Blancpain Traditional Chinese Calendar (Villeret Collection)

platinum:  20 pieces limited edition; or red gold (non limited)

45mm platinum or red gold case (15mm thick), Madagascar ruby crown, five integrated under-lug correctors serving to adjust the indications, grand feu enamel dial, “hollow leaf” shaped hands, automatic mechanical Caliber 3638

The watch is powered by Blancpain’s new self-winding Calibre 3638.  Its complexity stems as much from the number of indications to be displayed as from the irregular nature of their cycles. The hours, minutes and the Gregorian calendar are presented in the center. The counter at 12 o’clock indicates the double-hour numerals and symbols (24-hour cycle); while the one at 3 o’clock shows the elements and the celestial stems (10-year cycle). The month of the Chinese calendar (12-month cycle), its date (30-day cycle) and the leap month indicator appear at 9 o’clock, while a 12 o’clock aperture reveals the zodiac sign of the year in progress (12-year cycle); and the moon phases are displayed at 6 o’clock.

 platinum case (limited edition 20 pieces)

Contrary to the Gregorian solar calendar which uses the solar day as the base unit, the traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning a solar calendar with the lunar cycle (29.53059 days) as its base unit. Since a year comprising 12 lunar months (354.36707 days) is approximately 11 days too short compared with the tropical or solar year (365.242374 days), a leap month is sometimes added to preserve the match with the cycle of the seasons. Given that each month of the Chinese calendar, including the leap months, begins on the day of the new moon, its length is either 29 or 30 days. This means that when a year comprises a leap month, this 13-month year will be longer than the tropical year. On the contrary, when there is no leap month, the year of 12 lunar months is shorter than the tropical year. This distinctive feature is the reason behind the variable date of the Chinese New Year.

red gold case (non limited edition)

VIDEO

Blancpain Villeret Skeleton 8 Days

Ref. 6633-1500-55B

38 mm x 9.08 mm white gold case, manual wind Blancpain Calibre 1333SQ, 8-Day (192-hours) power reserve, hand-decorated

]]> http://blog.perpetuelle.com/watches/blancpain-villeret-skeleton-8-days/feed/ 0 http://blog.perpetuelle.com/watches/baselworld-2012-blancpain-villeret-collection/ http://blog.perpetuelle.com/watches/baselworld-2012-blancpain-villeret-collection/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:24:52 +0000 James Bond http://blog.perpetuelle.com/?p=12336 A retrograde small seconds…

In 2012, the Blancpain Villeret collection welcomes its first model featuring a beautiful flinqué lacquered dial.  Several layers of translucent blue lacquer applied to the dial create a rich depth effect, while preserving the pure lines of its most classic collection.  The watch is housed in a 40mm white gold case, powered by the ultra-slim Blancpain Calibre 7663Q, a new self-winding movement.  In addition to the hour, minute and “serpentine” styled date pointer,  there is also a retrograde seconds function at 6 o’clock.  This watch also features Blancpain’s very slick under-lug corrector at 5 o’clock for fast date adjustment. Fitted on a matching blue alligator leather strap with folding clasp.

Blancpain Villeret Collection

Technical Specifications

6653Q-1529-55B

VILLERET, Ultra-slim, date, retrograde small seconds, flinqué blue lacquered dial, under-lug corrector, self-winding

CALIBER

Thick: 4.57 mm

Diameter: 27.00 mm

Power-reserve in hours: 72

Jewels: 34

Components: 244

CASE

Thickness: 10.83 mm

Diameter: 40.00 mm

Water-resistance: 3 bar

Sapphire crystal back: Yes

Interhorn space: 22.00 mm

A burglary attempt occurred yesterday on our X Fathoms exhibition at “Cité du Temps” in Geneva. It seems like some people are ready to risk their life for our timepieces!

Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the robbery and thanks to the efficient intervention of the security company (SIR) one of the four thieves was quickly arrested and most of our watches were found back. However the damages caused on several pieces gives us no choice but to close the doors of this event earlier than scheduled.

Check out these additional looks…

Update:  See specs below.  Seems the watch is inspired by a 1953 ancestor (of same name?), which I like.  At 55mm, the case size is absolutely enormous — a bit off-putting for me, despite the technical marvel of this watch.  Seriously — 55mm case?   Blancpain also claims a “The most complex injected rubber strap ever conceived” featuring 14 articulated parts to ensure a perfect fit on the wrist and allow water to seep in under the watch in order to come in contact with the membrane under all circumstances.  Alright, OK, good work on the new strap.  This watch is really nothing more than a showpiece, but I guess that’s not such a bad thing.

Blancpain X Fathoms Dive Watch

55.65mm x 24mm satin brushed titanium case, automatic mechanical BLANCPAIN caliber 9918B (based on the Caliber 1315, used in several Fifty Fathoms models),

titanium case

Blancpain X Fathoms Dive Watch

Blancpain X Fathoms Caseback (Spy Shot )

Blancpain X Fathoms (Teaser Video)

Continuing my ONLY Watch 2011 previews (see them all here) — here’s a first look at the Blancpain Villeret Grande Décoration for Only Watch 2011.  The watch is a study in contrast — on the front, its white enamel dial with painted hour-markers and red gold hands suggests simplicity and elegance; on the back, a depiction of the Rock of Monaco and the surrounding landscape is rich in detail.   The hand-decoration on this one-of-a-kind watch was performed by Blancpain’s Master Engraver Marie-Laure Tarbouriech, to whom I say that much credit is due.  The watch is equipped with a Blancpain Calibre 15B, an ultra-thin hand-wound movement.  By the way, this is Blancpain’s seventh ONLY Watch event — it has donated a piece to each event since it was first formed in 2001.

Blancpain Villeret Grand Decoration for ONLY WATCH 2011

Unique Piece

45mm red gold case (8.3mm thick), white grand feu enamelled dial, hand-decorated manual-wind Caliber 15B movement (40 hrs power reserve)

depiction of the Rock of Monaco and the surrounding landscape:

Starting today Perpetuelle will begin its coverage of Only Watch 2011.  Stay tuned in because over the next few months, you will get to see awesome “piece unique” watches from each of the participating brands for the 2011 event:

Click through to see our in-depth preview of each watch:

• Harry Winston Midnight GMT Tourbillon
• Patek Philippe Ref 3939A Minute Repeater
• Urwerk UR-103 “Phoenix”
• Romain Jerome “Rock the Rock”
• Hublot Oceanographic 4000m dive watch
• MB&F HM-4 “Flying Panda”
• TAG Heuer “Monaco Mikrograph”
• Bell & Ross Pink Gold “Casino”
• Louis Vuitton Tambour Diver Chronograph
• Blancpain Villeret Grand Decoration
• Piaget Altiplano Skeleton
• Breguet Reveil Musical Watch
• Audemars Piguet Gstaad Classic
• Jaquet Droz Petit Heure Minute
• Van Cleef & Arpel “From the Earth to the Moon” Watch
• Girard-Perregaux ww.TC
• Corum Golden Bridge Automatic Titanium
  
• Vulcain Anniversary Heart Watch
• Chanel J12 Marine Watch
• Franck Muller “Totally Switzerland”
• Ulysse Nardin Freak Diavolo
• Vacheron Constantin “Dove” Watch (M.C. Escher-inspired)
  
• Zenith El Primero “Destro” watches
• Montblanc Villeret 1858 Pulsograph
• Ikepod Red Hourglass by Marc Newson
• Bovet Fleurier, Celsius, Chaumet, Chopard, De Bethune, Delacour, De Witt, Frédérique Constant, Hermès, Laurent Ferrier, Maurice Lacroix, Richard Mille
  

Only Watch 2011 will be held September 24, 2011 and managed by watch auction house Antiquorum.  But you don’t have to wait this long — because part of the excitement leading up to the September 24, 2011 event is the release of each participating brand’s special edition watch.

ONLY WATCH 2009

If you are interested in looking back, I covered the Only Watch 2009 auction extensively including blogging about several of my favorites inlcluding:  Piaget Emperador Coussin, MB&F Sage Vaughn HM-2, Bovet 3-in-1 Mona Lisa Watch, Tourneau Jump Hour, Louis Vuitton Tambour, Chanel J12 Joallerie with pink sapphire, and Blancpain 500 Fathoms.   You can see all 34 “Only Watch 2009″ watches here on the Perpeuelle World Watch Forum.  The Only Watch 2009 auction was hosted by Patrizzi & Co.