Baselworld 2018: Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Retrograde. Blancpain Villeret Flying Tourbillon Jumping Hours Retrograde Minutes. A master in the creation of complicated wristwatches, Blancpain recently unveiled, on occasion of Baselworld 2018, the Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Retrograde, another exceptional model where the flying tourbillon is paired to jumping hours and retrograde minutes. The new Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde (ref. 66260-3633-55B) has a price of Swiss Francs 139,000. A 20-piece limited edition in platinum (ref. 66260-3433-55B) is also available with a price of Swiss Francs 169,000.
A master in the creation of complicated wristwatches, Blancpain recently unveiled, on occasion of Baselworld 2018, the Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Retrograde, another exceptional model where the flying tourbillon is paired to jumping hours and retrograde minutes.
A flying tourbillon offers an unobstructed view of the tourbillon’s key components thanks to its cantilevered architecture: rather than being supported by a bridge on the dial side and a bridge on the movement side, it is only secured to the plate on one side.
In the new Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde there is no upper bridge but Blancpain took this concept even further by removing the lower bridge and replacing it by a clear sapphire disk.
This way, the tourbillon cage, its balance wheel and its escapement seem to be floating in space above the tourbillon’s fixed wheel attached to the clear disk.
This new timepiece also marks the debut of the jumping hour and retrograde minute complications within Blancpain’s collections. The two displays are grouped together, with the hours window placed on the retrograde minutes counter.
In addition to the remarkable construction of the tourbillon and two new complications, this new launch is distinguished by an entirely decorated movement and a grand feu enamel dial handcrafted in the Blancpain workshops using the traditional champlevé technique.
The artisans begin by hollowing out the solid gold base of the dial to create small compartments. Thereafter, several layers of enamel are each hand painted onto the dial and fired at a temperature of around 800 degrees Celsius. The diamond-polished gold rings around the hours window as well as the tourbillon porthole are added before applying the minutes counter to the dial.
The bridges of the movement are adorned with a hand-guilloché pattern. Through the transparent sapphire case back, the wearer can also admire the ratchet-wheel featuring Blancpain’s famous beveled wheel-rim design, as well as consulting the power reserve of 144 hours indicated by a guilloché disk.
Housed in a double stepped 42 mm x 11 mm red gold case and completed by an an alligator strap or metal bracelet, both secured by a folding clasp, the new Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde (ref. 66260-3633-55B) has a price of Swiss Francs 139,000.
A 20-piece limited edition in platinum (ref. 66260-3433-55B) is also available with a price of Swiss Francs 169,000. blancpain.com
Suggested reading:
- Blancpain, the history of the oldest watch brand
In the new Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde there is no upper bridge but Blancpain took this concept even further by removing the lower bridge and replacing it by a clear sapphire disk.
This new timepiece also marks the debut of the jumping hour and retrograde minute complications within Blancpain’s collections. The two displays are grouped together, with the hours window placed on the retrograde minutes counter.
In addition to the remarkable construction of the tourbillon and two new complications, this new launch is distinguished by an entirely decorated movement and a grand feu enamel dial handcrafted in the Blancpain workshops using the traditional champlevé technique.
The artisans begin by hollowing out the solid gold base of the dial to create small compartments. Thereafter, several layers of enamel are each hand painted onto the dial and fired at a temperature of around 800 degrees Celsius. The diamond-polished gold rings around the hours window as well as the tourbillon porthole are added before applying the minutes counter to the dial.
The bridges of the movement are adorned with a hand-guilloché pattern. Through the transparent sapphire case back, the wearer can also admire the ratchet-wheel featuring Blancpain’s famous beveled wheel-rim design, as well as consulting the power reserve of 144 hours indicated by a guilloché disk.
A 20-piece limited edition in platinum (ref. 66260-3433-55B) is also available with a price of Swiss Francs 169,000. blancpain.com
Suggested reading:
- Blancpain, the history of the oldest watch brand
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