Blancpain releases their perpetual calendar in a new green dial, inspired by the forests of Le Brassus. Here is the new Quantième Perpétuel with an intense green dial in a red gold case.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: Blancpain Quantième Perpétual green dial
The Blancpain Quantième Perpétual Ref. 6656-3653-55B will retail at SGD 72,800 inclusive of GST.
Commentary
Curious release timing. The new Blancpain Quantième Perpéual Green Dial was announced on the 29th Feb 2024, with embargo lifting at 3pm SGT. This precludes the watch from being bought and for the owner to enjoy seeing the switching over from 28 Feb, to 29 Feb, to 1 March. Our thoughts are that if this was released, say in the 4Q 2023 for booking. What a nice marketing activity it would be to then have the watches delivered in boutiques worldwide at near midnight after entertaining the new owners there. And for all the new owners to watch the watch do its magic at the turn of midnight. Now this spectacle of the changing of the leap year can only be witnessed in 4 years time. What a wasted marketing activity.
Other than the really beautiful green dial as seen in the high resolution photographs we received, the watch is not new, but is the existing Villeret Quantième Perpétual in a red gold case. Exactly the same as the 88 piece limited edition rendered in a blue dial with a platinum case in 2019.
The movement remains the admittedly beautifully laid out and finished Cal.5954. The case back showing the rotor and rear of the movement.
The view below is the perpetual calendar mechanism which remains hidden below the dial.
Release details
Endowed with a wealth of watchmaking expertise, the Le Brassus-based Manufacture consistently offers timepieces that are as technical as they are aesthetically appealing. To mark this leap year, the Manufacture is delighted to present its new Villeret Quantième Perpétuel model. Framed by a red gold case, its dial is decked out for the very first time in an elegant and mesmerising shade of green.
Drawing its DNA from the village lined with green fir trees to which it owes its name as well as from Blancpain’s expertise, the Villeret collection symbolises the value of authenticity. Its timeless nature embodies the strong ties between the Manufacture and the extraordinary complications of Swiss mechanical watchmaking. True to this spirit, the complex perpetual calendar automatically adjusts the date display to take account of variations in months and years, including leap years. It represents a veritable mechanical memory that will require no adjustment until February 2100, a month that will not fall in a leap year because of an exception in the Gregorian calendar that occurs three centuries out of four.
At Blancpain, this type of mechanism also features a moon phase at 6 o’clock that is recognisable by its unique expression. The emblematic face of the Manufacture, it was also the symbol of prestige and mechanical watchmaking revival in the wake of the 1970s crisis, nurtured by Blancpain whose aim was to restore the reputation of this Art by proving it was truly irreplaceable. The Brand’s introduction of moon phases paved the way for many other horological complications, not least the perpetual calendar. In this 2024 leap year, the Manufacture is once again demonstrating its expertise by unveiling its new Villeret Quantième Perpétuel model. It is driven by the 5954 self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve and of which the meticulous finishing, red gold honeycomb oscillating weight and silicon balance spring can be admired in full through the sapphire crystal case back.
This inherently complex perpetual calendar features two specific characteristics designed to make it eminently user-friendly. The first is a secure movement that protects the calendar mechanism from damage if the wearer adjusts the watch while the indications are changing.
The second is the under-lug correctors. Introduced by Blancpain as a world first on a perpetual calendar in 2004, this patented system enables the calendar indications to be adjusted simply by pressing with a finger, thus eliminating any need for a correction tool. These under-lug correctors are concealed when the timepiece is worn, meaning the sides remain smooth and uncluttered, unaltered by the small “dimples” usually found on calendar watches. These elements are complemented by the layout of the calendar indications. Despite the complexity of the mechanism (entirely developed and produced by Blancpain), the display of information is clearly spread across the dial, ensuring excellent legibility and aesthetic balance.
The colour adorning the elegant sunburst recalls the fir forests of the Vallée de Joux, where this calendar is crafted by the watchmakers of the Grandes Complications workshop. The brown alligator leather strap evokes the bountiful generosity of this region that has fostered the development of watchmaking excellence over the decades. Completing the picture, the Villeret collection’s signature double-stepped case (40 mm) as well as the hands and hour-markers are in red gold, adding a contrasting touch to the pleasing aesthetic appeal of this timepiece glowing with warm colours.
Complex in its operation yet eminently easy to use, this new Quantième Perpétuel combining a green dial with a red gold case thus gives pride of place to the distinctive nature of 2024 as a leap year.
