Traded 14060m for Bathyscaphe - Review 3 months later

[jrgannon]

I recently did what many may view as unthinkable. I completed an even trade for my Rolex 14060m submariner (I am the original owner / watch is unpolished / full kit) which I wore for the last 13 years on a daily basis for a brand new Blancpain Bathyscaphe Fifty Fathoms. I had been contemplating selling my Rolex for about a year to fund a new watch. My Rolex Submariner was probably due for a service, I wanted a date function, I had become increasingly self-conscious about wearing a very recognizable luxury brand, the bracelet was beginning to have a bit too much stretch for my tastes, it had gone up about 250% in value from when I purchased it, and the 40mm size is classic but given my wrist and hand size a slightly larger watch looks more proportional. There were many reasons that I hesitated to make the trade. I kept my Submariner in immaculate condition, despite how common the reference I am not sure I could replace the unpolished / full kit scenario at a reasonable price. I know the trade was clearly a value loser from a monetary perspective, the Rolex will appreciate more and will be more liquid than the Blancpain, the 14060m is a classic and the last ‘true’ representation of the early vintage Submariners, it goes with everything, and I had that watch on my wrist during a lot of good and not so good times - so i have a lot of personal life history with it.

What did i like about the Blancpain - it was basically the exact watch i would have designed if someone gave me an ‘ open canvas’. 43mm but wears a bit smaller in my view, crazy accurate, large crown, incredible movement - 120 hour power reserve and solid 18k gray frosted rotor, legible, date function, unrecognizable by the general public, impeccable fit and finish, unique swim-able sail cloth strap (also available on bracelet but I wanted a watch with a strap not a bracelet), solid history from a respectable brand.

So now that i have owned the Blancpain for a few months how do i feel - i like my Blancpain more than i regret trading the Rolex. Only time will tell if I continue to feel that way......

Bracelet / Strap

14060m - 20mm stainless oyster bracelet with hollow end links. I personally had no issue with this bracelet. It looks great and is a standard size so you can change to a nato, leather, etc. Only downside was the stretch that was becoming more apparent over the years. I didn’t like the gaps that started to show between the links. The other concern I had was the ‘thinness’ of some of the connecting pins. In particular where the clasp attached to the bracelet. I know that bracelet failure is rare but I could see how that could happen given how the pins wear down over time.

Blancpain sail cloth - 23mm non-standard size. This clearly limits strap options. The quality of the strap is great. I have taken it in the water several times and it drys quickly. Also, when it comes to straps sometimes you just get lucky with the hole spacing. It seems straps are either too tight, too lose or perfect. I was lucky, the hole placement on this one is perfect for my wrist size. The Blancpain buckle is also top notch. Very nicely executed. It looks really cool, the lettering is perfect and clean, and its built very well while not being ‘overdone’.

Bezel

14060m - i really like the simplicity of the submariner aluminum bezel. You do not feel like you need to worry about scratching it. It was also smooth with its 120 clicks

Blancpain - totally different quality level. It is better proportioned in my opinion. It centers perfectly. Only downside is i really do like the 120 clicks vs 60.

Crystal

14060m - flat and boring but totally functional

Blancpain - slightly convex which i think looks better
Dial and Lume

14060m - beautiful and high quality with white gold surrounds and plenty of lume. Elegant and simple and well proportioned

Blancpain - lume and hour markers are equal to the Rolex. I can’t describe the color of the dial. It changes based on the reflection and level of light in the room. Sometimes it looks black and sometimes it looks grey. Some people do not like the 4pm date box location. It doesn’t bother me.

Hands

14060m - class Mercedes symbol hour hand. I actually never really liked it that much. That said, the hands of a watch were never something that i really focused on or felt strongly about.

Blancpain - reminds me of the hands on my IWC 353602 Aquatimer. They are fine. Again, not really much of a differentiator for me.

Crown

14060m - The crown and crown guards on the 14060m were great. I felt the way the crown engaged and ‘locked down’ with the visible gasket (when crown was opened) made it really seem like there was no way that it was going to come lose. Great design and quality.

Blancpain - i much prefer the larger crown. It also has slightly ‘ruffed’ edges which provide an amazing grip. It locks down smoothly but not with the level of ‘snugness’ that I felt the rolex demonstrated. I think it would be great if it had the visible gasket like the 14060m. That extra gasket made me think the 14060m was more waterproof than the 300m rating.

Case

14060m - 50+ year old design. I always liked how the height allowed it to easily slip under a shirt cuff

Blancpain - the faceted case design is spectacular and the size looks better on my wrist. It has a more modern feel for sure. It’s slightly taller and i have actually bumped it against a few things by accident. Didn’t seem to have that issue with the 14060m. Feels like i need to be more careful with this watch which i do not exactly like......

Movement

14060m - solid caseback which is very ‘toolish’ and functional. Lots of respect here. The 14060m always ran at 12 seconds fast per day since the day i bought it. I wish it was closer to COSC but its consistency was such that I never did anything about it. I also feel like the watch and movement can take a beating.

Blancpain - visible through a clear case back. The movement is really a work of art and fun to gaze upon. I think the fact that Blancpain used a solid 18k rotor and then frosted it grey so it would be more appropriate for a sports watch is just awesome. The 120 hour power reserve is great (not that i will ever need it since I am a 1 watch guy after selling off a small collection over the last few years) I hope the watch and movement can take a beating like the Rolex! The watch is also running at +2 seconds per day. It is the most accurate watch i have ever owned.

Summary - I will end where I started. Right now I like the Blancpain way more than I regret selling the submariner. Let’s see how I feel in a year. Stay well everyone.