Blancpain x HODINKEE

[bosevelt]

Looking like a milspec FF? Ill set the O/U at 250 pieces @ 15k..? It's gonna be special, for sure.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/blancpain?_

[_speedmaster_]

As an owner of a Milspec, can’t say I’m happy.

[bosevelt]

As an owner of the Blancpain x HODINKEE Bathyscaphe, I am a little worried it will be viewed as the 38mm red-headed stepchild after this release.

[Swaye]

I just posted about the fabulous MILSPEC to find out that Hodinkee and BP have decided to lessen the appeal by undercutting the specialness of the watch. Hope I'm wrong, but this feels like shades of Omega. Release something everyone assumes is special, only to repackage and shill again a couple years later.

I guess we will know soon. Hopefully it is not a direct rip off the the 2017 LE.

[stormshadow]

Anxiously awaiting this one. The last Blancpain collab was pretty nice, in my opinion.

Hopefully, it the size of the previous Mil-spec FF, and around $10K.

If I can elbow my way through the bots and flippers, I just may be able to land one.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by _speedmaster_

As an owner of a Milspec, can’t say I’m happy.

This.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by stormshadow

Anxiously awaiting this one. The last Blancpain collab was pretty nice, in my opinion.

Hopefully, it the size of the previous Mil-spec FF, and around $10K.

If I can elbow my way through the bots and flippers, I just may be able to land one.

I'm sure everyone is excited except current MILSPEC owners. We shall see...

[stormshadow]

Originally Posted by Swaye

I'm sure everyone is excited except current MILSPEC owners. We shall see...

I hear you. I have tried to get one of the Mil-spec ones that have popped up around the ‘net/eBay; just a bit out of my reach, price wise.

Here’s to hoping...

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by stormshadow

I hear you. I have tried to get one of the Mil-spec ones that have popped up around the ‘net/eBay; just a bit out of my reach, price wise.

Here’s to hoping...

I'm hoping it is a radically different take on the MILSPEC. I will be most unhappy if they release a 40MM clone of my watch. Oh well, this is watches now it appears.

[Jay (Eire)]

Originally Posted by Swaye

I'm hoping it is a radically different take on the MILSPEC. I will be most unhappy if they release a 40MM clone of my watch. Oh well, this is watches now it appears.

Nothing new if they do, and it’s for sure not something to lay on Hodinkee. This has been going on forever, AP, Omega, Panerai, Patek.....even Lange. Can you imagine how peeved the folks that plonked down $100K + for a Richard Lange PLM in 2008 or 2009 were when they released another one (different dial, white gold, but significantly cheaper) 5 or 6 years later. People are still pretty annoyed.

Don’t know much, anything, about these FF as generally they are too big for my wrist.

[Justindo]

If this is a no date version and not insanely priced, I might be a buyer if I can get one before they are sold out.

[PBJ1925]

Originally Posted by bosevelt

Looking like a milspec FF? Ill set the O/U at 250 pieces @ 15k..? It's gonna be special, for sure.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/blancpain?_

Mmm, I'm going on the over 15k.

Definitely looking forward to 12.15 on the particulars.

[the_natural]

Man I love mil-spec Blancpain. Gonna be hard to ignore this one.

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Why? No Radiations I could understand, but unless this new milspec is going to be radically different (more than just a no-date) it just doesn’t make sense.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Nothing new if they do, and it’s for sure not something to lay on Hodinkee. This has been going on forever, AP, Omega, Panerai, Patek.....even Lange. Can you imagine how peeved the folks that plonked down $100K + for a Richard Lange PLM in 2008 or 2009 were when they released another one (different dial, white gold, but significantly cheaper) 5 or 6 years later. People are still pretty annoyed.

Don’t know much, anything, about these FF as generally they are too big for my wrist.

Hey Jay! Oh yeah, I get the game. Still disappointing to those of us who bought the MILSPEC. You'd think all brands would try to respect their fans and collectors, but it turns out it's okay to dilute "special" watches to chase a quick buck. Same as it ever was. I don't blame Hodinkee, as all they do now is chase the quick buck, but I had hoped for more from Blancpain.

And who knows, perhaps this will be something radically different than I am thinking, but the humidity indicator leads me to believe not. Time will tell.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by Justindo

If this is a no date version and not insanely priced, I might be a buyer if I can get one before they are sold out.

Heard a guess earlier that it will be the 2017 MILSPEC but with no date and a brushed case. Wouldn't surprise me.

[jamerson80]

Gonna say it's just like the las Milspec, but with blue dial. Heard it here first, folks.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[woowoo]

Blancpain are masters at disappointing current owners and turning off prospective owners. One might say this sadist side Blancpain has (that JCB engineered in the 1980s) is part of their appeal.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere the CEO of Blancpain promising to only offer 40mm FF as special editions. Everyone knows a 40mm FF is in a class by itself for Blancpain, huge win for Hodinkee if they get the brand to make them one and huge fail for Blancpain if they agreed to whore out their most special watch. Still that's my guess. An SE 40mm FF.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by jamerson80

Gonna say it's just like the las Milspec, but with blue dial. Heard it here first, folks.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

That would make me happier than my exact watch without a date. I just would like my watch to maintain it's integrity. Make it noticeably different. But a straight up copy no date version with brushed case is very "on brand" for Hodinkee.

[Cru Jones]

I would take a regular production model over a HODINKEE co-brand any day of the week.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by woowoo

Blancpain are masters at disappointing current owners and turning off prospective owners. One might say this sadist side Blancpain has (that JCB engineered in the 1980s) is part of their appeal.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere the CEO of Blancpain promising to only offer 40mm FF as special editions. Everyone knows a 40mm FF is in a class by itself for Blancpain, huge win for Hodinkee if they get the brand to make them one and huge fail for Blancpain if they agreed to whore out their most special watch. Still that's my guess. An SE 40mm FF.

That's pretty much where I'm at. These 40mm SE FFs are genuinely special, and while I expect Hodinkee to whore themselves out for some money, it's a shame BP is willing to go down that route. Wishful thinking to think most watch companies still care about their collectors. Omega and Panerai (whom I still love for some reason) are basically known for this (rereleasing "LE" watches with mild tweaks thus diluting the watch for everyone).

Ah well, enough bitching about it. Watch it be a Bathyscaphe with a humidity indicator.

Who knows what they are doing. All will be revealed in a few days...

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

I would take a regular production model over a HODINKEE co-brand any day of the week.

On that we agree! I do wonder if all these co-brand watches will be relegated to the dustbin of history one day? That's more of a general question. We all know these get bought up by flippers and are "hot" watches well over MSRP after they are launched, but I wonder how these will be viewed many years down the road. Serious collectibles, or naked money grabs?

[Swaye]

This thread needs pics of a really beautiful watch. Here's hoping this stays special and this isn't the first of MANY rereleases. Heh.

[woowoo]

Originally Posted by Swaye

This thread needs pics of a really beautiful watch. Here's hoping this stays special and this isn't the first of MANY rereleases. Heh.

Sexy watch. Damn.

[_speedmaster_]

Originally Posted by woowoo

Blancpain are masters at disappointing current owners and turning off prospective owners. One might say this sadist side Blancpain has (that JCB engineered in the 1980s) is part of their appeal.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere the CEO of Blancpain promising to only offer 40mm FF as special editions. Everyone knows a 40mm FF is in a class by itself for Blancpain, huge win for Hodinkee if they get the brand to make them one and huge fail for Blancpain if they agreed to whore out their most special watch. Still that's my guess. An SE 40mm FF.

I also remember Hayak saying 40mm cases would be reserved for the LE releases. Apparently they are also reserved as a cash grab with Hodinkee.
Who knows, maybe this is a 38mm Bathy with a moisture indicator.

If I were a betting man though, I'd stake it all on this being my exact watch with no date, brushed case and no "Blancpain" engraved on the side. All changes i would have made to the original btw, but disheartening to see after the fact.

As an aside, if this is a blue dial version of the Milspec, that would be pissing on current Milspec owners AND BOCiii owners...are rare accomplishment for BP.

[_speedmaster_]

Originally Posted by Swaye

This thread needs pics of a really beautiful watch. Here's hoping this stays special and this isn't the first of MANY rereleases. Heh.

Agreed

[ap1]

Originally Posted by _speedmaster_

I also remember Hayak saying 40mm cases would be reserved for the LE releases. Apparently they are also reserved as a cash grab with Hodinkee.
Who knows, maybe this is a 38mm Bathy with a moisture indicator.

If I were a betting man though, I'd stake it all on this being my exact watch with no date, brushed case and no "Blancpain" engraved on the side. All changes i would have made to the original btw, but disheartening to see after the fact.

As an aside, if this is a blue dial version of the Milspec, that would be pissing on current Milspec owners AND BOCiii owners...are rare accomplishment for BP.

Since I’m out of the milspec and kuda (don’t ask) I am intrigued. I would be In Favor of the changes you mention. Engraving on the side is overkill. But, can you imagine if they wrote hodinkee on the left. That would be a hard pass. I hope it’s subtle on the back.

[1William]

Wow, the hype is real and the sheep are in a heard for Hodinkee to sheer.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by _speedmaster_

I also remember Hayak saying 40mm cases would be reserved for the LE releases. Apparently they are also reserved as a cash grab with Hodinkee.
Who knows, maybe this is a 38mm Bathy with a moisture indicator.

If I were a betting man though, I'd stake it all on this being my exact watch with no date, brushed case and no "Blancpain" engraved on the side. All changes i would have made to the original btw, but disheartening to see after the fact.

As an aside, if this is a blue dial version of the Milspec, that would be pissing on current Milspec owners AND BOCiii owners...are rare accomplishment for BP.

So we should probably expect the blue dial.

I'm with you. Likely a brushed case no date. Annoying if so because those are the exact changes I would have made to make this watch perfect.

[Swaye]

Originally Posted by 1William

Wow, the hype is real and the sheep are in a heard for Hodinkee to sheer.

For sure. This thing will be sold out in 10 minutes or less. As I said above I do wonder how these co branded offerings will be viewed in 5-10 years. No serious collector I know likes them, but it is hard to deny that they almost always hit big at sale and immediately after.

Actual production watch >>>> Latest Hodinkee shill

My take anyway.