Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date Watch Review

Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date Watch Review

Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date

When the majority of us consider Blancpain

Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date

The very first image you think of is probably among the brand’s legendary Fifty Fathoms divers’ watches, or something like that elegant and ultra-complicated from the Villeret collection. But there's another, sportier line in Blancpain’s portfolio that receives substantially less attention and, perhaps, less adoration from watch aficionados: the L-Evolution, a set innately tied along with Blancpain’s sponsorship from the Super Trofeo racing series, with Lamborghini, the posh Italian sports vehicle marque whose racing machines populate its field.

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, the merchandise of the union between both of these power brands, was initially run in May 2009 and it was initially a Europe-only series, featuring 30 cars. Since that time it's expanded to Asia and also the U.S., and 2015 marked the very first year the Super Trofeo Finals were held here in the usa, at Florida’s legendary Sebring Worldwide Race track, home from the  12 Hrs of Sebring. 2010 field boasted no under 84 cars, with participants from Europe, Asia, and America. I had been fortunate to get an invite from Blancpain to go to the Super Trofeo Finals in Sebring, as well as for this longtime admirer of Lamborghini cars, it had been, pointless to state, a thrilling experience - made much more special through the wrist companion which i coaxed from Blancpain for that weekend’s occasions: the Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date. In a nutshell, the knowledge makes me a lot more an advocate of the oft-overlooked collection out of this centuries-old Swiss manufacture.

The model I used and reviewed was Ref. 8886F-3603-52B

Having a situation that mixes vibrant 5N rose gold with carbon fibre. In my experience, this marriage of classical elegance with cutting-edge-tech rarely works, however i thought it was very appealing here - and appropriate towards the watch’s motorsport-inspired theme, as carbon fibre can be used regularly in the realm of auto racing because of its high tensile strength, sturdiness, lightweight, and potential to deal with high temperatures. Carbon fibre, using its telltale light checkerboard pattern, can also be employed for the caseback but for the dial. The motif is ongoing around the black, overstitched alcantara strap, which includes carbon inserts. An especially attractive detail may be the carbon-fiber insert that punctuates the gold buckle, further marking the L-Evolution like a luxury timepiece it is not afraid to exhibit its sporty side.

More about that dial: the Lamborghini and auto racing-inspired aesthetic touches are extremely much in evidence but surprisingly subtle, especially to individuals who might not have attended an excellent Trofeo race. The numerals “12” and “9” in their particular hour positions are performed within the same font accustomed to find out the Lamborghini cars within the race. The big date display at 6 ‘clock utilizes a digital-type numeral font that evokes the main one around the electronic clocks accustomed to time laps at racetracks. Using red - for that borders from the hour numerals and also the 2 o’clock chronograph pusher - is really a nod to Lamborghini, and also the split-seconds pusher at 8 o’clock is formed just like a gas cap. Finally - which one really required me greater than a day-to notice - the counter at 9 o’cl0ck is the same shape as Lamborghini’s badge.

The automotive aesthetic also finds its method to the movement, Blancpain’s automatic Caliber 69F9 (photo below, by Redbar Crew’s Adam Craniotes), which includes an amazing 409 parts, including 44 jewels, and which Blancpain has obligingly placed on display underneath a azure caseback window. The large winding rotor resembles the wheel of the racecar’s tire, and also the decorative finishes echo our prime-tech appearance of the watch’s exterior: bead-blasted two-tone material on parts and straight graining around the NAC bridges imparting an anthracite look.

As the beauty is decidedly sporty, this watch’s movement offers an amount of complication similar to those of most of the brand’s more elegant haute horlogerie timepieces. Its chronograph mechanism is controlled by a column wheel (which ensures precise pusher control) along with a vertical-coupling clutch mechanism (which will help to avoid undesirable jerking from the chronograph hands upon activation. Getting used the stopwatch at various points in the racing weekend, I'm able to are convinced that these characteristics performed admirably.

Obviously, the chronograph mechanism 

Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date

Itself is considered the most complicated available it offers not just a flyback feature (where the passed seconds hands could be stopped, came back to zero and restarted instantly having a single push of the mouse) but additionally a “rattrapante” or split-seconds function (described further here), that is a helpful and eminently sensible accessory for a wrist watch whose DNA is rooted in auto racing. To record split occasions, for example individuals of numerous racecars finishing laps, one simply activates the chronograph using the red pusher at 2 o’clock to begin the chronograph sweep-seconds hands, and also the split-seconds hands superimposed directly beneath it, on their own lap round the dial. Press the pusher at 8 o’clock to prevent the underside hands to record a split time the very best hands continues moving. Press the 8 o’clock pusher again and also the bottom (split-seconds) hands will jump to right away catch to the top (sweep-seconds) hands and start timing a brand new interval. To come back all hands to zero, apply a strong press towards the gold pusher at 4 ‘clock.

The Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date (the “R” marks it included in the “racing” collection mainstream L-Evolution watches don’t include quite as much direct Lamborghini design influence) is extremely comfortable to put on despite the weight this really is owed partially towards the relatively lightweight carbon fibre parts balancing the weighty rose gold elements, but mostly, for me, towards the aforementioned alcantara strap. Alcantara may be the extraordinarily comfy materials for that interior of Lamborghini cars such as the Aventador, and when you’ve been with them caressing your wrist for any couple of days - attached snugly using the folding rose-gold clasp - you might wish, when i did, that watches were outfitted with your straps.