Command Performance

Blancpain enters the rarefied air of aviation-inspired luxury with its Air Command, a revival of a 1950s military model that now joins the manufacture's regular collection. We test-piloted the latest edition with a titanium case and sunburst blue dial.

- By Mark Bernardo, Photography by Jason Mary S. Lee

The old adage about history repeating itself has never been more relevant in the luxury watch world, which has been in a years-long, industry-wide renaissance of making modern monster hits out of long-discontinued pieces from previous eras — some of them forgotten by all but the most fervent aficionados. Take the case of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, a history-making but relatively short-lived timepiece made for the U.S. Navy in the 1950s that is today an entire family and one of the pillars of the venerable watchmaker's collection.

It was, perhaps, only a matter of time before Blancpain would turn to its extensive archives to resurrect another rare model that it made for the U.S. military in this case, one created for Air Force pilots rather than Navy divers. Enter the Air Command Flyback Chronograph, which arrived to considerable fanfare – and to the surprise of many – in early 2019 as a one-off limited edition and whose monumental success has prompted Blancpain to add the model to its lineup, starting with the timepiece I recently had the opportunity to review, which boasts a robust yet lightweight titanium case and a deep blue livery adorning its dial, strap and bezel.