Blancpain Bathycaphe -- Case Materials

[Star Ferry]

I was considering getting a 43mm Bathyscaphe. But I'm not sure about case material: ceramic vs. titanium vs. steel. Is it worth paying a premium for ceramic or titanium?

I've tried them all on but it was a while back.

Black Ceramic



Steel



Titanium

[meganfox17]

Go for the 3 hander SS Bathyscaphe with the mesmerizing subtle sunburst Meteorite grey dial texture. A superb balance between urban sophistication and recreational activities !

If Jacques Cousteau and Jacques Piccard were still alive today , both would have chosen the SS Bathyscaphe model for you !

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by meganfox17

Go for the 3 hander SS Bathyscaphe with the mesmerizing subtle sunburst Meteorite grey dial texture. A superb balance between urban sophistication and recreational activities !

If Jacques Cousteau and Jacques Piccard were still alive today , both would have chosen the SS Bathyscaphe model for you !

Thanks for your comment. The street price of the SS is a fair amount less than Sub date, making it pretty attractive to me.

Solid diver, different than the norm, and from a brand with a meaningful history of producing dive watches

[Star Ferry]

Just tried to give the boutique my business, but they won't budge from 84000 HKD ($10,760) on the SS. They say all prices are fixed at MSRP.

Not expecting the gray market price or anything close, but would have liked to meet them somewhere in the middle

[themaninblack]

Interesting. I must have walked past that Blancpain boutique in Central a dozen times in the past year and never seen a single customer in there! I guess they have limits but I would have thought 20% off the sticker price should be achievable on a Blancpain.

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by themaninblack

Interesting. I must have walked past that Blancpain boutique in Central a dozen times in the past year and never seen a single customer in there! I guess they have limits but I would have thought 20% off the sticker price should be achievable on a Blancpain.

I told them I'd buy at 10% discount.. they said that was not possible. I was the only customer in the shop.

Was not a big issue at all, and I respect their store pricing policy. I thanked them for their time and went on my way.

[Star Ferry]

Upside: Grabbed a Seiko PADI Turtle on the walk home. It's a great watch by all accounts

[meganfox17]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Just tried to give the boutique my business, but they won't budge from 84000 HKD ($10,760) on the SS. They say all prices are fixed at MSRP.

The Ref number of the Blancpain Bathyscaphe grey meteorite dial is 5000-1110-B52A .Can you cross check with a Hong Kong Grey Re Seller of Swiss luxury watchmaker brand called Rare Rare Limited based in Kowloon ?
I may be mistaken but I think this dealer has a BNIB 2016 model unworn going for ~ HK $ 58 K nego

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by meganfox17

The Ref number of the Blancpain Bathyscaphe grey meteorite dial is 5000-1110-B52A .Can you cross check with a Hong Kong Grey Re Seller of Swiss luxury watchmaker brand called Rare Rare Limited based in Kowloon ?
I thought they had a BNIB 2016 model unworn going for ~ HK $ 58 K nego

I just wanted to try the boutique first to see what they could offer I know there are many grays offering BNIB at a big discount to retail

[asiparks]

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the black ceramic chrono was one of my grails, however, having just tried a pre-owned one on in Singapore, I think I like the steel version better. The case brushing is a standout feature and the black ceramic kind of masks it...
That said: Have you seen the blue dialled version with the grey ceramic case ? I haven't in person, but in pics it would appear that you get to appreciate the brushed appearance with the bonus that it won't get scratched up.
As an aside, I wish that they offered the black dial as an option on the SS version of the watch, I'm not a massive fan of the grey.

Image courtesy of Topper..

[ChrisInCharlotte]

Originally Posted by asiparks

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the black ceramic chrono was one of my grails, however, having just tried a pre-owned one on in Singapore, I think I like the steel version better. The case brushing is a standout feature and the black ceramic kind of masks it...
That said: Have you seen the blue dialled version with the grey ceramic case ? I haven't in person, but in pics it would appear that you get to appreciate the brushed appearance with the bonus that it won't get scratched up.
As an aside, I wish that they offered the black dial as an option on the SS version of the watch, I'm not a massive fan of the grey.

Image courtesy of Topper..

In person the gray is a little bit darker then in the photo, that being said its an amazing looking piece.

[Hank]

I personally think this watch looks best in ceramic. I love the cool, sleek look of the black ceramic. As an added bonus, ceramic is very light and virtually scratch proof too.
IMG_9886.JPG


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[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Hank

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Gorgeous!

[Hank]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Gorgeous!

Thanks!


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[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by asiparks

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the black ceramic chrono was one of my grails, however, having just tried a pre-owned one on in Singapore, I think I like the steel version better. The case brushing is a standout feature and the black ceramic kind of masks it...
That said: Have you seen the blue dialled version with the grey ceramic case ? I haven't in person, but in pics it would appear that you get to appreciate the brushed appearance with the bonus that it won't get scratched up.

Thanks, I like the blue dial in ceramic. I didn't try that specific one on, but I saw it

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by Hank

I personally think this watch looks best in ceramic. I love the cool, sleek look of the black ceramic. As an added bonus, ceramic is very light and virtually scratch proof too.

Looks great. The conservative side of my brain wants me to park the money safely in a Sea Dweller 43, but the risk-taking side says I should try on the ceramic chrono

[stockae92]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

I told them I'd buy at 10% discount.. they said that was not possible. I was the only customer in the shop.

Was not a big issue at all, and I respect their store pricing policy. I thanked them for their time and went on my way.

From what I heard, boutique are just not allowed to give discount, they do give out free strap though ;-)

[ap1]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

I told them I'd buy at 10% discount.. they said that was not possible. I was the only customer in the shop.

Was not a big issue at all, and I respect their store pricing policy. I thanked them for their time and went on my way.

That's shocking TBH. Doubt BPs sales are up strong and 10off is WAY more than they sell them to the ADs for. I get saying that loudly in the store but I'm shocked they don't follow up with a text saying yes please. Here's your extra strap and champagne.

An AD should give you much more than 10off, just do that. Dare to be different. I'm expecting a BP myself

[tng11]

I've seen the grey ceramic/blue dial one and I think it is stunning. Best of both worlds where you can appreciate the brushing that would be on the SS while being scratchproof. Also nice to have ceramic that isn't just blacked out or white (too bright for me.)

However, Star Ferry, I too, would be conservative and park my money into an SD43.

[asiparks]

I'm also surprised about the lack of discount, especially given the pricing on the secondary market....

[islands62]

Same experience at the Vegas BP Boutique. No discount but free strap on offer.

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Don't think any boutique from any high-end brand budges on price...but just think of the service and 'free' branded swag!

Although if the strap doesn't fit you the AD will very nicely punch a hole for you instead of ordering one to fit.

[osamu]

I haven't seen the titanium in person, somehow I never knew the black dial is also a sunburst dial. I've always loved the grey dial, but now I will need to see the titanium in person.