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Blancpain

I had exactly the same…..

 

What a coincidence… I had the exact same problem two months ago. I don't think it happens often, because back then I searched on Google and elsewhere for similar cases.
I could hardly find any—maybe just one, but it was from many years ago.

You probably know that the bezel is made of sapphire glass, not ceramic. However, on the underside there's a paint or coating that gives the bezel its black color, and it turns out that in very rare cases this can come off, creating what looks like an air bubble under the bezel.

How old is your watch?
Mine developed the issue six months after the warranty expired. I contacted Blancpain, and despite the expired warranty, they replaced the bezel free of charge.

If your watch is quite old, they probably won’t keep doing it for free, but sending them an email and asking doesn't hurt.






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19 Comments view entire thread 

Is patina on a Blancpain FF a good thing? (like with Rolex)🤔

 
By: The Swiss guy : July 8th, 2025-13:27
I noticed these spots on the bezel...it is not chipped...it is not on the bezel either ..more like underneath the surface...anyone else experienced the same or has tips what I can/should (or should not) do? Any response/advice will be truly appreciated! B...  

I would not call that patina.

 
By: EinPA : July 8th, 2025-13:38
That is a failure in the coating. I would show that to the manufacturer. No Bueno.

I don't like it either.

 
By: blau : July 8th, 2025-13:43
You know what would be patina? A zillion hairline scratches and a hundred real scratches on the case that mix with the polish to change the visible texture of the watch. THAT would look great on a Fifty Fathoms.

I had exactly the same…..

 
By: Bruno.M1 : July 8th, 2025-13:41
What a coincidence… I had the exact same problem two months ago. I don't think it happens often, because back then I searched on Google and elsewhere for similar cases. I could hardly find any—maybe just one, but it was from many years ago. You probably k...  

Lamination failure.

 
By: Uppersouth : July 8th, 2025-13:53
This was very common on the earlier models. Less so now. As the other poster suggested, send a flowery email to Blancpain and they may surprise you with a free replacement. They are quite aware of the failure point. Good luck!

I would give them all kinds of crap

 
By: EinPA : July 8th, 2025-18:40
If I they saw you were posting on this forum and I were them, I’d be sending you a replacement printing asking you to delete. It’s a bad look for the brand.

I had read years ago that this was rarely happening in the first batch(es).

 
By: agyzace : July 8th, 2025-15:24
And also on the all black DLC model. Hopefully you can get it fixed in a reasonable manner

Had this happen to my 500F after carelessly bouncing it off some steel beams

 
By: Fastwong : July 8th, 2025-22:35
Not a scratch in the sapphire but a little delamination around the periphery. I believe the bezel inserts are glued/bonded to the sapphire so it may require the entire bezel to be replaced. All thing considered, really impressed with the toughness of the ... 

Nah, it didn't really bother me, figured I would get it fixed when the watch eventually needed service

 
By: Fastwong : July 9th, 2025-23:23
But I traded it for a 45mm FF before it needed a service and the bezel on this one has been fine for years now.

Looks to me like whatever adhesive is holding the sapphire bezel to its metal base is losing its grip. I love Blancpain (especially the divers) and am dealing with a far worse failure situation.

 
By: InDebtButOnTime : July 8th, 2025-23:42
Still gathering information and trying to figure out what to do. You have at least one response here that has given me at least a small dose of optimism. Hope this works out well for you!