My first hoot in 2013 - BP FF (aka Dark Knight)
Here's a short review:
Sail cloth strap - same as my GO Sports Evolution Panodate so i know it's comfortable to wear, durable and looks nice.
DLC Buckle - thanks goodness the watch didn't come with a stainless steel buckle like some other brands. Phew!
Caseback - it's nice to see the movement without the hassle of opening the caseback. Good quality movement, beautifully finished engine and i like the nautilus rotor. Unfortunately, sapphire glass see-through caseback means they need to sacrifice the anti-magnetism shield. I guess we can't have the best of both worlds.
Sapphire crystal bezel - this is my first watch with sapphire crystal bezel and it's really awesome.
DLC case - glossy black with neitherworld appeal. Stealth look brings out a different identity to this piece. It holds its place when placed next to the stainless steel version. It can count as one of the most beautiful "all black" watches around. I appreciate the additional painstaking process of coating the watch, making it virtually 100% scratch resistant (if it's just a PVD case, i would have drop it from the list). It better be!!!
Workmanship - It‘s a Blancpain and indeed they’ve lived up to the reputation of producing a high quality watch. I was impressed with the superb detailing and workmanship. At the first glance, I thought the hands and hour markers were “hollow” and would never have thought that they’ve actually coated the hands and markers. The engraving of "Blancpain" on the side of case is very smooth. Bezel is tightly fitted and every click is firm when i turned the bezel. Luminosity wasn’t great but it beats having nothing at all. It’s still legible but it loses some points in that area. I’m not a diver so the lume serves its purpose and is sufficient for me to read the time at night.
Weight & Size - When i tried the SS version, i remembered it's heavy and chunky but it seems like the Dark Knight is lighter and it sits well on my small wrist, albert chunky.
It’s not a versatile watch because you can’t play around with straps so this will be a watch for weekend, travel or for more casual occasions. This watch may not be to everyone’s tastes but overall it has qualities and history that I admire hence now earns a place in my watch collection.
Cheers
James
