WT_2006_05: COMPARATIVE TEST BLANCPAIN AND PANERAI

Battle of the
Flyback
Chronographs
BLANCPAIN
Advantages
+ Manufacture caliber
+ Big date
+ Outstanding craftsmanship
+ Classical design
+ Perfect legibility
Disadvantages
– No continuously running
seconds-hand
photos by imagina
142 WatchTime October 2006

PANERAI
Advantages
+ Successful design
+ Outstanding craftsmanship
+ Good legibility
Disadvantages
– No date display
– Movement based on a
mass-produced caliber
October 2006 WatchTime 143

Fine movement: with a column-wheel, vertical
coupling and a big date display, the 69FB has plenty
to offer both visually and technically.
Like an airplane that aborts a landing before ascending again, a flyback chronograph can return
its hands to zero before starting to measure another interval. We compare and contrast
the merits of two favorites in the category: Blancpain’s Léman Flyback Big Date and Panerai’s
Luminor 1950 Chrono Flyback.
BY JENS KOCH
The term “flyback” doesn’t really
have much to do with flying. It refers
to the hands on a watch that measure
elapsed intervals and will, at one push of a
button, “fly back” to their starting positions
and resume their motion from there. Aviators,
however, were very grateful for this invention.
Prior to a flight, they must calculate estimated
time intervals — from the airstrip to a distinctive
feature in the landscape, and from one successive
landmark to the next — and enter this information
into a flight plan. Immediately after
takeoff, they switch on the chronograph mechanism,
and periodically refer to its minute
counter to see how long they’ve been flying between
each selected landmark. If the elapsed
time indicates that the aircraft will soon fly over
one of them, pilots keep their eyes peeled for it.
As the airplane flies over it, they press the flyback
button once, returning the elapsed-time
hands to their starting positions, and begin
measuring the time until the next landmark.
The flyback function makes life easier in a
cockpit in several ways. Pilots typically have
their hands full with in-flight jobs, like keeping
the plane at its correct altitude and on its proper
course, monitoring instruments and radio
transmissions, and keeping a watchful eye on
other aircraft in the vicinity. They also must enter
into the flight plan the time when their
plane flies over each landmark. A flyback chronograph
eliminates the need for two manually
executed tasks and eases a pilot’s workload,
while increasing the safety of his passengers, by
pre-empting two potential sources of human
error. If he’s wearing an ordinary (non-flyback)
chronograph and doesn’t press forcefully
enough (regardless of whether his intention is
to stop the chronograph, return its hands to
zero or restart them), his wristwatch won’t indicate
the correct elapsed flight time.
The flyback function is obviously useful in an
airplane’s cockpit, but what about outside the
aircraft and on terra firma Blancpain’s Léman
Flyback Big Date and Panerai’s Luminor 1950
Chrono Flyback wristwatches are two examples
that are well-designed and very distinct stylistically
from each other. Each strives for sporty el-
144 WatchTime October 2006

It runs and runs and runs: the ETA Valjoux 7750 gets its
flyback mechanism from La Joux-Perret and its embellishments
from Panerai.
Each movement suits the character of its case: the Panerai chronograph relies on a robust
Valjoux 7750 as its basic movement; Blancpain uses a fine Caliber 1185 originally developed
by its sister firm, Frédéric Piguet.
egance, but sets its own priorities in the pursuit.The
Blancpain is classically elegant, slim
and reserved, with the bold numerals that typically
distinguish Blancpain’s pilots’ watches.
Blancpain’s customary sporty design touches
are also evident, though this watch is not intended
for a wearer who breaks much of a
sweat while playing his favorite sport.
Panerai’s styling is decidedly less understated,
but also displays some subtlety. The Luminor
Flyback 1950 looks smaller than its enormous
44-mm-diameter case would lead you to
expect, but its highly domed crystal, prominent
crown-protector bow and distinctively styled
dial command attention. Unlike Blancpain’s
watch, the Panerai model emphasizes the
sporty aspects, while still managing to convey
elegance through the traditional styling of its
case and dial. The Luminor also looks more
modern than the Léman thanks to the hightech
design of Panerai’s crown protector and
the old-fashioned typeface used for Blancpain’s
numerals. Panerai’s choice of strap — calfskin
with embossed carbon-fiber pattern — also accentuates
the watch’s contemporary feel, and
contrasts with Blancpain’s more traditional
crocodile-skin strap. The Luminor’s gift box also
includes a replacement rubber strap.
Both timepieces look great with a business
suit. The Blancpain suggests that its wearer
probably owns the classical English sportscar
parked in front of the door, while the Panerai
watch hints that its wearer is more likely holding
the keys to the high-end SUV. There is also
a contrast in the watches’ sizes and weights:
the Léman is an understated 40 millimeters in
diameter and weighs just 86.5 grams; Panerai’s
44-mm colossus weighs a hefty 151
grams, and is nearly half a centimeter thicker
than the Léman. Of course, the Luminor’s
larger dimensions are no surprise to watch
history buffs. Panerai traces its roots to the
1930s, making its name developing highly
functional and robust wrist-borne itimepieces
for Italian naval frogmen.
When it comes to operation, these watches
have much in common. Both chronographs can
be started and stopped by pressing the button
at the 2, and the hands that clock elapsed intervals
can be returned to their starting positions
by pressing the button at the 4. If the chronograph
is already switched on when this latter
button is pressed, then the moment it’s released,
the elapsed-time hands will resume
their motion and the chronograph will begin to
measure the duration of the next interval. The
crown of each watch can be used to set the
146 WatchTime October 2006

In profile: Blancpain offers an excellently crafted case with threaded push-pieces.
time; Blancpain’s crown is also used to reset its
date display, which the Panerai model lacks. The
crown and push-pieces on the Léman must first
be unscrewed before they’re operated; the Luminor’s
hinged crown-protection bow must first
be flipped open before the time can be reset.
The advantages of Blancpain’s threaded pushpieces
are that they help make the slim case water-resistant
to a greater depth (100 meters)
and, if the case is wet, they protect it against the
penetration by water which might occur if the
buttons were inadvertently pressed. In their unscrewed
positions, the top surfaces of the pushpieces
are enlarged by their knurled bolts.
Along with their already slight resistance, this
makes the buttons easy to operate.
Panerai lags behind in this category. Though
the absence of threading on the Luminor’s pushpieces
means that these buttons are always instantly
operable, you need to apply plenty of fingertip
pressure to trigger them; the return-tozero
flyback button at the 4 is particularly stubborn.
The comparatively small area of the top
surfaces of these buttons means that they can’t
compensate for their stiffness by allowing the
user to distribute the pressure over a larger area.
The lower button is particularly hard to push because
the crown protector gets in the way.
As far as setting the time, Panerai outdoes
Blancpain because the Luminor is
equipped with a stop-seconds function. This
feature is absent on the Léman, which also
lacks a continuously running seconds-hand.
On the other hand, the 12-hour counter on
Blancpain’s watch can tally much longer
elapsed intervals than Panerai’s 30-minute
counter. A much more important and genuinely
functional advantage is that Blancpain’s
Flyback has a big date display (Blancpain
also offers a model with an ordinary
date display and a continuously running seconds-hand
on a subdial at the 6). After all, a
date display is one of the most frequently
used additional functions. Blancpain’s big
date indicator, harmoniously integrated into
the dial at the 6, is appealingly unobtrusive
because the date disks match the color
scheme of the rest of the dial: white digits
against a black background. Each of the
date’s two digits occupies its own plane, but
the difference in their heights is nearly unnoticeable
and the date remains easily legible,
even viewed from a difficult angle. If the
watch has gone unused for a few days or
weeks, a rapid adjustment mechanism can
easily reset the date.
DATA
BLANCPAIN LÉMAN FLYBACK
CHRONOGRAPH
Manufacturer: Blancpain SA, Chemin de
l’Etang 6, CH-1094 Paudex, Switzerland
Model: Léman Flyback Big Date
Reference number: 717.040K-00
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback
chronograph with counters for the seconds,
30 minutes and 12 hours; big date
Movement: Self-winding Caliber 69F8, based
on Caliber F185; diameter = 32 mm;
height = 7 mm; 21,600 vph; 42 jewels; chronograph
controlled via column-wheel; vertical
coupling; Kif shock absorption; fine adjustment
via micrometer screw; about 38-hour power
reserve
Case: Steel case; sapphire crystal is nonreflective
on both its surfaces; threaded back with sapphire
crystal window; water-resistant to 100 meters
Strap and clasp: Crocodile-skin strap with
folding clasp
Rate Test:
(Deviations in seconds per 24 hours)
With and without chronograph switched on
Dial up: 0 +1
Dial down: 0 0
Crown up: +1 +1
Crown down: -1 -3
Crown left: -4 0
Crown right: +6 +6
Greatest deviation of rate: 10 9
Mean deviation: +0.3 +0.8
Mean amplitude
flat positions: 316° 305°
hanging positions: 275° 264°
Dimensions: Diameter = 40 mm,
height = 14.2 mm; weight = 86.5 grams.
Price: $12,000
Attractively packaged: both wristwatches
come in beautiful wooden boxes. Panerai’s
chronograph includes an extra strap and a
special tool to help you switch.
148 WatchTime October 2006

COMPARATIVE TEST: BLANCPAIN AND PANERAI
Both wristwatches fit so comfortably on the forearm that you can almost forget you’re wearing
them. Panerai’s heavy weight will occasionally remind you.
Light the Night
A thick layer of luminous material on the Blancpain’s
hands and numerals assures that the
time will be easily readable at nighttime or in
the dark. The luminescent strips on the Panerai’s
hands are slender in comparison, but just
as legible. The competing timepieces fought to
a tie in the “legibility of elapsed time” category.
Panerai coats the three main minute indices
with luminous material, and the red tip on
Blancpain’s elapsed seconds-hand makes it
somewhat easier to find in the dark than its
counterpart on the Panerai.
We were slightly disappointed to find that
the fractions-of-seconds strokes on Blancpain’s
dial are incorrectly calibrated. The balance
oscillates at a rate of 21,600 vibrations
per hour, so the seconds-hand necessarily progresses
through six increments each second. It
would have made more sense to put six (or at
least three) subdivisions between each pair of
full-second strokes, rather than the illogical
four that Blancpain chose. Panerai’s designers
found a better solution. The balance in Panerai’s
movement oscillates faster, completing
28,800 vibrations per hour, so the seconds
hand accordingly advances through eight increments
every second. The seconds scale is
marked with full seconds and half-seconds, so
the seconds-hand will stop with its tip pointing
exactly to a stroke whenever it has been
halted — either four or eight eighths-of-a-second
after the previous full second. Panerai’s
watch has a tachymeter scale that lets you
read average speeds directly from the dial: to
use it, simply measure the time that has
elapsed between two consecutive mile markers
along the highway.
Comparing the fine details, we found that
Blancpain’s case is more finely crafted than Panerai’s,
with impressive detail on the more
Distinctive: Panerai’s watch has the typical crown protector and a cleverly shaped satin-finished case.
elaborate concave surfaces, in the underside of
the horns, and in the milled brand name on the
rim. This last-mentioned detail, of course, is a
matter of taste.
Both straps feature well-made clasps, with
each perfectly matching its respective case. Panerai’s
double-folding clasp with safety buttons
is large, satin-finished, and eye-catching,
with a high-tech look; Blancpain’s folding clasp
is polished, slimmer and more rounded.
DATA
PANERAI LUMINOR 1950 CHRONO FLYBACK
Manufacturer: Officine Panerai, Rue de la
Balance 4, CH-2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
Model: Luminor 1950 Chrono Flyback 44 mm
Reference number: PAM00212
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback
chronograph with counters for the elapsed seconds
and 30 minutes; stop-seconds mechanism
Movement: Self-winding Caliber OP XIX,
based on a Valjoux 7750, additional mechanism
from La Joux-Perret; diameter = 30 mm;
height = 8.1 mm; 28,800 vph; 30 jewels;
Incabloc shock absorption; Triovis fine adjustment;
COSC chronometer certificate; about 42-
hour power reserve
Case: Steel case; 2-mm-thick sapphire crystal is
nonreflective on its inner surface; threaded back
with sapphire crystal window; patented bow protects
the crown; water-resistant to 100 meters
Strap and clasp: Calfskin strap with carbonfiber
pattern; double-folding clasp with pushpieces;
a rubber strap and a tool to help
change straps are included with the watch
Rate Test:
(Deviations in seconds per 24 hours)
With and without chronograph switched on
Dial up: +6 +8
Dial down: +7 +6
Crown up: +6 +5
Crown down: +3 +4
Crown left: +8 +5
Crown right: +3 +3
Greatest deviation of rate: 5 5
Mean deviation: +5.5 +5.2
Mean amplitude
flat positions: 308° 285°
hanging positions: 306° 265°
Dimensions: Diameter = 44 mm,
height = 19 mm; weight = 151 grams.
Price: $8,800
150 WatchTime October 2006

COMPARATIVE TEST: BLANCPAIN AND PANERAI
Blancpain’s
nonreflective
crystal is almost
invisible.
An elegant combination: the polished folding clasp harmonizes with the crocodile-skin wristband.
Our two contestants also battled to a stalemate
in the “wearing comfort” category. Their
supple straps, with ideally positioned clasps on
the wrist, almost made us forget that we were
wearing them. Of course, the greater weight
of Panerai’s chronograph will remind you of its
presence, and its larger size makes it more likely
to bump into surrounding objects. Both
watches boast unusual straps: Panerai opts for
a cowhide wristband with a modern, carbonfiber
look; Blancpain’s timepiece sports a crocodile-skin
strap with a layer of rubber on its inner
surface, which makes it less susceptible to
the ill effects of perspiration. Panerai,
renowned for its diver’s watches, includes an
additional rubber strap in its hardwood gift
box, allowing the wearer the option of replacing
the strap for amphibious timekeeping.
A Contrast in Calibers
Both watches offer a pane of sapphire crystal in
the back of their cases, so aficionados can enjoy
views of the movements. Each movement suits
the character of its respective case: The Panerai
chronograph relies on a robust Valjoux 7750 as
its basic movement; Blancpain uses a fine Caliber
1185, which was originally developed by this
manufacture’s sister firm Frédéric Piguet.
Caliber 69F8 with flyback and big date is
available only from Blancpain. The Luminor Flyback
1950 gets its flyback from the mechanism
specialists at La Joux-Perret (formerly Jaquet).
Panerai adds the embellishments on its own
premises. Replete with flyback mechanism and
Panerai’s own decorations, the movement is
designated as Caliber OP XIX.
It’s not a simple task to add a flyback mechanism
to a chronograph movement. Ordinarily,
only the upper push-piece causes the propelling
wheel to mesh with the chronograph mechanism
and the lower return-to-zero button is only
operable when the chronograph is motionless.
The situation is different for flyback chronographs:
while the chronograph is still running,
pressure on the lower button first uncouples the
propelling wheel before the hand returns to
zero. Without this step, the wheels could suffer
damage. Additional levers must be integrated to
accomplish the necessary tasks.
When our competitors’ movements were
compared one-on-one, Blancpain clearly
emerged victorious. The construction with a column-wheel
and vertical coupling is finer, more
sensible, more functional and more laborious to
manufacture. Compared to the cam switching
in Panerai’s movement, Blancpain’s construction
guarantees that its chronograph’s seconds hand
begins to move without a shudder or jump and
that its push-pieces are smoothly operable without
excessive force. This type of construction
also results in a more attractive overall look for
the movement. The Valjoux 7750, with its wire
springs and embossed components, cannot
TEST RESULTS
BLANCPAIN LÉMAN FLYBACK
CHRONOGRAPH
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): The crocodile-skin
strap with rubber on its inner surface
is just as neatly crafted as the stable, polished,
folding clasp. 9
Operation (5): The push-pieces and crown are
threaded, but very easy to operate. A rapid adjustment
mechanism makes resetting the date
display easy. 5
Case (10): An elegant and very beautifully
made case. Refined details such as the brand’s
name on the flank testify to Blancpain’s attention
to detail. 9
Design (15): Very successful, sporty elegance.
All elements harmonize with one another. 13
Legibility (5): Large luminous numerals and
hands assure that the time is easily read, even
at night. 5
Wearing comfort (10): Thanks to its supple
strap and comparatively low overall weight, you
almost forget you’re wearing it. 10
Movement (20): A fine movement that combines
functional refinement with attractive embellishments.
17
Rate results (10): Very slight average deviation,
but large differences among the several
positions. 7
Overall rating (15): The higher price is justified
by this watch’s high quality and superlative
functioning. 13
TOTAL:
88 points
conceal the fact that its developers designed it
so that it could be produced less expensively
than a comparable column-wheel chronograph
movement, but Panerai makes the best of the
situation. The rotor and the bridge for the selfwinding
mechanism are adorned with Geneva
waves; blued screws are used in the movement;
and the plates are embellished with circular
graining. The results are very attractive, but
Blancpain’s decorative touches are even finer: its
flat parts have beveled and polished edges. Oth-
152 WatchTime October 2006

COMPARATIVE TEST BLANCPAIN AND PANERAI
Panerai’s eye-catching,
highly domed crystal.
The satin-finished, double-folding clasp with safety buttons iworks well on Panerai’s watch.
er notable details include the fine adjustment
mechanism, the way the balance-spring is attached,
and the milled levers.
Accuracy and Value
Of course, the accuracy of a watch’s rate is always
a key factor. Can Panerai’s tractor outdo
Blancpain’s sportscar in this category It can,
and does. Both movements ran very well, but
when they went one-on-one on our timing machine,
the Panerai powerhouse came out ahead
in the most important category: maximum deviation
among the several positions. This value remained
at five seconds, both with and without
the chronograph switched on. Blancpain’s
watch had a wider spread and deviated by 10
seconds with the chronograph switched off and
by 9 seconds with the stopwatch function
switched on. The Léman had been adjusted to
gain slightly, so in our test it failed to keep time
with the accuracy that it would need to earn it
chronometer certification. Still, Blancpain’s
watch posted values very close to the zero mark
in all of the various positions, and performed
with a respectable average deviation of +0.3
seconds per day. On the other hand, there’s really
no reason to complain about the Luminor’s average
daily deviation of 5.5 seconds.
Furthermore, Panerai’s flyback chronograph
is significantly less expensive than Blancpain’s
model: the former retails for $8,800, the latter
for $12,000. Essentially, A few bucks more
buys you the big date display on Blancpain’s
watch, while Panerai is kinder to your wallet,
but keeps you in the dark about the date. If you
can do without a date display (but don’t want
to forego it altogether), then you might be interested
in Blancpain’s Flyback without big
date. This model resembles the Léman with big
date, but its overall diameter is three millimeters
smaller. It makes do without a viewing
window in the back and it sells for just $9,800
— a price more or less on a par with that of the
Panerai Luminor 1950 Chrono Flyback.
Crunching the numbers again will show that
Blancpain levies a surcharge of $2,200 for the
big date display. But that’s really not exorbitant,
especially when you consider that the surcharge
also buys you a pane of sapphire crystal
in the back. And you probably won’t want to
do without the viewing window simply because
it’s so much fun to peer through the
pane and watch the gorgeously decorated
movement do its tricks.
Ultimately, it’s the finer and more elaborately
constructed movement that edges the Blancpain
timepiece into the winners circle. However,
TEST RESULTS
PANERAI LUMINOR 1950 CHRONO FLYBACK
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): An interesting
embossed carbon-fiber pattern adorns
the leather strap. The clasp is robust and secure.
8
Operation (5): The push-pieces don’t run quite
as smoothly as Blancpain’s buttons, but are
good nonetheless. 4
Case (10): The satin-finished and pillow-shaped
case is well crafted, with elaborate protection
for the crown and screwed strap lugs. 9
Design (15): Panerai’s typical styling has been
successfully modified for a chronograph wristwatch,
but the hands are too short. 13
Legibility (5): Unmistakable luminous indices
and two large numerals help keep you oriented
on the dial, although the black hands would
have benefited from a bit more luminous material.
5
Wearing comfort (10): Panerai’s watch is very
comfortable to wear, despite its heavy weight
and large dimensions. 9
Movement (20): The reliable but mass-produced
Valjoux 7750 has been given a flyback
mechanism and elaborate decorations. 14
Rate results (10): Very slight deviation among
the several positions, but the timepiece gains
more strongly than a chronometer should. 8
Overall rating (15): Except for the movement,
you get a very solid product for your money. 12
TOTAL:
82 points
if you can do without a date display, the Panerai
Luminor 1950 Chrono Flyback is a worthy
purchase as well. The quality of both watches is
very high, and the price of each is fully appropriate
to the level of quality. Ultimately, your purchasing
decision will probably be most strongly
influenced by the disparate characters of these
two timepieces. Whether you opt for the gentleman
or the adventurer, each flyback chronograph
wristwatch underscores its wearer’s personality
quite admirably.
■
154 WatchTime October 2006