Condividiamo con i nostri lettori la notizia del fantastico risultato della vendita di un rarissimo Blancpain Air Commande degli anni ’60 al Phillips Auction house di Hong Kong, battuto all’asta per circa 128.000€! (1,125,000 Dollari di Hong Kong)
Blancpain Air Commande is an extremely rare, important and large stainless steel fly-back chronograph wristwatch with glossy black dial, tachymeter scale, rotatable bezel and presentation box.
- Circa 1960s
- 42 mm diameter
- Case, dial and buckle signed
Catalogue Essay
One of the rarest and most epic vintage pilot’s watch models, Blancpain’s Air Command model is shrouded in a haze of myth, legend and glory. As a matter of fact, no official documentations can be found about this mysterious model, and scholars have asserted that it was never serially manufactured or commercialized. At the turn of the 1950s, Blancpain decided to enter the market for pilot’s wristwatches, and offered the Air Command to the U.S. Air Force. No orders were placed and the Air Command project was not pursued.
When the quartz crisis struck Blancpain in the early 1970s, the brand had to sell many of its properties, including some of its unfinished examples. This speaks volumes for the unmatched rarity and originality, especially also considering that only an extremely small number of specimen are known to have survived. With its history, the Air Command is one of those rare cases when the watch is truly deserving the moniker “icon”.
The thick and robust 42 mm case houses the Valjoux caliber 222 featuring the ultra-desirable fly-back function. This function provides improved accuracy for aviators by no longer requiring the wearer to use the stop function prior to resetting the chronograph. Preserved in excellent condition, the present watch is only 26 numbers apart from another example that was sold at START-STOP-RESET: 88 Epic Stainless Steel Chronographs.
Manufacturer: Blancpain
Year: Circa 1960s
Case No: 15’016
Model Name: Air Command
Material: Stainless steel
Calibre: Manual, cal. Valjoux 222, 17 jewels
Bracelet/Strap: Leather
Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Blancpain buckle
Dimensions: 42 mm diameter
Signed: Case, dial and buckle signed
Accessories: Accompanied with Blancpain black leather box
Per maggiori info: https://www.phillips.com/detail/BLANCPAIN/HK080219/814?fromSearch=Blancpain&searchPage=1
