Horological Meandering

and had one in each hand, Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which would you choose, and why?

Try it you will get it

Sub... for sure...

... it‘s heritage is unparalleled, the current FF is offering a plentiful of refined details, the risk of meeting someone with the same watch is by far lower. I think it’s fair to say that it is a different class than a Submariner, which is no doubt a nic... 

Beauty, materials, movement, integrated concept (everything made for this watch), single watchmaker per watch, sapphire bezel, domed crystal, power reserve, history, etc.

Submariner ref. 5517 (aka "Milsub") vs. Fifty Fathoms "Barracuda" Winner: Submariner Submariner vs. Tornek Rayville TR-900 Winner: TR-900 It all depends on the specific watch for me.

Let's say both are current versions and were produced yesterday.

For a night on the town the FF. The reason is that sapphire bezel insert on the FF would not survive long in a real world situation of hard knocks of diving or military operations. Everything else on the watch would probably perform great but that sapphir... 

.....the FF any day. If new, then a tougher call - probably the Rolex.

Sub Sub Sub specially a 5513 gilt or mat maxi dial, or a 1680 but... to be fair and honest I believe that the approach of reintitan is correct. In other words the answer is... it depends 😉😂🤣

Date at 4 ruins a watch imo.

And if you say the movement; would that be a pro or actually a con when it comes to a diver?

The Rolex Submariner is an Iconic watch that transcends fashion but is ultimately a tool watch. My heart is always with the vintage models but that extends all the way in the to the end of the 1980's early 1990's. A vintage Fifty Fathoms is in a different...  

Since Rolex ‘hardly’ delivers steel models anymore we could even stage that they are perhaps even more ‘exclusive’ than a new Sub! (or at least easier to get)

..having owned 4 modern FF’s and multiple SD’s for the last 15 years, below are my modern Rolex vs Blancpain observations: - FF has been designed by a passionate diver (Mr Hayek himself) and it tells when you go diving with them. The bezel is so legible a... 

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Then I'd go for Fifty Fathoms. If I could choose the version, it might be a sub. I'd need to try them though Cheers JML