Blancpain this week announced that it is bringing a unique version of its Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar to the Only Watch 2015 auction. As with all watches offered at the exclusive auction benefiting the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy, this piece is unique.
Much like the Piaget Altiplano 900P we featured earlier, this unique variant is based on an existing model but introduces some unique elements. In this case, the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar comes in red gold with a black grand feu enamel dial with matching red gold-hour markers and indications painted in red gold.
As its name suggests, the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar replaces the traditional calendar with a Chinese one, giving the watch a unique look. Hands on the sub-dials elements and celestial stem dials are painted in a blue, contrasting starkly against the black dial.
On its fascinating dial, the hours, minutes and the Gregorian calendar rub shoulders with the main indications of the Chinese calendar: traditional double-hour indication, day, month with indication of leap months, signs of the zodiac, as well as the five elements and the 10 celestial stems. The combination of the latter with the 12 animals of the zodiac that represent the terrestrial branches follows the sixty-year cycle that is central to Chinese culture. The moon phases, a key element in Blancpain complete calendars, are also presented and play a particularly important role in this model, given the link between the lunar cycle and traditional Chinese months.
The sapphire glass case back lets you see the oscillating weight crafted in a black champlevé enamel finish and bearing the brand of the Only Watch auction.The back is also stamped with the words ‘pièce unique’ (unique piece).
Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar specifications:
- Caliber: Blancpain Calibre 3638 automatic movement
- Case diameter: 45mm
- Case thickness: 15mm
- Case material: Red Gold
- Dial colour: Black enamel
- Power reserve: 168 hours
- Water resistance: 3ATM
- Strap: Alligator with folding clasp
You will be able to bid on the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar when it goes up for auction in Monaco on November 7th at the upcoming Only Watch auction.
Source : Blancpain