Food for winter: Brussels sprouts with breast of goose

There is some food which is perfect for cold winter days. One of my favourites is something simple but nonetheless very delicous: Brussels sprouts with breast of goose.

Clean & steam them, before you heat some butter and onions in the pan. Put in the brussels sprouts and cover it for a short time. Put in the breast of goose, mix it and give it some time.

Prepare the aniseeds with the mortar, put in some Fleur de Sel and strew it over the sprouts. Some more butter on top.

Mix it and give it some more time.

When it looks good to you, I recommend a final tasting with salt & pepper.

Ready to serve!

Yummy, yummy, ...

Accompanied by some nice red wine it is just perfect for a cold winter day.

My choice was a Chateau Trianon, Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2004. Vanilla and toast from the oak, with a fleshy and ripe palate making for a very and all too easy to drink Claret.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms - parts of the family (Part 3)

Fifty Fathoms – Concept 2000

Based on the Trilogy, but with:

·         Steel and rubber bracelets – links of steel and fiberglass-reinforced rubber. Enduring yet utterly stylish bracelets provide exceptional suppleness and wearing comfort.
(Those have been changed after some years, because the former ones caused some problems with the rubber. Never heart about problems with the later ones)

·         Steel and rubber bezel – framing and enhancing the bezel figures, rubber also provides a more comfortable grip on the bezel´s ribbed rim

·         Steel and rubber push pieces and crown – softer and more pleasant to the touch. Improved handling ease and all-round protection

Introduced: 1999

Case diameter: 40.3mm

Movements: same as the brothers from the Trilogy collection

Ref. 2200 Fifty Fathoms

 2200-6530-66 (ST & black rubber, black dial)

2200-4430-44 (PT & black rubber, black dial, LE 10) 

 2200 (WG & blue rubber, blue dial, LE 10) 

Ref. 2250 GMT 24

2250-6530-66 (ST & black rubber, black dial) 

 2250 (WG & blue rubber, blue dial, LE 10) 

Ref. 2285F Air Command

Those are water-resistant to 200 meters, as you can see at the dials.

 2285F-6530-66 (ST & black rubber, black dial)

2285F (WG & blue rubber, blue dial, LE 10) 

If somebody asked me what I think is missing in the Fifty Fathoms family:

Well, I could imagine a FF Bathyscaphe with a “simpler” caliber 1315, case diameter 42mm and a price tag about € 7K. From my point of view, those should sell very well. Some nice vintage Bathyscaphe designs have been done in the past and could be used for inspiration …

For example:

 

 Final conclusion

Both series have never been part of the regular collections (LeBrassus, Villeret, Leman), at least Blancpain assigned them under Specials. The movements used have been the same as available in the Villeret and Leman line and those are so called Ultra-Slim movements. They are more luxury than tool watches. Personally I never had any trouble with mine, but for sure the outstanding reliability/toughness of the latest development – caliber 1315 – is hard to beat for the older ones. The FF Sports collection chronographs (introduced in 2007 and later) still use the same “old” movement – caliber F185. It was claimed to be “The World´s First Women´s Flyback Chronograph” – thickness: 5.5mm; diameter: 26.2mm. Nothing is wrong with the movement and I like it a lot, but does it fit into a 45mm sports watch? Final judgement is up to the buyer. Personally I would have preferred a later introduction of the new FF Sports chronographs, with a new developed movement.

Trilogy & Concept 2000 watches are out of production for some years, but still can be found NOS (seldom, but possible) and are not that difficult to find in the second market – at least in steel. From my observations, some of the “Beginner´s” start with one of those watches – these days. Recently the Fifty Fathoms “bug” gets stronger and because of the rarity of high-quality vintage pieces and the big size/price of the latest one, more people are getting interested and prices increase (slightly). Back in 1998/99 the all steel Fifty Fathoms was too heavy for my taste and therefore two watches of the Concept 2000 line have been my daily companions for several years. The superior finish and the design is still one of my favourites.

This report was prepared based on my collected knowledge and my personal experiences. Credit for some of the knowledge and pictures goes to Blancpain, the internet (forums, blogs, …), brochures, catalogues, books, but I can´t name them all - sorry. I don´t claim to be correct in all the details and would appreciate it to get better/more detailed ones.

Let me close with some personal pictures:

 

    

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms - parts of the family (Part 2)

Recently there is a bit more interest in the roots of Blancpain and the Fifty Fathoms – internal & external. Interest for vintage pieces get stronger, prices increase and we can even find lots of fakes in the market. As mentioned before, there is still a lack of in-depth knowledge written down.

There was a comprehensive exhibition held at the Blancpain-Boutique in Paris (November 2010), which moves on to China and the USA.

Most of the (about 100) pieces shown are loans from collectors. Obviously it is used to promote the current Fifty Fathoms Sports collection in some markets, but I still hope that they will do more. At least I could imagine a catalogue about the exhibition and the collected pieces. Blancpain, it would be a great opportunity to do it now!

My topic for the further report is the Trilogy & Concept 2000 and I will try (!) to give you an overview. I don´t know of any source which covers them all and it is a challenge to get them all in detail.

Fifty Fathoms Trilogy

• SEA – Fifty Fathoms (Diver Watch)
• EARTH – GMT 24 (Two Time Zones)
• SKY – Air Command (Self-Winding Chronograph)

“Climbing the Echelons of the Trilogy

Look to the past for guidance into the future. This is the path taken by Blancpain to arrive at the Trilogy.

A strong development yet quiet a natural one, in line with the brand´s own historical concept. This is how Blancpain arrived at the classical look of its six masterpieces and the 2100 line, finally leading up to the Fifty Fathoms´expression of the 21^st century – the birth of a totally new concept. The expression of the traditional art of watchmaking in the oceans, on land and in the air … The birth of an exceptional collection in which man´s universe opens to the art of watchmaking … A collection only Blancpain is capable of offering today.”

(Extract from the above mentioned catalogue)

Case diameter of most of the members from the Trilogy family: 40.3mm

The limited pieces from the Monaco YS editions will not be listed here.

Ref. 2200 – Fifty Fathoms

Calibre 1151, 12 lines, hand-decorated and finished. With a height of 3.25 mm, it is composed of 185 pieces including two barrels which enable a power reserve of over 100 hours.

 Calibre 1151

2200-1130 (ST, black sun-ray dial, faceted hour markers and numeral)

 2200-1142 (ST, opaline dial)  

2200-1540 (WG, blue dial)

2200-1430 (YG, black dial)

2200-3618 (RG, white dial)

2200-3630 (RG, black dial). Limited series of 100 numbered pieces. Each timepiece is signed by the watchmaker who finished and adjusted it. 

 2200-3642 (RG, opaline dial)

Ref. 2250 – FF GMT 24

Display of second time-zone over 24 hours and bidirectional turning bezel. 2.95mm thick scratch-resistant sapphire crystal antireflective on both sides. Self-winding calibre 5A50, 11 ^1/2 lines, 4.35mm high, composed of 236 pieces with 100-hour power reserve.

2250-1130 (ST, black dial) 

 2250-1142 (ST, opaline dial)

 2250-1430 (YG, black dial)

 2250-1442 (YG, opaline dial)

 2250-3630 (RG, black dial). Series limited to 100 numbered pieces.

2250-1540 (WG, blue dial) 

 2250-1540 (WG, blue dial, LE for Asprey)

 2250-1542 (WG, opaline dial)

 

Ref. 2255 – FF GMT 24 Perpetual Calendar

 

2255A-3630 (RG, black dial)

Ref. 2258F – FF Air Command Perpetual Calendar

 2258-3630 (RG, black dial) 

Ref. 2285F – FF Air Command

Chronograph movement with Flyback system, self-winding, calibre F185. Diameter 25.6mm or 11 ½ lines, height 5.40mm, components 308, power reserve 40 hours

2285F-1130 (ST, black sun-ray dial) 

2285F-1130 (ST, black sun-ray dial)

2285F-1142 (ST, opaline dial)

2285F-1140 (WG, blue dial, LE 8 for Asprey)

2285F-3630 (RG, black dial). Series limited to 100 numbered pieces.

2285F-3642 (RG, opaline dial) 

 2285F-1430 (YG, black dial)

Mysteries of the 2285F

There have been two different bezels, but I don´t know when they changed it and why. The (probably) early one looks like this – without 5 and 10:

 (early)

(late)

The later ones show 5 and 10 at the bezel.

Maybe you already saw the next mystery at the dial. Water-resistant to 200 m … or 300 m – both have been available. Both mysteries can be found together – bezel and writing at the dial, in each variation. Most of the versions in steel (2200-11xx) show 300m on the dial and the versions in precious metals show 200m or nothing. My guess is - if there are steel versions available with 200m on the dial, they just got the wrong dial from the Concept 2000 Air Command. Maybe I am wrong. Who knows?

Ref. 22553 – FF Perpetual Calendar

 22553-3630 (RG, black dial) 

Ref. 2485F – FF Air Command for ladies

Case diameter: 36mm

 2485F-1130 (ST, black dial)

2485F-4630 (ST with diamond ring, black dial)

More mysteries

 

Do these pieces have a “black” bezel? Is it only an optical illusion from the picture? I have no idea so far.

For sure there are several more mysteries when it comes to Blancpain as there have been more Limited Editions, Pieces Unique, variation’s, … ;-)

End of part 2