#IWC DUBAI ARABIC DIGIT SERIES#

Not only is it not present in the original, it also results in a dial that is not as clean as it could be. The other thing that might bother certain collectors is the вЂFlybackвЂ™ inscription on the dial. And letвЂ™s be honest, cream coloured Superluminova simply looks better and more appropriate here. The problem, however, is that the Air Command Chronograph would then become a less accurate recreation of the Air Command in its aged state.

Indeed, it would have been fine to use plain white Superluminova. One issue that might lead some to think the watch is pretentious is the use of вЂњagedвЂќ Superluminova to imitate the colour of old radium on vintage watches. Credit goes to Blancpain for resisting the urge to include a date display (a move that caters to casual buyers but irks connoisseurs to no end), which keeps the dial in its pure state. Even assuming for a second that it wasnвЂ™t a reissue of a beloved vintage watch, the Air Command Chronograph, by its own merits, looks well-finished, well-designed, and exceedingly charming. They were true to the design of the original Air Command, making the watch a good reissue. Our first impressions of the case and dial were positive. The dial of the Air Command Chronograph is virtually identical to that on the Air Command prototype, except everything looks fresh and pristine.

#IWC DUBAI ARABIC DIGIT SERIES#

Also, the hour markers are smaller in the prototype series вЂ“ the watches also have leaf hands in the sub-counters instead of baton hands. For another, the original features a running seconds counter at the 9 oвЂ™clock position rather than an hours sub-counter, which is found on the new piece. For one, there is no вЂFlybackвЂ™ inscription in the original. There are only minor differences in detail in the new Air Command Chronograph compared to the original prototype. Also coated in вЂњagedвЂќ Superluminova are the white, time-telling and chronograph seconds hands the baton hands in the sub-counters are not treated with luminescent material. Meanwhile, Arabic numerals coated with вЂњagedвЂќ Superluminova mark the hours. The dial is signed with the company marquee, as well as the inscriptions вЂAir CommandвЂ™ and вЂFlybackвЂ™. As in the original, the chronograph seconds is indicated by the central hand, though there is no running seconds. The minutes sub-counter is located at the 3 oвЂ™clock position while the hours sub-counter sits at 9 oвЂ™clock. With a bi-compax layout, the chronograph displays reinforces the vintage vibe of the Air Command Chronograph.

The black backdrop serves to highlight everything else on the dial, from the tachymeter scale to the hands. The dial is as charming as the case is and is, too, vintage-inspired. The beautifully polished case is matched with a brown calf leather strap. The design and colours of the bezel are essentially identical to the vintage specimen, though there is a small discrepancy in typography. Like the case, the bi-directional rotating bezel is also made of steel, but with a ceramic insert. The crown, pump pushers, and beveled lugs resemble those on the prototype, except that the crown is now larger and the distance between the pushers and the crown is smaller. Its size stays true to the original at 42.5 mm in diameter (the original measures 42 mm, which is close enough). The case of the Blancpain Air Command Chronograph is crafted in stainless steel. Here, we bring you the details and our thoughts on the new Blancpain Air Command Chronograph. And we are happy to say that it is a very faithful reissue, with minor tweaks to design and a new, superior movement. To reissue the Air Command was perhaps a no-brainer for Blancpain. Today, those pieces are considered grail watches amongst Blancpain and vintage watch collectors, with one example selling at 6-digits in Swiss Francs at a Phillips auction back in 2016. The Air Command project, however, was ultimately shelved by the USAF and no orders for the watch were placed. Only a handful of prototypes were made and distributed through US distributor Allen V. The story goes that the 1950вЂ™s Air Command was meant to be for the United States Air Force (USAF). The new Air Command Chronograph, revealed in the earlier half of 2019, is not exactly a novel timepiece per se, but a re-issue of the original legend from the mid-20th century. Blancpain looks set to command the skies after conquering the seas with its immensely successful Fifty Fathoms line.

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