Wenn die meisten von uns an Blancpain denken, ist das erste Bild, das in den Sinn kommt, höchstwahrscheinlich einer der ikonischen Fünfzig Fathoms Taucheruhren der Marke oder etwas Elegantes und Ultrakompliziertes aus seiner Villeret Kollektion. Aber es gibt eine dritte, sportlichere Linie im Blancpain-Portfolio, das wesentlich weniger Aufmerksamkeit erhält und wohl weniger Anbetung von Uhrenliebhabern: die L-Evolution, eine Serie, die mit Blancpains Sponsoring der Super-Trofeo-Rennserie und mit Lamborghini, Die luxuriöse italienische Sportwagenmarke, deren Rennmaschinen ihr Feld bevölkern.
Der Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, das Produkt einer Vereinigung zwischen diesen beiden Power-Marken, wurde erstmals im Mai 2009 geleitet und war zunächst eine Europe-Only-Serie mit 30 Autos. Seitdem hat es sich nach Asien und den USA ausgeweitet, und 2015 markiert das erste Jahr, dass die Super Trofeo Finals hier in den Staaten stattfanden, an der legendären Sebring International Racetrack, der Heimat der 12 Stunden von Sebring. Das Feld dieses Jahres rühmte sich nicht weniger als 84 Autos, mit Teilnehmern aus Europa, Asien und Amerika. Ich war privilegiert, eine Einladung von Blancpain zu erhalten, um die Super Trofeo Finals in Sebring zu besuchen, und für diesen langjährigen Verehrer von Lamborghini Autos war es unnötig zu sagen, ein spannendes Erlebnis - noch spezieller gemacht von der Handgelenk Begleiter, dass ich aus Blancpain für die Veranstaltungen des Wochenendes: Der Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Datum. Kurzum, die Erfahrung hat mich viel mehr zu einer Befürwortung dieser oft übersehenen Sammlung aus dieser jahrhundertealten Schweizer Fertigung gemacht .
The model I wore and reviewed was Ref. 8886F-3603-52B, with a case that combines vibrant 5N rose gold with carbon fiber. To me, this marriage of classical elegance with cutting-edge-tech rarely works, but I found it very appealing here — and appropriate to the watch’s motorsport-inspired theme, as carbon fiber is used regularly in the world of auto racing due to its high tensile strength, sturdiness, light weight, and resistance to high temperatures. Carbon fiber, with its telltale light checkerboard pattern, is also used for the caseback and for the dial. The motif is continued on the black, overstitched alcantara strap, which incorporates carbon inserts. A particularly attractive detail is the carbon-fiber insert that punctuates the gold buckle, further marking the L-Evolution as a luxury timepiece that’s not afraid to show its sporty side.
More on that dial: the Lamborghini and auto racing-inspired aesthetic touches are very much in evidence and yet surprisingly subtle, especially to those who may not have attended a Super Trofeo race. The numerals “12” and “9” at their respective hour positions are executed in the same font used to identify the Lamborghini cars in the race. The large date display at 6 ‘clock uses a digital-type numeral font that evokes the one on the electronic clocks used to time laps at racetracks. The use of red — for the borders of the hour numerals and the 2 o’clock chronograph pusher — is a nod to Lamborghini, and the split-seconds pusher at 8 o’clock is shaped like a gas cap. Finally — and this one actually took me more than a day to notice — the counter at 9 o’cl0ck is in the shape of Lamborghini’s badge.
The automotive aesthetic also finds its way to the movement, Blancpain’s automatic Caliber 69F9 (photo below, by Redbar Crew’s Adam Craniotes), which incorporates an incredible 409 parts, including 44 jewels, and which Blancpain has obligingly put on display underneath a sapphire caseback window. The big winding rotor resembles the wheel of a racecar’s tire, and the decorative finishes echo the high-tech look of the watch’s exterior: bead-blasted two-tone material on various parts and straight graining on the NAC bridges imparting an anthracite look.
While the overall look is decidedly sporty, this watch’s movement offers a level of complication comparable to that of many of the brand’s more elegant haute horlogerie timepieces. Its chronograph mechanism is governed by a column wheel (which ensures precise pusher control) and a vertical-coupling clutch mechanism (which helps to prevent unwanted jerking of the chronograph hand upon activation. Having used the stopwatch at various points during the racing weekend, I can report that these functions performed admirably.
Of course, the chronograph mechanism itself is among the most complicated of its kind; it includes not only a flyback feature (in which the elapsed seconds hand can be stopped, returned to zero and restarted instantly with a single push of a button) but also a “rattrapante” or split-seconds function (explained further here), which is a useful and eminently sensible addition to a watch whose DNA is rooted in auto racing. To record split times, such as those of various racecars completing laps, one simply activates the chronograph with the red pusher at 2 o’clock to start the chronograph sweep-seconds hand, and the split-seconds hand superimposed directly underneath it, on their lap around the dial. Press the pusher at 8 o’clock to stop the bottom hand to record a split time; the top hand continues moving. Press the 8 o’clock pusher again and the bottom (split-seconds) hand will jump to instantly catch up to the top (sweep-seconds) hand and begin timing a new interval. To return all hands to zero, simply apply a firm press to the gold pusher at 4 ‘clock.
The Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date (the “R” marks it as part of the “racing” collection; mainstream L-Evolution watches don’t include quite so much direct Lamborghini design influence) is very comfortable to wear despite its weight; this is owed partly to the relatively lightweight carbon fiber parts balancing out the weighty rose gold elements, but mostly, in my opinion, to the aforementioned alcantara strap. Alcantara is the extraordinarily comfy material used for the interior of Lamborghini cars like the Aventador, and once you’ve had it caressing your wrist for a few days — attached snugly with the folding rose-gold clasp — you may wish, as I did, that all watches were equipped with such straps.
As one might expect, based on not only the materials but the highly complicated chronograph movement (and let’s not discount the mechanics required for the big date), the Blancpain Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe à Rattrapante Grande Date carries a daunting sticker price, at least for non-Lamborghini owners: $55,700. On the other hand, it’s hard to not consider it justified for a timepiece that so deftly marries motorsport-inspired high-tech materials and design with the highest levels of Swiss mechanical watchmaking.
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