Swiss is the magic word.... Blansacar Swiss???

五星上将手表
Blansacar CEO Series

This watch belongs to my brother-in-laws. It just happenstance that I helped him to get the watch repaired and serviced. He had sent the watch to numerous shops for repairs..... but after a few day it would stop running. So over a conversation during Chinese New Year, I offered him to send it for an overhauling services. 

It is a Blansacar CEO Series that he bought many years ago. It is a homage to the Rolex President. Knowing that this watch is running on a super reliable work horse of ETA 2834-2, I really cannot foresee any major issue with the watch apart from needing some cleaning and re-oiling and possible some worn parts changing.....

I started researching into the brand Blansacar many years ago as its dial stated Chronometer. From my old research through internet search and conversation with watch retailers and salespersons, I found that this brand originally is based in Batu Caves area, Malaysia. But the brand has always emphasized on its Swiss DNA. Lately, I have seen the newer batch of Blansacar stated Swiss Made on its dial.  

You need to comply with stringent requirements before being able to proclaim yourself "Swiss Made". These include the movement needs to be Swiss, the watch is cased in Switzerland and the manufacturer carries out final inspection in Switzerland. However, "Swiss Made" is often improperly used by foreign manufacturers to merely indicate that the movement is of Swiss origin.

Here is the Blansacar's fairy tales from its website.....Blansacar was founded in 1991 in the "watch making metropolis" of La Chaux-de-Fonds, by Mr. Michaël Vrolixs. Mr Vrolixs is the fourth generation of watchmakers family.

Blansacar claims to be an independent Swiss watch manufacturer. From what I see, its main market is in South East Asia, Asia and China. It uses the 5 Stars logo that shaped a Pentagon in the middle. Its Chinese name is "5 Stars General" or 五星上将, which sounded super elegant......

This watch has a 36mm diameter and with a thickness of 13mm. The case is said to make of 316L Stainless steel and is coated with white gold. It has a synthetic diamonds rim and sapphire crystal.

Its white dial is decorated with synthetic diamond hour markers. Below the Blansacar logo and wording, the word "SWISS" is in huge fonts. What is interesting is the wording above the 6 o'clock marker..... it is stated "Professional Chronometer", followed by another line "25 Jewels Automatic". Is it a real chronometer, fully certified???

 Like Rolex, the crown is a screw in and locked type. The crown is signed with the 5 Stars logo.

The watch is accompanied by the President style bracelet. It is of solid link and is made of stainless steel.

The Clasp is signed also with the 5 Stars logo. 

At the inner clasp Blansacar is also signed.

Another nice feature of this watch is the see-through case back with crystal glass.

For those that love to gamble, there are two groups of number, you can put bet on. 2834 and 8231. I believe the 8231 is the model number for this watch. 2834 stands for the ETA movement it used.

Blansacar has been proud of ETA movement it used. The rotor of the movement is signed Blansacar. and the movement used is plated in gold colour. 

Swiss has been associated with fine watches and precision movement for centuries. So when it stated Swiss, the watch is viewed as of higher grade and can fetch a higher selling price............. I won't be surprise if Asian businessmen start setting up manufacturing plants in Switzerland........ With globalization, contract manufacturing and migration of workers..... I start wonder how many percent are truly Swiss????????

Rolex??? 16233 Day Date....

More than FAKE.....

Is a little too late to kick start for the year 2015.... Do not know what is keeping me? I am feeling so unmotivated so far! Not only with this Watchopenia blog, but in every aspects of life. Sound like am suffering from depression or coming to terms with midlife crisis. A man out of steam....

Well I guess better get the Too Too Train going or else.......

For me, a watch must be able to tell accurate time. I also like my daily watch to be able to tell me what day of the week it is.... hahahaaaa counting down on the weekend!!! Date is a must in eyeing for the pay day! I always love to wear a Rolex 16233; but I do think it has a limitation without the day function. Whereas, a Rolex Day-Date President, it is pretty boastful or bossful. A Rolex 18233 is definitely not an everyday watch. You are only exposing yourself as prey of criminals or an open invitation for trouble.

This is a project watch to enhance a 16233. Using an ETA 2834-2 movement, an aftermarket dial and a high grade Rolex homage casing...... a solid 18k fluted gold bezel and an aftermarket 18K jubilee bracelet. Nothing much.... just something different from the usual.......

Talking about customising a Rolex..... I always love what Master Frank Muller did to a Rolex..... A perpetual calendar Rolex..... Too bad I don't have the skill to diy one.....

Ending this post with a phrase. "Be content with what you have...". 

Out of the Blue: Pronto Tropic Master

My Infatuation with Rolex look alike again: Pronto Again

Must have bought this one semi consciously or probably under hypnotic. That is how bad my infatuation with Rolex look alike. I guess this one must had came from Ebay Hong Kong. I don't know when and I don't know how.  It is a used unit that need some touch up. 

But I do know what may have prompt me into buying mode. It was the aquatic blue Topaz like hour markers that synchronized well with the yellow gold champagne dial. 

This is a male President model with a diameter of 38mm excluding its crown. I pretty sure the glass is a replacement as it is missing the usual magnifying cyclops lens at the 3 o'clock for the date. The date window has an elevated gold window frame. 

I always love the Pronto logo and Pronto emblems on the dial. The only discontent I have is the day and date disks of this watch are with white background. Well the black and white does make reading a little bit easy but it is losing the harmony with the champagne dial. But that is only my two cents worth.

Well the yellow gold coloured fluted bezel and the screw down signed crown have shown considerable sign of wear and age.......

So is the golden middle segment of the two tones president style bracelet. Well it is going to be hard to find Pronto replacement. But all these parts are interchangeable with other Rolex Oyster homage or if you have a very very deep pocket then original Rolex SA parts. 

The pronto clasp is always very short but properly signed. I think this is a distinctive feature of Pronto comparing to other Rolex Oyster homages. 

The back case is a stainless steel screw in type with a window display. You can clearly appreciate the gold plated ETA 2834-2 Swiss movement. 

Pronto is among the few homages that actually labelled itself as Swiss Made on its dial and at the back case. The use of "Swiss Made" is governed by an ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council dated 1971.  

In general, a watch is considered Swiss when whose movement is Swiss; and is encased in Switzerland and whose final control by the manufacturer takes place in Switzerland.

One thing for sure, all these Rolex homages are very well made. The Rolex Oyster designs are here to stay. It is both contemporary and classic........

Do not know how many Rolex look alike I am going to post.... It seems like I am never getting tired of writing about all these........

My other Pronto: -

1) Pronto ~ Another Rolex Look Alike

2) When there is first, there is always a second

3) Pronto again and again

When brand isn't everything...... Quality rules

Seastar Datejust, homage to Rolex Lady Datejust

The other day, I was looking for a watch for my eldest sister. The 25th Hours watch that I gave her 14th years ago has had it toll. She is not the type that romances with her watch. For her, watch is a tool to tell correct and accurate time. It is something that wear and tear with time. However, she would remain loyal with a single timepiece....; a timepiece at a time.....

So it was a Saturday afternoon, where like usual, I was rushing for time and air. I dropped by a friend's watch boutique and window shopping for a descent daily working watch.... A Tissot, a Seiko, and an Orient caught my eyes... the Tissot is a little too prestige for rough use; the Seiko is simple and nice but with a leather strap; the Orient is elegance but is an automatic...... called me stereotyping, I noticed majority of ladies prefer their watch working non stop even if they are not wearing it. Also they find it astronomically tedious to adjust time..... 

At the last cabinet underneath the Suunto and Sandoz, I saw this classical Rolex look alike Seastar. Seastar is the in-house brand of my friend's shop. It is a registered trade mark! I don't know why he chose Seastar as a brand name.... maybe because of Tissot Seastar series.... But I would prefer he opted for a more sophisticated name, something that can one day becomes an International Branding.....  

This watch comes in a very elegant wooden box despite it being retailing for RM249 only. This watch is paying homage to Rolex lady Datejust, which would cost more than a hundred fold of its price.

The milky chocolate inner lining of the box making the watch presentation classy. 

This is a full stainless steel watch with jubilee style stainless steel band. It has a fluted bezel with a sapphire glass.

The dial is mother of pearl finishing with 10 artificial diamonds setting as hour markers. This watch has a date function at 3 o'clock position. 

Unlike original Rolex, this crown is not a screw in type. It is just merely a pull and adjust. I would prefer the crown to be signed. Without signing, it is just like an ordinary generic aftermarket crown. 

The bracelet has a signed folding clasp. 

The case back is also stainless steel and is properly marked and signed. 

This watch employed the Japanese made Miyota 2015 movement. This movement is highly reliable and like any other Citizen Miyota movements is meant to last....

Buying a watch is not about the brand, is not about the price either.... is about what you used it for; whether you can afford it... the look of the watch may also portraits your personality and your professionalism. 

For that price that I paid and with the quality and finishing of this watch, I have no complaint.