If you are in the market for an expensive, plain-looking watch that will capture no one’s attention and of which will probably cost a lot to service, the most obvious choice has always been a Patek Philippe.

Patek Philippe watches, as i had mentioned earlier, are for the truly rich, because if a normally rich person spent over
ten thousand dollars on a watch, they would want the world to know it and they wouldn’t want it to look like it was picked out of a plastic watch case at the local drug store.

Can you imagine if you spent almost 15 THOUSAND dollars for a watch that looked like this:

Patek Philippe Calatrava – 5196J Gents Watch

I’m not joking, that is what it actually costs!

Now I happen to consider myself not to be of the flashy type, but if I spent several thousands of dollars I would want it to be so beautiful that everyone who saw it would it would vomit at the sight of their own watches.  I would want it to be so unutterably gorgeous that you would just want to wear it day in and day out, forever!

Now I must say that my picking on Blancpain didn’t just come at random, because for the first time ever, I actually saw someone wearing one and the most immediate thought, after what he had been smoking when he bought that, was which Blanc PLAIN, I mean… err… Blancpain it was.

Turns out it was this:

Blancpain 2850-1127-53 Leman Pearl White Dial Leather Alligator Men’s Automatic Watch

So where with Patek Philippe you got blandness that has never costed more, with Blancpain you have blandness at a fairly reasonable price.  Think about it, this is an automatic wristwatch from a reputable, albeit lesser-known watchmaker, for around $5,000.00.

And would you look at it, it’s a shade better looking than the Patek as well with its skeleton hands and big date as well.

And what more would you expect from a company known for some of the worlds smallest and thinnest movements.  I get the impression that with Blancpain, minimalism is on the menu and that’s fine.  I respect how Blancpain is a “pure” watchmaker.  They are the only major Swiss manufacturer to have never have made a quartz watch, they make watches with “complications,” and they make watches for divers such as Jacques Costeau.  I really do respect that, but I wouldn’t want to own one…