Description

Blancpain Air command Chronograph Blue Dial

Blancpain Air Command timepiece. A model reference AC02 12B40 63A (pin buckle), 42.5mm Titanium case, Blue dial, Tachometer two-way rotating titanium bezel with blue ceramic insert and Super-LumiNova hour-markers. It sits on a blue calfskin strap with pin buckle.
The flyback chronograph, which measures a succession of elapsed times, eliminates many superfluous repetitive operations.
"Combining a resolutely vintage style with Blancpain's latest technical advances, the Air Command collection revives the history linking the Maison to 1950s military aviation.

In keeping with their forerunner, renowned as the most sought-after military chronograph of its time, the Air Command models are distinguished by their sophisticated design and offer two separate timekeeping features: a flyback chronograph function, and a countdown bezel.

The back of the watch reveals the Manufacture F388B movement (a variant of the F385), distinguished by a free-sprung silicon balance oscillating at a frequency of 5 Hz. The design reflects Blancpain's philosophy of both precision and robustness. The free-sprung balance-and-spring assembly regulated by inertia screws was conceived to facilitate fine adjustments and increase shock-resistance. Compared to generally used metal balance-springs, the silicon balance-spring is insensitive to magnetic fields and guarantees greater precision throughout the power reserve. The 5 Hz frequency not only contributes to improved accuracy, but also enables a clear division of the seconds into 1/10th intervals. The F388B movement comprises a column-wheel system with a highly advanced Blancpain vertical clutch ensuring perfect starting and stopping without the jerks that occasionally occur with horizontal constructions. It is self-winding and topped by an open-worked gold oscillating weight with a snailed finish identical to that of the calibre's bridges. This aesthetic coherence is accentuated by the color of the rotor, which matches that of the watch case."