Blancpain fifty fathoms and DSSD....

[buddy13]

This is absolutely not meant to be a 'which is best' thread...I have utmost respect for these 2 watches ...

I must admit that I had a difficult time (and still have to some extent) accepting some design issues on the DSSD...while the FF it was love at first sight..it's history, rarity and unmatched hand built movement are in a class of its own..

But I have grown to like the DSSD for it's wonderful piece of engineering that it is...but my question is...I have no way of trying the FF on, so I ask you fine gentleman which of these 2 behemoths wears better on a smallish wrist? I have tried the DSSD on many times and my only complaint is the height (not too heavy and nicely balanced)...

Do any of you lucky bunch here own/owned these 2 watches..what is your feedback?

Also..what would the service cost of a Blancpain FF be..?

Thanks a million in advance !

[wilfreb]

i dont have big wrist still the deepsea looks awesome on me, the watch is only 44mm, but its very thick, i love thats thickness, others may hate it.

but thats the way it should be to be a 3900M divewatch...










i will not wear any other Rolex...

[dinan545bmw]

Originally Posted by wilfreb

i dont have big wrist still the deepsea looks awesome on me, the watch is only 44mm, but its very thick, i love thats thickness, others may hate it.

but thats the way it should be to be a 3900M divewatch...

i will not wear any other Rolex...

the feeling is mutual here!

absolutely love its sporty, rugged good looks and superb engineering attributes.

truly one of the more iconic timepieces amongst Rolex's fine product line I think.

these are GREAT shots of your DSSD also.

only reminds me (again) how wonderful and grateful I am to have one of my own to cherish and enjoy!!

thanks for sharing!

BEST REGARDS

[brettpaul]

I have tried on both and the FF is a bit lower on the wrist height-wise, but of the two I prefer the DSSD. I do love the look of the FF 'Dark Knight', but even with a 'blacked out' bezel it still seems to 'shiny'....and I don't like the writing on the side of the case....it's a BP tradition, but IMO the watches look better without it.

Happy hunting!

[esm]

i have only wore the FF on strap and have found it very comfortable and it wears well on my 7.25" wrist. i'd imagine FF on bracelet would be heavier, but the watch itself isnt as top heavy as the DSSD

my wrist, my mate's FF.



DSSD - i have tried it many times and everytime i have tried to like it. i do like it, but just cant get used to the height of the watch. not so much of the comfort factor, more of the look of it - i will probably feel like a lump of steel on top of my wrist, even if it is adjusted for my wrist size. love the diameter and the case though


my wrist, AD's DSSD.





im sure you are aware that there is quite a price difference between the two (BNIB, no idea on the pre-owned market though).

recently tried the FF Tribute version and that has sparked my interest in the FF again. the bezel is def more "delicious" than the DSSD and the overall size and feel is better than the DSSD imo. one thing i dont like about the FF is the date aperture at 4:30 location

touch chioce

[buddy13]

Thanks for replies so far ..

@ Wilfreb - nice sparkle on the DSSD in those photos


I am aware of the price difference, but an FF on strap is almost same price as DSSD, which I think is WAY overpriced for a mass produced watch..the FF on the other hand is a steal at that price (considering price of other blancpain offerings)...

The DSSD wears quite nicely, what I do not like is the thin bracelet (compared to massive case) and that writing on the ring..

I also do not like Blancpain written on the side of the case , but am not sure if it is just one of those things you get accustomed to..since it will be a weekend watch mainly, I think it tends to make it a bit dressy..but it is still every inch a tough tool watch..

[esm]

Originally Posted by buddy13

I am aware of the price difference, but an FF on strap is almost same price as DSSD, which I think is WAY overpriced for a mass produced watch..the FF on the other hand is a steal at that price (considering price of other blancpain offerings)...

if my memory serves me right, the FF on strap was about £9k+, could well be over the £10k mark by now and that is a whopping £2.5k ish - £3K ish difference compared to the upcoming DSSD price of £7070 (as quoted by Haywood in the other thread after the 1st June price increase)...

overpriced? yes, i think so (for both). but then again, it is the technology, design and name we are buying into most times right?

Originally Posted by buddy13

I also do not like Blancpain written on the side of the case , but am not sure if it is just one of those things you get accustomed to..since it will be a weekend watch mainly, I think it tends to make it a bit dressy..but it is still every inch a tough tool watch..

that is true, forgot about that. but i suppose that can be "forgotten" after a little while, depends on which wrist you wear it.

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by esm

if my memory serves me right, the FF on strap was about £9k+, could well be over the £10k mark by now and that is a whopping £2.5k ish - £3K ish difference compared to the upcoming DSSD price of £7070 (as quoted by Haywood in the other thread after the 1st June price increase)...

overpriced? yes, i think so (for both). but then again, it is the technology, design and name we are buying into most times right?




that is true, forgot about that. but i suppose that can be "forgotten" after a little while, depends on which wrist you wear it.

Thanks for kind reply...

Price for gently used FF is arounf 8500 USD, for DSSD it is around 7500 USD...so not much difference.

I think that when you consider the FF hand finishing and assembly time (which is definitely much higher than for DSSD) you notice that the price is actually more worth paying for FF IMHO...

I wear my watched on my left hand so I think it will definitely need a lot of getting use to..I would have much preferred if the text was not there ...

PS: I also have a Sub-C on the way from USA ....

[Megalobyte]

You're right about price. Though the 50F lists a few thousand higher, some AD's will go about 9,000 on the FF. I really like the dark knight version, and the nautilus rotor is really neat. Also, the BP has a serious advantage for you if it's indeed a weekend watch, with it's 5 day power reserve.

It's a tough choice, and I've been there myself, ended up with a Sub-C. :)

[esm]

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

You're right about price. Though the 50F lists a few thousand higher, some AD's will go about 9,000 on the FF. I really like the dark knight version, and the nautilus rotor is really neat. Also, the BP has a serious advantage for you if it's indeed a weekend watch, with it's 5 day power reserve.

It's a tough choice, and I've been there myself, ended up with a Sub-C. :)

great choice on the Sub-C

just had a quick look around on the interweb.... looks like a discount of 15% to 20% for the FF is quite do-able via some online dealers...

[brettpaul]

Originally Posted by esm

great choice on the Sub-C

just had a quick look around on the interweb.... looks like a discount of 15% to 20% for the FF is quite do-able via some online dealers...

I've checked the BP AD's in Bahrain, Saudi, and Dubai - all of them offer at least 20% off list and in Dubai last fall I was offered one for 40% off list....couldn't bite though.....I just kept thinking if I buy the Dark Knight I COULD HAVE had the DSSD!!

[East Bay Rider]

BP FF is my favorite dive watch.

[Howie]

I keep my FF on the BP rubber strap which I think gives it a somewhat rugged tool-watch look. I like the DSSD but not for my thin wrist; the FF is not as thick and just fits better for me personally.

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by Howie

I keep my FF on the BP rubber strap which I think gives it a somewhat rugged tool-watch look. I like the DSSD but not for my thin wrist; the FF is not as thick and just fits better for me personally.

There ya go....incredible mate ...

Can I ask just a few ques.

- Have you ever switched to another water proof strap (Nato, canvas, isofrane...)..any pics?
- Do you like the text on the side of the case or did it took some time to get used to?

sincere thanks for your input

[Howie]

Originally Posted by buddy13

There ya go....incredible mate ...

Can I ask just a few ques.

- Have you ever switched to another water proof strap (Nato, canvas, isofrane...)..any pics?
- Do you like the text on the side of the case or did it took some time to get used to?

sincere thanks for your input

Sure - I had used the sailcloth strap, but I find the rubber strap to be more rugged looking, and in the summer the rubber is easier to rinse off. I haven't tried a NATO but I think it would be too thin for this watch.

As for the "Blancpain" on the side of the case .... well it's on the inside so you would not really see it while wearing it. And even if you did see it, I don't think it's quite as noticeable as the 'Original Gas Escape Valve' on the front of the DSSD.

Here it is on the sailcloth..

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by Howie

Sure - I had used the sailcloth strap, but I find the rubber strap to be more rugged looking, and in the summer the rubber is easier to rinse off. I haven't tried a NATO but I think it would be too thin for this watch.

As for the "Blancpain" on the side of the case .... well it's on the inside so you would not really see it while wearing it. And even if you did see it, I don't think it's quite as noticeable as the 'Original Gas Escape Valve' on the front of the DSSD.

Here it is on the sailcloth..

thanks mate

[slcbbrown]

Tough choice. IMO, both are just too big. I like the FF, but much prefer the 40mm size for this watch. I tried on the 45mm, and it looks huge. At least the extra size of the DSSD has a technical point, so I lean towards the Rolex.

As far as service goes, I think it's fair to assume that you'll be buying your FF a 1st class ticket back to Switzerland.

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by slcbbrown

Tough choice. IMO, both are just too big. I like the FF, but much prefer the 40mm size for this watch. I tried on the 45mm, and it looks huge. At least the extra size of the DSSD has a technical point, so I lean towards the Rolex.

As far as service goes, I think it's fair to assume that you'll be buying your FF a 1st class ticket back to Switzerland.

Hehe..I am sure it's pricey..just wanted to get an idea of the ballpark price ...

The size of the FF also has a technical point, larger dial and hands for increased low light visibility ...

[Rippin]

Originally Posted by slcbbrown

Tough choice. IMO, both are just too big. I like the FF, but much prefer the 40mm size for this watch.

Agreed. I wish Blancpain would bring back the 40mm FF, but we may have to wait until it's 100 year anniversary to see that again...and I won't be alive if that happens

[lhanddds]

The wagering are a personal choice, of course, but the DSSD felt like a brick on my wrist (7.25 inch). I can't speak for the 45 mm FF. I haven't tried it on. I do have the 40.5 mm version which I like a lot.

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by lhanddds

The wagering are a personal choice, of course, but the DSSD felt like a brick on my wrist (7.25 inch). I can't speak for the 45 mm FF. I haven't tried it on. I do have the 40.5 mm version which I like a lot.

We'd like to see some pics

[lhanddds]

Originally Posted by buddy13

We'd like to see some pics

Here you go...

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by slcbbrown

Tough choice. IMO, both are just too big. I like the FF, but much prefer the 40mm size for this watch. I tried on the 45mm, and it looks huge. At least the extra size of the DSSD has a technical point, so I lean towards the Rolex.

+1

[psv]

I'd think twice about either if you have a small wrist, it runs the risk of looking clownish IMO, but then again, your opinion may very well differ.

I've tried to love both the DSSD and the BP FF, but there are things that are off on both of them in terms of design. The DSSD has too much steroids, on the FF I don't like the thick bezell and its design. I have the old Sub + SD 16600, and got the SubC instead, a much more harmonic design/size for everyday wear IMO.

If I were you I'd look at something like a Seadweller 1665 as well.

[SeamasterGMT]

Well, I love the Deepsea but I did try on the FF at an AD in Amsterdam and wow, what a watch. No photo can do it justice.

[dsio]

I've tried the FF on the X71 bracelet many times, damn that watch feels nice to wear.

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by dsio

I've tried the FF on the X71 bracelet many times, damn that watch feels nice to wear.

I do not afford the model on bracelet though ...

So I am really contemplating between DSSD and FF on strap. I will enjoy my honeymoon with my new 116610 for now then decide after ...

[dsio]

Originally Posted by buddy13

I do not afford the model on bracelet though ...

So I am really contemplating between DSSD and FF on strap. I will enjoy my honeymoon with my new 116610 for now then decide after ...

I know its not new, but there are some VERY good prices on used FF's. They're not holding their value as well as the DSSD, which is a shame for the original owners, but opens some excellent opportunities, and due to the expense of the watch, and the fact that the entire face and bezel is sapphire, used models can be in very good shape.

Food for thought

[buddy13]

Originally Posted by dsio

I know its not new, but there are some VERY good prices on used FF's. They're not holding their value as well as the DSSD, which is a shame for the original owners, but opens some excellent opportunities, and due to the expense of the watch, and the fact that the entire face and bezel is sapphire, used models can be in very good shape.

Food for thought

I noticed that...I agree completely

[jnkay]

Wilfreb, what size is your wrist? Just curious for comparison sake so I can get perspective on how it might look on my wrist.