In practicality of buying, you will find more choices with the 686. Many more were built. Like you, I also prefer the aesthetics of blue vs stainless (both came with wood grips, btw, before the mid 90s when all got rubber).
S&W has always been consistent about engineering and machining their blue vs. steel models so that they perform the same, that's why they give them different model numbers - the procedures are different enough to justify it.
I am not going to bash other makes, but over the years I've bought one Ruger revolver, one Colt Revolver, and over 20 S&Ws. One brand just made me go back and back. All are reliable, all are well made. It comes down to what kind of aesthetics, design features, and variations interest you. S&W is the one that did it for me.
My last comment is I see you are in Idaho. I bring it up as that climate raises the question of how you want to use the gun. I am in WA, and if it's for HD, target work, competition, etc., then it doesn't matter which you choose. But if you are going to carry it a lot year-round, or use it/carry it outdoors in winter, a 686 makes a whole lot more sense. Even with the stainless, you still need to get the grips off once or twice a year to get moisture out from underneath if you've had it in high humidity/very wet conditions for periods. I've seen 686's rusted under the rubber pachmayr grips from not venting after getting really wet and humid (surface oxidation only, not gut-eating rust). A good way to protect against this, stainless or blue, is to wax your gun, just like your car. Some use simple paste waxes, which work well. Renaissance Wax works a bit better from my experience, but it is more expensive initially (but a canister of it goes much further than a paste wax, so it's a wash in the end). By my estimate, a $16 container of Renaissance Wax will do about 250 to 300 handgun applications, or about $.06 per application.
Hope this helps some.