Hi All,
Continuing to dig out all manner of stuff I never knew I had, and turned up this classic 70's style watch.
If anyone knows anything about Blancpain watches, can you tell me if this one is original please.

The watch is extremely thin at 6.5 mm from the case back to the top of the crystal, and the case looks very good quality - possibly in stainless steel, as it isn't showing any wear anywhere.

The movement sits tightly in a housing machined in the case back.rial number stamped into the outer case back is 17228, and inside 'Blancpain - Rayville SA - Swiss'

The movement is only marked '21 jewels Swiss' on the bridges, and 'AS 1525, 1526' on the dial plate next to the escape wheel.
I don't have any references to check AS movement cal's against manufacturers.
All train jewels except the centre also have screw capped endstones, so looks a decnt movement.
The only marking on the dial other than jewel count and incablock is 'WEGA' (VEGA???)

Any comments and opinions appreciated.

Best regards
John Woolsey.

Case Back.

Case back markings

The dial appears to be some sort of enamel over a thin plate, there is a small chip out of it, looks quite brittle.

Case Body - apologies for the none too good clonebrushing, I stood the watch on some Rodico and tried to paint it out as best I could.
JW.

The movement has no manufacturers marks anywhere except for the ebauches AS.
JW.

A short update on the case, I've run silver and gold acid tests on it, and it appears to be 18 - 22ct solid white gold, just not sure about the timing of the acid reaction as to which karat applies!
I'll have to take a closer look at some of my other 'junk' stuff! - I thought this was just an old 'fixer upper' dumped in with a load of old busted Sekondas & Timex's!

Would be interesting to learn more about it if anyone has some knowledge of the brand.

Best regards

John.

John,
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I really don't believe the watch you show is a Blancpain. Shown below is a picture of the Blancpain 50 Fathoms that I own. Although your watch is clearly of a different style and model to mine, I think you can see from the quality of the workmanship there's quite difference.
Blancpain has always been, and still is a marquee brand.

Thanks for your input Dave,
As you say, quite different styles and models, I suspect there is also a significant age gap between the two watches too.
A very nice watch you have there BTW!

I've absolutely no doubt in my mind now though, that the case itself at least is authentic Blancpain.
I've run further tests on the bezel and case back, and both are Solid 18ct white gold!
Someone would have to be totally insane to make a fake using such a huge amount of gold in its creation, that case back is Thick, it's machined out of a solid billet of Gold! I'll be having it weighed tomorrow.

Actually, the quality of the case is extremely high if the simple fineness of the bezel is considered, the case back also fits perfectly. There is also a very neat little lug upon which to use a case knife for the back removal, which I've never come across before.
The movement is also an extremely close fit into the back and the case appears engineered to suit it.
Other than the 'too white' dial and the rather cheap impression it gives, everything fits perfectly with no signs of a botch up anywhere.
There is a roughness around the stem tube in the case, but the countours around the polished exterior of the tube are a perfect match and impeccably finished.
Unfortunately my photography doesn't do it justice, and the case is also very dirty.

The only reservation I do have, is with the movement as it's unsigned - (did Blancpain sign every movement they ever made???), but even that, for a (50's - 60's?) vintage Swiss watch is very good quality. Very few that I have seen of that vintage (including Rolex, Girard Perregaux etc)have capped end stones on the train pivots, it isn't a 'run of the mill' movement.

I have found a Blancpain watch forum though, so intend to post an enquiry on their bulletin board, see what comes back.
Watch this space as the saying goes (no pun intended)!

Best regards
John

Just a quick update, I lifted this paragraph from a thread on the Blancpain forum regarding vintage BP watches:

"1. most of the vintage Blancpain were not signed and sold under other names, and 2., most of them were only medium class watches and not the haute horlogerie timepieces of today."

I've now managed to sort out a password glitch with the forum moderator, so will be posting a thread there to see what comes back.

Regards
John

John,
here's a brief history of the Blancpain brand.

Founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, this House boasts a famous and oft-repeated slogan: "Since 1735, there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. And there never will be." This bold statement, however, is more than just a slogan; it is a guiding principle of this unique company…a sincere dedication to excellence, which has earned Blancpain numerous accolades over the years.

Although successive generations of the Blancpain family were able to transform what had been a tiny manufacturer into one of the most respected watch companies in the world - witness the company's famous "Fifty Fathoms" model, circa 1953, which featured prominently in Jacques Cousteau's award-winning film, The World of Silence - the influx of inexpensive quartz watches from Japan and China during the early 1970's nearly doomed the company to extinction. It was only thanks to the intervention of Jean-Claude Biver, an Omega executive with a love of fine timepieces, that the company was reborn in 1983 and put on the path to recovery. Biver's strategy was elegantly simple: a return to the production of classic mechanical watches in limited numbers, and an emphasis on creating innovative, and oftentimes highly complicated timepieces.

Biver's strategy was a success: today, the Blancpain workshop and headquarters retains the charm of a tranquil farm house, yet within this unassuming factory are created some of the world's most complicated, desired and expensive watches. Graduates from the finest Swiss watchmaking schools are recruited into the ranks of the House following their apprenticeship to a Master Watchmaker. In keeping with tradition, watchmakers employed by Blancpain do not work in assembly line fashion; rather, each watchmaker will personally build "their" watch from beginning to end.

Production is extremely limited, with fewer than 10,000 watches per year being produced. Needless to say, each watch is individually numbered and recorded in the company's archives. Boxes, straps and buckles are of the highest possible quality, in keeping with the company's strict emphasis on quality. As for the movements, they are designed and crafted completely in-house, and based exclusively on high-quality ebauches that are provided by their sister company, Frederic Piguet. Since Piguet and Blancpain share the same building, it might be said that a Blancpain watch features an in-house movement.

Where the company distinguishes itself the most, however, is in its adamant devotion to the mechanical wristwatch. Since the company's rebirth, only mechanical watches, in round watch cases, are produced. These are not "trendy" watches, but rather, classical in their styling and timeless in their elegance. Among the company's most recognizable products are Ref. 1106, a manual wind wristwatch with 100 hour winding reserve; the Fifty Fathoms, a contemporary version of the company's classic diving watch; an 18K "Half Hunter" wristwatch featuring a hinged sapphire crystal back; and the "1735" which combines the six complications offered by the company into one watch.

The "1735" is an automatic chronograph with split-second chronograph, tourbillon, perpetual calendar with phases of the moon, and minute repeater -- a masterpiece that took more than six years to design and build. It is also a fitting tribute to the company's founder, and an equally appropriate symbol of the company's ongoing mission - to create the very finest timepieces for discriminating collectors. It is also worth noting that Blancpain watches represent an exceptional value in our view, with many of their most complicated watches selling for a fraction of the cost of comparable models from other high-end Swiss companies.

If old-fashioned craftsmanship and traditional styling appeal to you, Blancpain is definitely a brand worthy of serious consideration.