WATCHES & STYLE

New Members of the Blancpain Villeret Family

Photos courtesy of Blancpain
11 Aug 2020

In line with the Blancpain Villeret collection’s elegance and clean lines, these two new models are exemplary additions to the well-loved range

Villeret Ultraplate
There are a few telltale features that define Blancpain’s Villeret collection: A slender double-stepped case, a clean, understated dial, applied gold hour-markers, and sage leaf-shaped hands. This year, the brand introduces the Villeret Ultraplate, which is an ultra-slim 38mm-diameter timepiece displaying the date, all while paying homage to the collection’s signature codes.

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Available in either a steel or red gold case, the timepiece’s white or opaline dial is enhanced by 28 gold appliques that are positioned and affixed by hand to form the Roman numerals. Hours and minutes hands are shaped like hollowed sage leaves, while the seconds are marked by a slender hand that bear the initials of the founder, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain. The date display is at 3 o’clock and viewed through an aperture sized to ensure legibility and visual balance.

The simplicity in front is a counterpoint to what’s going on within the watch. The sapphire back reveals a finely structured movement of the Blancpain Calibre 1150. It is circular-grained and adorned with the traditional côtes de Genève motif, as well as a gold oscillating weight with a honeycomb pattern.

While the Villeret Ultraplate is a timepiece that can be enjoyed by most, those looking for an extra touch of sparkle can opt for a gem-set model. It is also available with a mille mailles bracelet in steel or gold, as well as a black alligator strap for the steel version and a brown one for the red gold iteration.


(Related read: A new decade of watchmaking)

Villeret Quantième Complet
The new Villeret Quantième Complet celebrates the heritage of mechanical watchmaking while adopting the contemporary attributes of the collection. Upon closer inspection, the dial features subtly reworked slender hour-markers, cut-out sage leaf-shaped hands, and a redesigned moon phase.

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As for this new model’s case, it is characterized by a sleek profile and a delicately rounded double-stepped bezel. Meanwhile, the sapphire crystal case-back reveals the high-end finishing of the self-winding 6763 caliber. Entirely designed and produced by the manufacture, this movement has a four-day power reserve and houses a silicon balance-spring.

The Villeret Quantième Complet model is available in several options, including steel with a white dial, red gold with an opaline dial, and a gem-set version. In addition, Blancpain offers a strap of choice for each model: An alligator strap or a mille mailles bracelet made from over 500 hand-assembled individual components.


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