A blog entirely dedicated to Blancpain timepieces
Last week I had the opportunity to do a photo session with the best part of the new Villeret collection. Getting up close and personal with 3 main references in both stainless steel and red gold and with opaline or gold brown dials was a pure delight. So it’s a real pleasure to share the details of the beautiful facelift and some exciting details.
Just like in the past years we are supposed to learn about the Blancpain novelties at different points throughout the year. This overview will be updated whenever new models are released, and as usual I will try to do my best to provide hands-on photos of many new timepieces as soon as possible.
I recently had the opportunity to get up close and personal with three new Villeret and two new Ladybird Colors timepieces. Since real life photos tell much more than official renderings I thought these impressions might be of interest to you, so here we go exploring the details of thoroughly beautiful novelties.
Earlier this year Blancpain introduced a new version of their Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel in red gold with a forest green dial aka reference 6656-3653-55B. Alongside two recent visits in Munich and Switzerland I had the opportunity to take some photos of this beauty, so here we go.
It’s my pleasure to open the annual novelties overview for 2024. Just like in the past years it is a realistic expectation that we will learn about the Blancpain novelties at different points throughout the year. This overview will be updated whenever new models are released, and as usual I will try to do my best to provide hands-on photos of many new timepieces as soon as possible.
It’s time to open the annual novelties overview for 2023. Just like in the past years we will learn about the Blancpain novelties at different points throughout the year. With 2023 being the important 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms I expect a lot of exciting new timepieces to be shared with the official press releases here. This overview will be updated whenever new models are released, and as usual I will try to do my best to provide hands-on photos of all new timepieces as soon as possible.
Blancpain‘s Villeret line offers a wide range of timepieces with different calendar functions. Among those the Villeret Quantieme Complet Phases de Lune GMT reference 6676-1127-55B is clearly a very beautiful execution of perfect functionality.
The aesthetics of date/calendar indications is a frequently discussed topic among watch enthusiasts. The Villeret Grande Date Jours Rétrograde ref 6668-1127-55B is offering two beautiful solutions to display the date and the weekday. Let’s take a closer look.
When it comes to discussing watches in blogs or fora, the segment of highly sophisticated mechanical timepieces for ladies often falls short. That’s an unfortunate fact, especially in the case of Blancpain who have an even longer tradition of mechanical watches for women than of the popular dive watches. So, let’s take a look at three beautiful examples from three decades.
It’s one of my great pleasures and an integral part of my passion for watches: to find a new look for a timepiece by trying out different strap options. Here are some examples from my personal collection and a quick guide on how to successfully create a bespoke strap.
The classic complete calendar with moon phases is a signature Blancpain configuration, and there are various iterations of it in the Manufacture‘s catalogue. The most classic one is probably reference 6654 in the Villeret line with … different versions. For this report I chose the two slightly more extrovert timepieces, reference 6654-1113-55B in stainless steel with a two tone metallic grey dial and reference 6654-3640-55B in red gold with a blue dial, introduced just last year.
This year has been quite a challenge. A global pandemic has disrupted our lives significantly, and it obviously also influenced how we live our joint passion for watches: less gatherings of like minded enthusiasts and the way we learned about news from the manufacturers and dealerships being only two examples. Well, we almost made it (and 2021 will hopefully bring back a more joyful environment), so it’s time to take a wholistic look back at the 2020 Blancpain novelties.
This one came as a (very pleasant) November surprise: the new Villeret Extraplate Boutique edition in yellow gold with a stunning green dial, reference 6651-1453-55A. Let’s take a close look at this utterly beautiful timepiece under different light conditions.
The Blancpain Villeret line offers a plentiful of aesthetically refined timepieces, these two however stand out since they add a layer of beauty and class not often encountered: a pocket watch style Hunter case back. Let’s meet the Villeret Quantieme Complet Demi-Savonnette ref 6664-3642-55B and the Villeret Demi-Fuseau Horaire Demi-Savonette ref 6665-3642-55B.
Blancpain has now introduced some new 38mm Villeret models, namely references 6224 and 6264, both in stainless steel or red gold, both with or without a diamond set dials and bezels. Let’s take a closer look.
It is my utmost pleasure to share my hands-on impressions with two utterly beautiful timepieces, the brand new Villeret Quantieme Complet and the Villeret Ultra plat, both with a red gold case combined with a midnight blue dial. Let’s get up close with references 6651-3640 and 6654-3640.
A little more than 15 years ago Blancpain introduced an utterly beautiful timepiece in the Villeret line: the Villeret Chronographe Monopoussoir reference 6185-1546-55 with its beautiful Havana dial. Now that we get closer with it, you will see the many shades of this dial, depending strongly on the light conditions (direct/indirect daylight, direct sun /shade, artificial LED light) to provide the best possible idea of this timepiece.
Today I would like to show two Blancpain timepieces which impressively showcase the aesthetic spectrum in the upper end of the Manufacture‘s Haute Horlogerie segment. Let’s meet the Villeret Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde and the L‘Evolution Tourbillon Carrousel.
Once every four years a perpetual calendar timepiece performs its most complicated task of including the 29th of February. With 2020 being a leap year this odd date is a good time to cover the Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel reference 6656-1127-55B.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year Blancpain has just introduced a new Limited Edition of the Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel “Year of the Rat”. I take this as an opportunity to show you the non limited Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionelle ref 0888-3631-55B, which was introduced for the first time in 2012.
Today we take a look at a brand new release from Blancpain, exclusively for their Boutiques: the Villeret Ultraplate reference 6605 crafted in platinum and featuring a stunning blue dial.
Although being in the catalogue for seven years now, the Blancpain Villeret Mouvement Inversé has not been discussed very often and I must admit I did not have it on my radar until recently. That omission needs immediate correction, so let’s take a closer look at reference 6616-1527-55B.
We got used to more visually transparent timepieces over the past two decades, but rarely in such an ornate way like with the Villeret Squelete 8 Jours, reference 6633, belonging to the Metiérs d’Art collection of the Manufacture.
Continue reading “An artistic time machine… the Villeret Squelete 8 Jours” →
Now that the dust has settled and I was able to digest what I have seen during my photo session with the Blancpain novelties and encountered in the first days after the launch on May 17 with writing my reports and following worldwide online coverage, it’s time to share my personal conclusions on the Blancpain Time to Move presentation.
There are three new Blancpain Villeret timepieces introduced, a time only Villeret Extra-plate with a redesigned manual wind calibre, a 40mm Villeret GMT Date and last but not least a new beautiful and versatile ladies Villeret in various configurations. They all deserve a closer look…
Continue reading “Taking elegance to a next level: the new Villeret timepieces” →
It’s my utmost pleasure to provide you with a first quick overview on the 2019 Blancpain novelties to satisfy your curiosity. Following this short post, a series of reports dedicated to the individual pieces will be released in the next days, each with real life hands-on photos and the official Blancpain press releases.
Continue reading “The 2019 Blancpain novelties at a glance” →
This is another photo journey into the Villeret line with 8 day calibres and Grand Feu enamel dials. Let’s get up close with the limited to 75 pieces Villeret Quantieme Complet 8 Jours Platinum, reference 6639-3437-55B, a timepiece that found it’s way into my modest collection a few days ago.
Continue reading “The pinnacle of Blancpain Moonphase Calendars” →
Today I invite you to get up close with a watch of the high end Villeret segment that comes in case sizes between 42 and 45mm, featuring gorgeous Grand Feu enamel dials and mostly 8 day Automatic movements: the Villeret 8 Jours Demi-Fuseau Horaire, reference 6661.
Continue reading “Traveling in style… with a very sophisticated Villeret” →
Last year Blancpain introduced the Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel in stainless steel with white dial and rose gold with opaline dial, now there’s a mesmerizing version in platinum with a stunning blue dial.
Continue reading “Refined excellence: the Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel platinum” →
Today I have the pleasure to bring you closer to the Blancpain Villeret Grande Date Semainier 8 Jours, ref 6637-3631-55 with calibre 3738G2 and some additional gentleman gear…
Last weekend I had the pleasure to spend a few days with Blancpain and the brand ambassador Chef Holger Bodendorf for the 20th Sylt Gourmet Festival.
Continue reading “A fireworks of culinary and horological highlights” →
Blancpain Villeret Squelete 6633-1500-55B
An eight-day power reserve, triple barrel, manual wound, skeletonized, hand engraved, decorated and assembled movement.
Continue reading “Deconstruction Blancpain Villeret Squelete by The Naked Watchmaker” →
We often discuss the sports watches made by Blancpain, the Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphe models are in the focus of many here in the forum. We also admire some Haute Horlogerie pieces the Manufacture is well known for, and lately we discussed some controversial L’Evolution models and the motorsport links Blancpain utilized in the design of those.
Now let’s take a closer look at the very core of Blancpain, two timepieces with a full calendar and the iconic moonphase indication. No configuration is more typical modern Blancpain, it is synonymous for the brand resurrection in the 1980s and played a significant role in the revival of the mechanical watch.
Continue reading “Quintessential Blancpain: two classic moonphase calendar timepieces” →
Villeret Quantieme Complet 8 Jours 6639a-3631-55B
One of the original designs that personify the Blancpain brand.
This version was launched 2016.
The Running Equation of Time function is rarely executed in watchmaking. Here it is combined with a perpetual calendar, moonphases indication and entirely hand engraved automatic calibre.
This is the fourth part of my hands-on report from Basel, showing the new Blancpain Villeret timepieces.
There have been three new Villeret watches this year, all in a 40mm case, all available in either stainless steel or rose gold, all of them on either strap or a perfectly crafted Milanaise bracelet, which is entirely manufactured inhouse and assembled by hand requiring a lot of precision in order to support the slight tapering of the bracelet. And obviously all three models feature the patented under-lug correctors.
Let us start with what some of you have instantly called a winner, the new Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel in stainless steel.
Continue reading “Hands-on with the Basel novelties (4): the Villeret timepieces” →
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