When the Moon lights the pathway
It took a certain boldness – or perhaps a resolutely stubborn streak – to respond to the quartz revolution with a crescent moon. At the turn of the 1980s, the future of the watch appeared tied to batteries, offering a precision that mechanical movements could never match; while horological complications were considered relics of the past. It was at this very time that a dormant brand named Blancpain was reborn, a revival that didn’t involve a simple three-hand watch, but rather the dreamiest of displays: that of the lunar cycle. The Maison banked on what no electronic circuit could ever imitate: the emotions aroused by a mechanism and a tiny face discreetly keeping watch over the dial.
In 1983, Blancpain unveiled the smallest complete calendar with moon phase of its time (25.9mm in diameter), which nevertheless united the day, date, month and the orbiting Moon, on a perfectly legible dial. The double-stepped bezel, the understated roundness and the rejection of ostentatious effects immediately established a design language that the collection, which did not adopt the name Villeret until 2002, has preserved intact ever since: one of self-evident simplicity devoid of showiness and focused on legibility.
Among all complications, Blancpain opted to “own” the moon phase. Why so? Because no other indicator so vividly conveys the time we do not count: that of tides, of sowing and planting, of clear nights. The Moon does not tell the time, instead setting the tempo of a poetic world evoking unique sentiments. At Blancpain, the Moon always has a face, reflecting centuries-old folktales and popular beliefs ascribing various lifelike features to the Earth’s satellite. By continuing this tradition, the watchmaker links the accuracy of a gear train to an entire imaginary universe that is unique to each individual. Nestling inside the dial, the Moon ceases to be a reference point, instead bearing silent witness to the steadily passing hours.
The next generation
Forty years on, the heir to the initial model has retained the same spirit. While the Quantième Complet still displays the day, date, month and lunar cycle at a single glance, everything around it has been subtly modified. The case has been trimmed to a demure 40mm accentuating its elegance. The Roman numeral at 12 o’clock has given way to the JB monogram, the brand’s discreet signature. The version that best embodies this refinement pairs red gold with a delicately mottled opaline dial creating a milky white backdrop for the Moon. Set within an enlarged aperture, the golden-faced Moon stands out against a deep blue ceramic disk. This miniature world is set by means of under-lug correctors activated with a simple press of the finger.
A more precious moon
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals Caliber 6654.4 with its openworked gold rotor and silicon balance-spring, while beneath the dainty design lies a Manufacture movement. This timepiece is also available in steel, while the dial readily swaps its opaline finish for a sunburst golden-brown variation.
The same Moon takes on an even more precious appearance within a 29.2mm-diameter case. On this model, the calendar with its moon-phase display is more compact and literally bathed in light from a row of diamonds adorning the bezel, along with others serving as hour-markers. Beneath the crystal, the beauty of the mechanism is matched by exquisite decorative elements such as a blue ceramic moon disk, an applied gold moon, as well as a slender serpentine hand tracing a curve to indicate the date. Whether in steel or red gold, the spirit remains the same: the brand’s signature complication expressed in its daintiest form.
A 38mm size and salmon-pink take center stage
While the moon-phase model is the most extravagant within the Villeret collection, the Ultraplate represents its purest counterpoint. Three hands, a date, an ultra-thin movement: everything is perfectly balanced within this carefully calibrated design. This year, however, the most understated of the Villeret models allows itself two deviations from its customary trajectory: in terms of size as an additional 38mm version takes its place alongside the iconic 40mm; along with an unprecedented color.
A Touch of salmon
The new shade is a vivid salmon pink, bringing a glowing touch to a collection that in recent seasons has rarely ventured beyond opaline and silvery tones. The choice is all the more striking because it adorns a sunburst dial featuring rays radiating from the center and causing the hue to vary with the light from rose-copper to warm gold. The steel case tempers this warmth with a cooler note. The 18K gold Roman numerals feature a special blackened finish that makes them stand out clearly against the light background, an effect extending onto an anthracite nubuck strap. The overall design plays on contrast without ever becoming overpowering and pure Blancpain! This timepiece is also available in two other versions: one in steel and the other in red gold, both featuring a golden opaline dial.
An exclusive secret
Another version takes the concept of rarity to an even higher level, as it is a model available exclusively from Blancpain boutiques. It also plays on contrasts, yet in its own unique way by combining a steel case with solid yellow gold Roman numerals displayed on an opaline dial featuring golden highlights – all fitted with a nubuck strap in a boldly unexpected olive green color. Steel and gold, understated elegance and a touch of whimsy. This combination is anything but ostentatious – in fact quite the opposite, more like a softly whispered secret.
The art of slimness
What matters most lies beneath the dial. The Ultraplate lives up to its name: with a case just 8.35mm thick, it is more than two millimeters thinner than the complete calendar model and it is this slim profile that allows it to slip easily under a sleeve without causing the latter to gape or bulge. This is made possible by self-winding Manufacture Blancpain Caliber 1150, which offers a four-day power reserve and can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback. The Ultraplate also inherits several of the collection’s signature features such as the JB monogram at 12 o’clock; the numerals with satin-brushed faces and polished edges, as well as the enlarged date aperture at 3 o’clock. The same design language, faithfully perpetuated.
From the moon phase that appears to be drifting through the sky to the Ultraplate stripped down to bare essentials, since 1983 the entire Villeret collection has remained true to a single conviction: true elegance has nothing to prove.
