe Chronographe; given it's a limited run model it had been quite some time since its release, it was quite a rare opportunity. It also sported a newly developed movement with all the bells and whistles you can expect, grey ceramic case that looks like steel, blue dial and bezel, which happens to be my favourite colour! It also had a neat looking canvas strap that was very comfortable. All in all, it was such an under-the-radar watch that ticked so many boxes; I had to give it a go, thinking it was a good chance to finally own a Blancpain for the time being.

Without further ado, please find some photos showcasing Blancpain's expertise in creating great-looking timepieces:






Beautiful sunburst dial




Flawless dial detailing and applied indices




Meticulous movement finishing






Obligatory wristshot



It was really a joy to wear, and I liked it more as the days passed. I do use the chronograph function very frequently, like when I make my espresso shots, the flyback function really helps!

One day, I was admiring the movement as usual and noticed a metallic speck on the sapphire caseback. Thinking it was on the outside, I tried wiping it but it was still there. Oh no.. I thought it was perhaps some leftover fragment from the manufacturing process, and left it for the time being. Life goes on as usual, till one day I found the reset pusher didn't return fully to its starting position. It was an intermittent phenomenon but got increasingly frequent. I flipped the watch over to have a closer look and....







Notch on reset arm not returning to the recess on the flyback spring




Focus on metal filings


Holy crap! Am I imagining things here? As I took a closer look it's apparent there's wear going on between the notch and the flyback spring that's causing the filings to develop. I do admit I use the chronograph frequently but this happening only slightly more than a month after purchase? Hoping it's a lemon I quickly dropped Blancpain HQ an email (I must say they are very quick to respond); arrangements were made to send back the watch to Switzerland. Meanwhile they offered me a brand new loan watch to wear in the interim while they analyse my watch and come up with a diagnostic report.






Loan watch! Good opportunity to experience the NATO strap; really comfortable






Sunburst effect more subtle than blue dial; both are equally attractive


Having experienced the flyback issue with my own watch, I wanted to ensure the same will not occur with the loan watch as well, hence I increased the frequency of chronograph usage. Below are the results after 3 months:






New style movement decoration, anyone?




Extreme erosion of flyback spring




'Cut -marks' visible on base of notch of reset arm where it meets the edges of flyback spring






Abundance of filings on date disc!


Damn! Meanwhile Blancpain had gotten back to me on the diagnostic report earlier but I had made no mention of my newfound discovery to them. They claimed the filings came from some other components due to a misalignment of the movement holder with the case during assembly, and showed me closeups of the screws that were slanted. (I would be happy to PM the diagnostic report to those who are interested) They apologised and gave me 2 options, to keep the loan watch (IKR!) or to opt for a movement replacement for my watch with proper assembly and QC check. I told them of the issue I'm facing with the loan watch and the cost difference between the regular version and the BOC, and they requested I return it so they can have a closer look; they refused to elaborate on the cause of the recurring issue but promised the issue would not recur if I opted for the movement replacement.

After numerous back an forth with the customer service manager and senior management, I opted for the movement replacement option, with a slight silver of hope that they will truly fix the issue..






BOC with NATO! Lovely






With the history book


As most of you would have guessed by now, that would have been the last photo of the BOC, and it is all history, a nice parting memory.. Yes, the issue of the non-returning notch resurfaced after a few weeks, but filings were minimal this time. Not sure what the technicians did, but they did not manage to fix the problem at all! Further correspondence yielded no useful responses and the matter closed with a refund. Below are the post-service photos of the movement:





Notch stuck





If you look carefully at the edges of the flyback spring where it contacts the notch, you might be able to notice black areas which appear to be signs of wear. This could be what's causing the notch to be unable to return to the recess.

Another point to note, the movements are unnumbered. So I'm actually sceptical of them really doing a movement swap, as a quick comparison between the movement shots pre and post-service shows some areas with marked similarities. Oh well..

This was not how I would have liked the matter to be resolved, but given Blancpain's refusal to admit to a design flaw in the movement and blind insistence on thorough QC before development of a new movement, it seemed unlikely that they will fix it from the ground up. Overall impression I get from Blancpain is that they are not being forthright especially after I saw my exact watch up for sale again at an AD a few weeks back! Needless to say the movement performance was subpar (no tactile feel on reset pusher resulting in partial reset of chronograph hands if insufficient force is applied) and I am truly at a loss for words.. Though some of Blancpain's other offerings occasionally do call out to me from time to time, I'm taking a break for now after all these experiences..

Fellow Purists, if you have a watch with the F385 calibre, may I urge you to have a close look at the flyback spring area and note that there are no metal filings present and that the reset pusher returns properly to the starting position, especially if you are a frequent user of the chronograph. While I am aware the F385 is based off the F185 and hence FP1185 family of movements, it makes me shudder to think that other watches using this series of movements might be susceptible to similar problems; I hope that this is just isolated to the F385 arising from a miscalculation on Blancpain's part in the manufacturing process..

On the bright side I have since acquired a watch with the Omega cal 3612 which shares some history with the FP movements, and so far it seems fine, albeit without the flyback function.

Thanks for reading, and hope this post helped in one way or another.

Cheers,

Masayuki


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Interesting situation.

 
 By: ifraher : June 19th, 2017-11:38
I really liked the Bathyscaphe at it's initial release, a very handsome chronograph but I always had a feeling it's build quality didn't justify the not insignificant asking price. I appreciate these are two out of hundreds if not thousands of watches but... 
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Yes, Zenith is a good brand

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 19th, 2017-18:16
I've had my fair share of issues with them but its more on the QC (bent hands and insufficient oiling from factory) rather than the conceptual design; after all they have been using the same movement for ages! Guess the saying of not fixing things that ar... 
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Wow, very interesting

 
 By: brandon1 : June 19th, 2017-11:53
First, welcome to the forum! Second, thank you for sharing your experiences with us, and for doing so in such an objective fashion. Your diligent and hi-res photos illustrated your point very well. I hope your next experiences are more positive and that y... 
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Thanks Brandon

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 19th, 2017-18:25
For the warm welcome and kind words; I like photography and guess that helped in this! From your profile photo I guess you are a watchmaker? Have you had experiences dealing with the FP chronograph movements and what are your thoughts in general? Sure I w... 
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My profile picture is a bit misleading

 
 By: brandon1 : June 19th, 2017-19:55
Alas, I am not a watchmaker, but I did attend a class last year and dabble with old movements in my spare time. I look forward to your posts! Cheers, Brandon
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Ahh..

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 20th, 2017-09:49
A vintage watchmaker in the making! Next time if ever I'm into vintage watches I know who to look for
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Haha don't start any time soon...

 
 By: brandon1 : June 20th, 2017-09:50
My skills have a long way to go!
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Welcome, Masayuki

 
 By: AlexSunrise : June 19th, 2017-15:34
I´m very sorry to learn about your brief ownership experience with the Bathyscaphe Chronograph. At the same time I am quite surprised (in a good way) on how the company responded in your favor during the mishaps. First, the loaner watch, and then, a full ... 
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Thanks for the welcome Alejandro

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 19th, 2017-18:38
Yes I must applaud Blancpain's after sales in general for being very responsive, and I have been dealing with a single point of contact from the Swiss side who have been the most accommodating, but it is sorely lacking when it comes to the higher manageme... 
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Thanks for such a thorough post.

 
 By: John : June 19th, 2017-16:53
I have this watch also and will be checking it quite carefully for signs of this before the warranty period ends.
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Hi John

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 19th, 2017-18:48
You're welcome, just want to be fair and alert fellow owners of this calibre to a possibility of such a problem, given Blancpain's laid back approach in tackling this issue. Please do check and let me know of any updates (touch wood) if any. Is yours the ... 
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Under 8X magnification

 
 By: John : June 20th, 2017-12:59
I have a steel version, not a BOC edition. Clearly I am not using the chronograph as much as you were, but under 8X magnification, but I am not seeing any metal particulate or unusual wear on my example. I will definitely keep an eye on it though. ...  
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Nice!

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 20th, 2017-23:09
I feel the meteor grey dial is nicer and more dynamic than the black sunburst. Good to hear its working fine for you; unfortunately I use the chrono quite frequently and this watch might not be suitable for my usage pattern.. I really hated to let go of m... 
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Toxic NATO

 
 By: John : June 21st, 2017-12:41
23mm in charcoal. For $18 (vs. $700 for OEM), it serves the purpose for me.
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Thanks Nicholas!

 
 By: STiYaKuzA : June 20th, 2017-23:14
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