lhooq Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 A long, long time ago, I can still remember when I bought my first real rep. And by "real" I mean a quality piece costing more than a hundred bucks, rather than a for-peanuts fake, bought furtively in a dark Kowloon alley, with a lifespan measurable in months. Instead of going the usual Noobmariner route, I decided that I wanted a Panerai rep by Davidsen. (Recall that DSN was near the leading edge of PAM reps at the time!) But while going through his photobucket, I saw that he'd started selling vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which is a watch I've long dreamed of owning. One wire transfer and a few weeks later, and I had it. I was happy, and wrote my first rep review (on RWI). Fast forward a couple of years and I noticed that I wasn't wearing the FF as much as I used to. I'd changed straps and bracelets countless times in an attempt to get the old spark back. It wasn't working; I'd been spoiled by newer, more accurate and labor-intensive builds like my Explorers and Daytonas. It also didn't help that the Blancpain's factory-fresh finish contradicted its supposed age. What to do? I got my first bit of inspiration after seeing pictures of the Helson Skindiver, which is a Fifty Fathoms homage released earlier this year. It's a terrific looking watch, and a better FF proxy than the MkII Stingray or the Precista PRS-50, in my opinion. (Also the Corvus Bradley, which is really more of a TR-900 homage.) One detail I especially liked was the bezel: It was as (inaccurately) beefy as on the other modern homages, but its circumference was indented to suggest the delicate, jutting bezels of the original Blancpains. And when I think "machined round metal objects", my first instinct is to contact jmb. So off the FF went to Justin, who protested that it was the ugliest watch he's ever worked on. (Blancpain fans, please send your letters to him.) Prying the bezel off was a tricky ordeal, which explains the tool marks. Nevertheless, the bezel was eventually removed, trimmed, and re-installed. It's still too tall, but the shelf visually thins it from most angles: I also wanted to replace the crystal to make the bezel appear even less thick. Unfortunately, I had no luck finding suitable domes. Next step: Age the dial. The vintage Blancpains had glossy black dials, but very few maintain a perfect sheen today. I reached out to the man who put the patina on my 4-line 5512, and ChiMan said yes. I sent him a few pictures of gens, hoping that one of them could serve as his model. This turned out to be the winner: I was planning a vacation through the Rockies in September/October, and I'd made plans to meet up with C in Calgary. As soon as J finished his work on the case, he sent it up north. It arrived with one day to spare, and C amazingly finished his patination process in just one night. Fine, fine work for a rush job! Even under the weak lights of The Keg, I was able to admire the quality. The Fifty Fathoms is now near the top of my rotation again, thanks to a couple of very good guys. Big thanks to ChiMan and jmb for helping me out yet again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Very cool. Thanks for the write-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valerian Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Very nice watch. I'd buy instantly if it were on the market like that. I especially like the dial. Thanks for showing. Val. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertk Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Terrific review. I also have one........but unfortunately, looks a little shiny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thanks, guys. robertk: I was afraid that the vintagizing process would turn my FF into a "BLAN PAIN" like yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoever Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Wow, this is stunning ! You're a man of taste. I was about to get one of these when I had to put in on hold because of different reasons. And now I regret even more.... :-( Really a classy vintage piece, so wear it proudly! If you ever have one to much, even a basic old version, I'm here waiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 It was nice meeting you M! Love it on that strap! Now all you have to do is age the case a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mir36 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 To quote an old Chevy Chase (or maybe Dan Aykroyd) skit on SNL. "I was interested, then I lost interest. Then I was interested again." Thanks for the inspiration M. Time to look at DSN's photobucket again for the Tornek Rayville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HartDoc Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 I would love to have one of those FF but I dont know you if I would fine one as great as yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Wow! What an incredible difference!!! I used to have one that I bought from Ubi and I think that is also why I sold it. It was just too new looking for me. I never even considered trying to have it aged. That truly does make all the difference in the world! Now just put it back on that mesh bracelet you have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Awe inspriringly good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertk Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Thanks, guys. robertk: I was afraid that the vintagizing process would turn my FF into a "BLAN PAIN" like yours! Well, that's my version of vintagizing,LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff g Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 DSN's FF selection is still inspiring. The vintage FF's are some of the most beautiful divers ever. I have always wanted one, but have felt that the watch is just too thick for my small wrist. The work done on your piece looks amazing, well worth the effort. Wear it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Ah, I love a good resurrection. Thanks, guys! jeff g: My wrist is a 6.5", so the FF is near the upper end of what I can credibly pull off. I find it less cumbersome than most Panerais. red: The Tropic is back on the Longines Diver, so the Blancpain's been on a plain-looking NATO for the past week. Good call on the mesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted December 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Time to revisit the Revisited thread... with strap options! I've long been trying to find out which metal bracelets were used on the Fifty Fathoms back in the 50s and 60s. I've had this ad in my Blancpain picture archive for a while: Looks like your standard expansion band bracelet, which was strangely popular at the time. Finding a match was harder than expected, especially since the genuine vintage FFs had lug spacings of 19-20mm (rather than the DSN rep's 22mm). There were good matches on eBay by NSA and J.B. Champion. Unfortunately, these were selling for around $80, so I decided to go cheap and "close enough" with a good ol' Speidel: And by "good ol' Speidel" I mean "good ol' ill-fitting, hair-tugging, rattly, chintzy Speidel aka 'The Depilator'". You probably won't be seeing this bracelet ever again! Next up is a vintage "Tropic-style" 22mm rubber strap that I recently bought for peanuts. The strap is soft, flexible, and in far better shape than the oxidized rubber on my Tropic (pictured in the OP). Other than the keepers, the strap is a good match for a real Tropic. It's either a "Hong Kong Tropic" (manufactured in the 1980s, I think) or a Voguestrap Skindiver (which might be the same thing). Curved ends look good! In the end, I have to agree with redwatch. The look that gets the most attention isn't from the 50s or the 60s, but from that shark-hunting, disco-dancing decade: It's the 1970s, and it's got to be mesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlydog Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 it gets my vote too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Mesh all the way M!!! Looks amazing!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 I really like the tropic on the FF... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Scope Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 I would take that watch on any strap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Looks great! Nice team effort too. In my twisted head I have dubbed the "L I P" dial the "Lost in Translation" dial based on the scene in the movie 'LIP my Stockings!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakwan Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 The best ff rep so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceocorona Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 diggin' that bezel insert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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