Comments:
The new Fifty Fathoms Tech is awesome and confusing 🤔
Stopped by the Blancpain boutique to check out the new Tech. I was super excited about this release going in but left totally confused. First off, it looks great, way better than my crappy phone pics can do justice to. The ceramic bezel does a good enough job impersonating sapphire I can't tell the difference and goes well with the new super black dial coating. That deep black material just makes all the markers hands and text pop like the contrast has been cranked up to 11 irl, love it. The new click spring in the bezel feels great too, an improvement over the 45mm though maybe not quite as supple as the 43mm. On looks alone I would have bought it but the strap is nuts...
For reference I have about a 7.25" wrist and am totally happy wearing the 45mm FF and the 48mm 500 Fathoms but the straps on the new tech flare so wide is wasn't even close and no tightening of the strap was going to make much of a difference. I had a suspicion this could be the case and was surprised none of the watch media outlets mentioned it or had a picture of this angle on the wrist. There's no way Blancpain doesn't know so I assume this is intentional? Maybe like an oysterflex without the wings for cooler/dryer wearing on the wrist? I dunno, it's weird. I haven't written it off, might ponder it and try it again, but this is going to be a tough sell for a lot of people I think.
Has anyone else tried this or the OC IV or the Gombessa and liked it? Bought it? Would love feedback.
Do not like the strap attachment.
And the attachment determines the shape of the case.
Its too bad, such a great qd implementation! I think if they had a sharper downward angle for the attachment this could have worked great.
Great subject line!
I share your feeling that this is a super cool watch, though with my 6 1/3" wrist, I *strongly* suspected that it wouldn't work for me. When I tried the Gombessa it wasn't QUITE as far out there as I'd expected, though, so I had some tiny hope for this one.
But if the strap flares so widely that it doesn't even fit a 7.25" wrist, that's not just a big watch, that's a problem.
I tried a Gombessa and I would say it was similar in fit (the orange on black was super cool!) I think the strap with the screwed attachment is ever so slightly less flaring than the push button quick change but similar.
I forget who, but one of he reviews on another site mentioned it in passing...
...I assume that it is meant to be worn primarily over a wet suit. That much of a gap (same wrist size as you) would be a 'No' from me...
That would make sense.... for the 2 people with a wardrobe of wetsuits and want to color coordinate with the straps... I'm only snarky because I wanted it to fit 😢
Is it just laziness?
It kind would seem that way. Were the strap and attachment point were really an afterthought, or were they pas the point of no return and just decided to plough ahead as rethinking it (or maybe putting any time into it) was possible?
It makes me think of a conversation I had with Romain Gauthier several weeks ago about the straps on the C series and my take away from that was for a watch like the C his view was that the strap was as important as rice is to a Sushi chef (my words not his).
Funny, I've been tempted by the C on a bracelet, I might have to find time to check one out. This isn't the first time I've been surprised by some crazy fits so I wonder if there's some kind of anti-fit that I'm missing.
44mm Royal Oak chrono tourbillon (not an offshore) - about the same flare but in bracelet form
Some of the Breguet pilot despite being reasonable in diameter had some straps that went right up against the case and flared straight out.
MB&F Evo and GF convexe watches are I think right on the line because despite being big watches with case conforming custom straps that don't pivot around a spring bar at least they are designed with an aggressive downturn. I think if Blancpain molds in an aggressive downturned profile into the strap like the GF they might be able to rescue this.
Some of the Breguet pilot despite being reasonable in diameter had some straps that went right up against the case and flared straight out.
MB&F Evo and GF convexe watches are I think right on the line because despite being big watches with case conforming custom straps that don't pivot around a spring bar at least they are designed with an aggressive downturn. I think if Blancpain molds in an aggressive downturned profile into the strap like the GF they might be able to rescue this.
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
I really like this new release on the paper. I need to try it next time I visit the Blancpain boutique. I was worried about the strap because of my small wrist. I could not find info on this subject until you post it. You kill the game. You kill my dreams 😀. What a pity (even a shame) the R&D department of Blancpain did not focus on this matter. The good feeling on the wrist, the perfect fit on the wrist does not have to be forgotten if they want to selll watches!
Sorry! On the plus side, after years of begging the regular 50 Fathoms comes in 3 sizes now so they covered every wrist size and preference..... Maybe that's why they felt they could go big with the tech.