Review of Blancpain 2185 Chronograph
By Kenneth Ross


Introduction

Having owned a Blancpain 2100 for the past three years, I always found myself admiring the classic styling and quality of the watch. The 2100 quickly became the favorite watch in my collection, and I found myself wearing the watch everyday. I was perfectly happy with the watch until I saw the Blancpain Flyback. After I saw the Flyback it was the only watch I thought about, and I soon forgot about the beauty of the 2100.

Not being one to make a hasty decision, I soon started to research the Flyback. My research on the Flyback and Blancpain chronographs gave me a new appreciation of Blancpain watches. During one of my business trips to New York I decided to see the Flyback in person at one the authorized Blancpain dealers.

My initial impression of the Flyback was of pure amazement and disappointment. While the Flyback was the most beautiful watch I had ever seen, the dial was so glossy that it produced a harsh glare that made viewing the dial difficult. To compound the problem, the concave chronograph registers amplified the glare of the dial. Perhaps it was the lighting in the store, but the high gloss finish of the dial was a big problem for me. I was also unsure as to how long a black dial watch would stay in style. However, right next to the Flyback was the 2100 Chronograph model that is better known as the 2185.

The 2185 was stunning with its white dial and instantly reminded me of my simple 2100. This seemed like the perfect watch for me - a 2100 watch with the chronograph feature that I desired. While not as dramatic in terms of styling when compared to the Flyback, the 2185 is mechanically identical with the exception of the flyback feature.

I spent the better part of the next year trying to decide which watch I wanted to purchase - the Flyback or the 2185. While my heart wanted me to go with the Flyback, reason finally prevailed and I ended up purchasing the 2185. My decision for choosing the 2185 over the Flyback was simple. I felt that the 2185 had a more classic appearance and would withstand the test of time better than the Flyback. I should mention that if I had unlimited funds I would purchase a Flyback in addition to my 2185, but this unfortunately isn't an option for me. As to the 2185, it's quite simply the most superb chronograph made today regardless of price.

General Information and Specifications

The 2185 chronograph is produced by Blancpain which is owned by the Swiss conglomerate the Swatch Group. Started in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, the company continued to produce watches until the 1970's when the quartz revolution put them out of business. Then in 1983 a young businessman named Claude Biver, along with Jacques Piguet (son of Frederic Piquet who produces the movements used by Blancpain), purchased the Blancpain name. Through the work of Mr. Biver and Mr. Piguet, the company was soon producing watches of the highest quality with a contemporary, yet timeless design.

While the timeless designs of Blancpain watches contributed to the success of the brand, it were the Frederic Piquet movements that make Blancpain watches so sought after among collectors. While not truly an in-house movement, the Frederic Piguet movements are built to the highest standards and are of equal quality to those made by Patek or Lange.

As to the 2185 chronograph, the watch is based on the 2100 series introduced by Blancpain in 1994. The 2100 series was created for the new millennium, is water resistance up to 100 meters, and its double barrel mechanism offers 100 hours of reserve power. The movement used in the 2185 is the 1185 caliber with a self-winding mechanism. While the 2185 utilizes all of 2100 series design characteristics, it only has a 40 hour power reserve; a feature I do miss after wearing my 2100 for over 3 years. Below is a chart that summarizes the technical specifications of the watch.

Technical Data
Caliber: 1185 self-winding
Diameter: 25.60 mm
Case Diameter: 38 mm
Height: 5.50 mm
Components: 304
Balance: Beryllium, annular
Vibrations/hours: 21,600
Adjustments: 5 positions
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Jewels 37
Water Resistance: 100 meters

Personal Review

Having owned the 2185 for about three weeks now, I can proudly state that the 2185 has become my favorite watch. Everything about the watch is first class. The styling is second to none and it's obvious that Blancpain put a lot of thought into the design of the watch.

Band
The band is made from Louisiana Alligator and has a rubber lining on the underside for added water resistance. It appears that the band is hand stitched and the quality of the band is second to none. I can safely state that I have never seen a band of this quality on any other brand of watch that I have owned. Even though the watch was purchased used, the band is already 4 years old and still appears to be in excellent condition with little or no signs of wear. This may have a lot to do with the deployant clasp which eliminates much of the wear a band will experience throughout its life.

Case
The case is made of stainless steel and has a screw-in crown, two push-buttons (for the chronograph feature), and case back. This helps to ensure the watch's water resistance rating of 100 meters. For my particular watch, the case is made of stainless steel, however, the watch also is available in both 18K white or 18K yellow gold. A display back is also available for some limited editions of the 2185.

Dial
Blancpain did a wonderful job in the design of the dial for the 2185. They somehow managed to create a dial that is very simple and pleasing to the eye; a task that isn't easy when one considers that most chronographs are both busy and cluttered. The dial has three registers: a 30 minute register located at 3 o'clock, a seconds register located at 6 o'clock, and a 12 hour register located at 9 o'clock. Each of the registers are concaved which adds to the eloquence and simplicity of the dial. There is also a date window located within the seconds register located at the 6 o'clock position.

Finally, the hands and markers are all made of 18K white gold. The tips of the hands are painted with a luminous material. While the small amount of luminous material applied to the hands do not provide the nighttime legibility of the Flyback, I can manage to see the time while I lie in bed at night once my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. Unfortunately, the indicators for the registers are not treated with any luminous material.

Movement
The movement used in the 2185 is the 1185 Caliber with self-winding produced by Frederic Piguet. As many Blancpain fans already know, Frederic Piguet movements are known for their first rate quality despite not being a true in-house movement. The Frederic Piguet movements offered in Blancpain watches are for the most part reserved exclusively for Blancpain. A Blancpain owner can be assured that the movement inside their watch is among the very best movement available to the watch collector. More specifically, the caliber 1185 is known to all chronograph collectors because it's the finest chronograph movement in production today. It's also the smallest and flattest chronograph movement ever produced.

Conclusion

Having purchased my 2185 approximately three weeks ago, I have yet to wear any of my other watches since its purchase. I just love this watch. Every aspect of the watch is first class. The watch is very comfortably to wear (even though I have a small wrist) and not noticeably bigger than my 2100 which I wore for several years. Even the deployant clasp is comfortable.

As to accuracy, I tested the watch over a three day period and found that the watch had an error of 0 seconds! While the testing method was in no means scientific (I tested the watch against the local news radio station KWY 1060 AM which denotes the hour and ½ hour throughout the day), any watch that has an error rate of 0 seconds speaks volumes of its quality. When I purchased the watch I was hoping for at least 5-10 seconds +/- per day, but never thought that I would be able to get a watch that was so accurate; especially a chronograph.

While it's hard to find a fault with the 2185, I do have two small complaints. First, I find having a 30 minute register instead of a 60 minute register to be quite annoying. For any measurement of time greater than 30 minutes, one has to examine the hour register (which reads in ½ increments) and then add whatever time the minute register is displaying. For example, if the chronograph feature has been running for 40 minutes, the minute register will display 10 minutes; not 40 minutes. It's up to the user to realize that the hour register is displaying a ½ increment and that you need to add the 10 minutes which is currently displayed on the minute register to get the total elapsed time of 40 minutes. For elapsed time periods of several hours, this calls on the user to carefully scrutinize the registers for the proper elapsed time. And this brings me to my final complaint of the watch.

While I can hardly fault the dial on the 2185 for its pure simplicity and grace, I have a difficult time seeing the small hands on the registers even though I am quite young and still have perfect eyesight. Perhaps this is the small price to pay for having such a beautiful watch, but I would be interested in hearing from the owners of Flybacks to see if they too have this problem.

Despite the two small faults I have cited above, the 2185 has surpassed all of my expectations. To prove this point, I am currently in the process of selling my two other watches, an Audemars Piguet and a Blancpain 2100, since I no longer have a need for them. The 2185 is a watch that will stay with me for a very long time and will be well cared for. Then again, I still think about the Flyback . . .

This piece is my opinion only, thanks to Mike Margolis for hosting this review on his website.