Bulgari Daniel Roth Tourbillon Lumiere Skeleton

Minimal, transparent and elegant…

For the first time we see a very obvious Daniel Roth watch with the Bulgari brand on it.  While I’m still not sure how this whole “co-branding” thing will work out between Bulgari and Daniel Roth (Bulgari owns Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta and recently announced that Bulgari brand would essentially become the primary brand –), I can still appreciate the incredible look of this new watch.  The plates, bridges and ratchet-wheel are meticulously openworked.   The dial merges into the movement and features a minimum of finely engraved metal serving to mark the hour circle on the front and the power-reserve display on the back.   The main plate is barely 3.48 mm thick, making this model one of the world’s thinnest tourbillon watches.

Bulgari Daniel Roth Tourbillon Lumière

44 mm 18-carat rose gold, mechanical hand-wound “skeleton-work” movement, Calibre DR 780, Tourbillon, power-reserve display, hand-decorated gold bridges and mainplate, 64-hour power reserve, anti-glare sapphire crystals on the front and back, blued steel serpentine hands. comes on alligator leather strap with rose gold pin buckle.

As a partner of The TimeTV.com, I on behalf of WatchZone am pleased to bring you this exclusive message from Mr Francesco Trapani, CEO of the Bulgari Group, about Bulgari’s new watchmaking strategy.  Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta will no longer stand on their own, but will instead be co-branded on Bulgari watches.

FULL VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

“Dear Friends, Collectors and esteemed watch Connoisseurs,

Today, I would like to share with you some important news as Bulgari is entering a new era which is significantly impacting the future of the Brand.

Ten years ago, I expressed in an interview the desire to develop our know-how in the watch complication craftsmanship sector.

Subsequently Bulgari built, in different stages, a network of manufacturing facilities for the production of top-of-the-range cases, dials and watch bracelets.

In parallel, we progressively expanded our knowledge of the mechanical base movement as well as our expertise in the field of the complicated movement.

Today I can safely say: our mission is accomplished!

This long process has now reached its final stage, after following a strategy which developed and integrated the mastery of watchmaking operations that began a decade ago.

Now it is time for a further step: to complement Bulgari watchmaking with a strong presence in the high-end and grandes complications watch creations.

Consequently I have decided to merge the cutting-edge skills of our Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth Manufacture in Le Sentier with the prestigious image of Bulgari, a strong name in the world of luxury.

While preserving their technical and aesthetic qualities, the Daniel Roth and the Gérald Genta timepieces will from now be fully integrated into the collection of the Bulgari Brand.

This alliance is sealed on the new watch creations, where the Bulgari Brand is featured along with the Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth logos.

This union is the fruit of a rational and organic evolution.

This integration into the overall dynamics of our Brand represents a great achievement. United, our respective areas of expertise will from now on allow Bulgari to complete its strategic process.

The merger of these skills offers Bulgari new perspectives and dimensions.

It allows us to advance in the sector of watch excellence through exclusive collections at a very high level.

The merger will also ensure that the know-how of the Manufacture Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta will be permanently preserved in a definitive manner also by strictly respecting its DNA and its tradition.

Every union of two individualities embodies a positive evolution.

As in all unions, the meeting of individual values sets off a new concept.

Our union combines 125 years of history dedicated to the passion for beauty and contemporary design with the sum of exceptional technical human skills and finest quality.

I am therefore, today, extremely pleased to invite you all to discover our newest creations by visiting us at the Salon Mondial de l’Horlogerie in Basel on March 18th, 2010”.

Bulgari Octo Watch

Gerald Genta design lives on…

Did you know the original “Octo” was created by legendary Swiss watch designer Gerald Genta?  Yup, and now the Octo lives on under the Bulgari brand.  Bulgari acquired the Gerald Genta brand in 1999/2000, and in 2010 it announced that it would be fully “integrating” Gerald Genta (and Daniel Roth) into Bulgari.  In other words, the Gerald Genta name would soon live on in spirit only.  Now in 2010 Bulgari did showcase some pieces with both the Bulgari and Gerald Genta logos on them — I do not know if these pieces were produced as such or not, but in some number of years they might be worthy collector’s pieces.  Anyway — back to the Octo.  Originally created by Genta and named for its eight-sided case, the watch was produced with a wide array of complications including a Grand Sonnerie Tourbillon.  But as you can see this new Octo from Bulgari is very simple and elegant whilst carrying on the Octo design.  I’ve got more pics and video, below.

41.5mm case in pink gold or steel (10.5mm thick), automatic mechanical manufacture BVL 193 caliber

You can see the case, made in-house, is quite angular (even the lugs) — it has a total of 110 facets, each hand-finished with a nice mix of polished and satin surfaces.

The Octo has an in-house made automatic movement, the Bulgari Caliber BVL 193.  It is nothing spectacular (only 50 hours with 2 barrels), but it is a good base caliber offering time and date functions, and some decent decorative aspects:  bridges and adorned with Côtes de Genève motif, chamfered and polished bridge edges, circular-grained mainplate, satin-brushed wheels, polished pivots.

Bulgari Octo Watch
by Kyle Stults on October 28, 2012

Fancy2

Gerald Genta design lives on…

Did you know the original “Octo” was created by legendary Swiss watch designer Gerald Genta?  Yup, and now the Octo lives on under the Bulgari brand.  Bulgari acquired the Gerald Genta brand in 1999/2000, and in 2010 it announced that it would be fully “integrating” Gerald Genta (and Daniel Roth) into Bulgari.  In other words, the Gerald Genta name would soon live on in spirit only.  Now in 2010 Bulgari did showcase some pieces with both the Bulgari and Gerald Genta logos on them — I do not know if these pieces were produced as such or not, but in some number of years they might be worthy collector’s pieces.  Anyway — back to the Octo.  Originally created by Genta and named for its eight-sided case, the watch was produced with a wide array of complications including a Grand Sonnerie Tourbillon.  But as you can see this new Octo from Bulgari is very simple and elegant whilst carrying on the Octo design.  I’ve got more pics and video, below.
41.5mm case in pink gold or steel (10.5mm thick), automatic mechanical manufacture BVL 193 caliber


You can see the case, made in-house, is quite angular (even the lugs) — it has a total of 110 facets, each hand-finished with a nice mix of polished and satin surfaces.

The Octo has an in-house made automatic movement, the Bulgari Caliber BVL 193.  It is nothing spectacular (only 50 hours with 2 barrels), but it is a good base caliber offering time and date functions, and some decent decorative aspects:  bridges and adorned with Côtes de Genève motif, chamfered and polished bridge edges, circular-grained mainplate, satin-brushed wheels, polished pivots.



Price for the Bulgari Octo in steel is $9,500 and $28,300 in 18k pink  gold.  I find this to be a very sensibly styled and fashionable watch with great proportions.  It is not too bold and “in your face” as some Bulgari pieces are — and the price is also about right.  Nicely done Bulgari.

Video

Breitling Brings Back A Cosmonaute

First In Watches brings you the new limited edition Breitling Cosmonaute. 1,000 pieces of this watch will be made to commemorate Breitling’s 125th anniversary. As part of this same year-long celebration by Breitling, we saw earlier this year the limited edition Breitling Navitimer, but this watch is not nearly as cool as the Cosmonaute. One thing I  like about the Breitling Cosmonaute is that it indicates the daily 24 hours in a single sweep of the dial. What’s so special about that you might ask? Well, “given the extremely relative nature of day and night in space, this configuration prevents possible confusion between midday and midnight,” says Breitling. Can’t really argue with the that, I suppose – after all, do you really want to be late for your return flight to Earth?

Historically speaking, in 1962 the space race was well under way, and Breitling, then already a supplier to civilian and military aviation, took on the challenge of a new watch based on the its Navitimer chronograph – the resulting watch was the Cosmonaute. On May 24th 1962, the astronaut Scott Carpenter tested the Breitling Cosmonaute under real-life conditions during his orbital flight aboard the Aurora 7 capsule. So there you have it – the first chronograph in space.

All 1,000 commemorative pieces will be equipped with an original version of the 24-hour dial and fitted exclusively with the rigid perforated Air Racer bracelet. While I am not so much a fan of the Air Racer-style bracelet, I would overlook it in order to own one of these great watches from Breitling.

Breitling Navitimer Blue Sky (60th Anniversary of Navitimer)

Renowned Hollywood celebrity and Breitling Ambassador John Travolta is in Singapore this week to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic aviation timepiece, the Breitling Navitimer.  The watch on Travolta’s wrist?  The newly launched Breitling Navitimer Blue Sky.
The best part about this watch, aside from its good looks?  It is limited to just 500 pieces globally — making it a true Breitling collector’s piece.  Breitling fans this is one you don’t want to miss…

John Travolta posing with his new Breilting Navitimer Blue Sky and he Singapore skyline behind him

The Breitling Blue Sky was produced to celebrate the 60th anniversary of aviation’s iconic timepiece, the Navitimer.   No doubt that the Breitling Navitimer is one of the most iconic aviation watches of our day, but did you know it was first launched in 1952?  It is on this 60-year foundation that Breitling claims the Navitimer as being the world’s oldest mechanical chronograph still in production.
Unlike many limited editions from high volume brands (including Breitling) that I see which number in the many thousands, the Breitling Navitimer Blue Sky is limited to just 500 pieces — a fact which no doubt adds to its appeal and collectability.  The Breitling Blue Sky will retail for about $10,000 on the exclusive dark blue crocodile leather strap.

Breitling Navitimer Blue Sky (60th Anniversary of Navitimer)

Limited Edition 500 pieces

43mm steel case, Bidirectional rotating bezel with a circular slide rule, automatic mechanical manufacture Breitling Caliber 01 (COSC), Aurora blue dial, on dark blue crocodile leather strap (pictured), also avail. Air Racer strap or Navitimer Bracelet

Breitling American Tribute Watch Yields $160,000 for Fisher House

 

One thing I always strive to do, and take great pride in here at Perpetuelle, is highlighting what I like to call “a good watch for a great cause” — and today I’ve got just that.  On Veteran’s Day 2011 (Nov’11), Breitling launched the American Tribute Watch, an exclusive limited quantity of 50 pieces.   The timepiece was available for purchase at the brand’s boutiques in Manhattan, New York and Aventura, Florida.  I was pleased to learn that all 50 pieces sold, and as a result Breitling donated $160,00o (100% of proceeds) to Fisher House Foundation, a military charity that constructs homes and provides free, temporary housing to the families of service members needing medical care across the country.  Fisher House is the “home away from home” for many military families during hospitalization for an illness or injury.

Hats off to Breitling — thanks for supporting our veterans and service members with this endeavor.  And of course heartfelt thanks to Fisher House for all that you have and continue to do.  Fisher House is a superb charity and if you are interested in learning more please read below and/or visit www.fisherhouse.org. 

The $160,000 was presented to CEO President of Fisher House Foundation, Ken Fisher (right), by Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert (left) during a private ceremony in New York City last week

 

The Breitling American Tribute Watch is based on the current Breitling Chronomat 44 watch, and features Caliber 01, the 100 percent in-house chronograph movement created by Breitling.   Each of the 50 limited pieces are individually numbered and feature a commemorative etching on the back of the watch face, paying tribute to American Veterans with the statement “Breitling for America. United We Stand.”

 

ABOUT FISHER HOUSE

Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. The Fisher Houses are 5,000 to 16,800 square-foot homes, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs, where families can stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. Additionally, the Foundation ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis.

Located in proximity to the medical center or hospital it serves, each Fisher House consists of  between 8 and 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room and an inviting living room with a library and toys for children. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is no fee to stay in a Fisher House. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $165 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members. To date, Hero Miles has provided over 25,000 airline tickets to our military and their families. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children
of fallen and disabled veterans.

To learn more about Fisher House and how Breitling and others are giving, please visit www.fisherhouse.org/community/how-others-are-giving/.

Breitling Avenger Seawolf Blacksteel

 

Breitling brings a new color-set to its popular Avenger Seawolf Blacksteel series, now in its 10th year. The “Code Yellow” is a diver’s watch with 3,000-meter/10,000-feet water resistance and a 45mm carbon-treated black steel case, limited to 1,000 pieces. And the usual specs such as screw-down crown, unidirectional rotating bezel, domed glareproof sapphire crystal, and an automatic mechanical Breitling Caliber 17 movement (COSC-certified). The watch is available in your choice of rubber straps — the perforated “Ocean Racer” ($5,420) or a raised-ridge “Diver Pro II” ($4,720), as shown here. Great looking watch, very tactical, and with solid specs.

If interested, click through for a close-up look at the dial and crown.

Breguet Réveil Musical Watch

Breguet Réveil Musical Watch

48mm yellow or white gold case (16.3mm thick)

Based on the new Breguet Caliber 777 movement incorporating a silicon escapement and a Breguet balance-spring, the Réveil Musical houses a fabulous patented musical mechanism — a disc with pins rather than a typical music box cylinder mechanism.  I’m not going to get into the particulars of the mechanism because it is too hard to visualize, but I think it is safe to assume that the auditory outcome is pleasing.

The watch will play a 20-25 second musical tune either at its owner’s pleasure — via a push piece positioned at 10 o’clock, or at any given time via a pre-set alarm function.   The dial performs a complete turn during the 20 to 25 seconds while the tune is being played.  A power reserve display at 3 o’clock indicates whether or not the watch has the energy to play the tune, and in fact will not make music without enough stored energy to enable the the musical to be played in its entirety.

Dial close-up:  Note the seconds hand has a “Treble clef” end

The caseband is finely adorned with a musical stave (staff) — a nice touch, as I like to say:

Such an exceptional model naturally deserved an exceptional presentation box…crafted in resonance wood from the Risoud forest in Valle de Joux.   Resonance spruce is the main type of wood chosen by luthiers as the vibrating membrane on stringed instruments.

Did you Know?

350 Years, and an Extremely Tight-Veined, Ultra-Light and Intensely Vibrant Wood

A harsh climate and extremely poor soil: such is the winning combination that enables the Risoud Forest to produce a 350 year-old resonance spruce, whereas these trees usually reach the age of 180 at most in other regions. This is a treasure for the luthier who must combine lightness in order to achieve the best sound for the soundboard, with rigidity in order to withstand the tension of the strings, which amounts to approximately 80 kg on a folk guitar. The construction does not allow any for any security margins as far as the thickness of the bracings is concerned, since any such differences would be detrimental to the sound of the instrument. Thus, the resonance spruce from the Risoud Forest, the largest single wooded stretch of its kind in Europe, enables the construction of guitars with an extremely precise and powerful sound.

Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi

“World timer” watches are definitely IN right now, with Montres Breguet joining the realm with this beautiful Classique 5715 Hora Mundi.  Long time Breguet aficionados may recall that Breguet had already introduced a first Hora Mundi watch in 1996, in the Marine line, however the 2011 version has markedly different functions.  Breguet notes that the 5717 Hora Mundi is the first example of a mechanical timepiece with an instant-jump time-zone display, allowing the traveller to easily display the time in two pre-selected time zones, changing instantly from one to the other simply by pressing a button, without disturbing the operation of the watch.  The cover for this disc, representing a cloud and bearing the Breguet name and the watch’s serial number, is engraved entirely by hand.  A remarkable watch from Breguet!  Stay tuned for more — the Breguet lineup is really good this year!

Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi

44mm diameter red gold or platinum case (13.55mm thick), Breguet caliber 5717 with silicon escapement, sapphire caseback

Accurate operation during setting is ensured by a stop second system. Changing the time zone affects not only the time, but also the date synchronised through a calendar tracking system – and the day/night indicator.  Three versions of the dial are available, each representing one part of the world: the Americas, the European and African continents, or Asia and Oceania – six references in all.

How to read the watch:

The disc appears in a window on the dial at 12 o’clock. The window is large enough to show three consecutive dates at once. For example, on the 25th of the month, the number 25 will cross the window from left to right over a period of 24 hours. Gradually, the 23 disappears, then the 24, and the 26 appears, followed by the 27.   However, to avoid any confusion in reading the date, Breguet’s watchmakers have made an improvement. To the dragging calendar system they have added a tiny retrograde hand, hidden beneath the dial and ending in a small circle. The circle surrounds the day’s date as soon as it appears at the left side of the date window, and follows it through the day until it disappears at the right side of the window. At midnight, the hand with the circle jumps back to the left side of the window to indicate the date of the day just beginning. This entirely unique system is designed to make reading the date easier in a dragging calendar configuration.

This watch’s most iconic complication, however, is its instant-jump time-zone display system with synchronised date, day/night and city indications, a world first for a mechanical watch. This function lets the wearer preselect, from among the cities listed for the 24 time zones, two cities for which he wishes to display local time. He can then change from one to the other by pressing on the combined crown/pushpiece at 8 o’clock, which triggers an instant jump. For example, assume it is 4 pm in Paris on the 25th of the month. Rotating the combined crown/pushpiece reveals «Paris» in the window at 6 o’clock, then the crown at 3 o’clock is used to set the hands to 4 o’clock and the date to 25, taking care that the day/night indicator shows the sun. For quick display of the local time in Sydney, the crown/pushpiece is first rotated to bring up the name of the Australian city in the window at 6 o’clock; the watch then automatically sets itself to Sydney time. Since the difference in time is nine hours, the hour hand will move forward by nine hours. At the same time, the date will change to the 26th and the day/night indicator will turn to show the moon. When it is 4 pm in Paris, it is in fact 1 am the next day in Sydney. Once the watch has been preset, the double instant-jump time-zone display system will simultaneously change all the indications – hour, date and day/night – in a coordinated way from Paris time to Sydney time when the wearer simply presses on the crown/pushpiece. This complication will thus prove extremely useful for frequent travellers, or persons in contact with others living in distant countries; it allows them to get in touch with such people while being certain that they are not waking them up in the middle of the night.

Breguet Réveil Musical Watch

This watch will be similar to the original Breguet Reveil Musical watch except for a couple of unique features, namely the music-box style tune it plays  — “Castle in the Sky” — and the specially decorated dial which depicts a child whose hand is reaching out to an adult hand, a symbolic gesture of the “inter-generational solidarity and support for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy”, according to Breguet.  The interesting thing to me is the patented music-box mechanism on this watch.  Basically, the dial is connected to a disc carrying pins (thus replacing the traditional music-box cylinder) which act upon the 15 metal teeth of the comb, resulting in the beautiful sound of music box music.  Further, the dial itself rotates one full rotation while the music box tune is being played, about 20-25 seconds.

Breguet Réveil Musical Watch for ONLY WATCH 2011

Unique Piece

48mm white gold case (16.3mm thick), automatic mechanical movement, caseband finely engraved with a musical stave, caseback personalised for Only Watch 2011 and engraved with the inscription “pièce unique”

Castle In the Sky Music Box Tune

Ed’s note:  I am fairly confident, but not 100%, that this is the tune the watch plays:

Also, and I believe this is a little known fact, but the Breguet Reveil Musical watch also incorporates a Liquidmetal^® membrane which serves to amplify the frequencies required to emit the tune.  Liquidmetal is a exclusively licensed for use in watches by the Swatch Group, but is much more broadly recognized for its use in Omega watches such as the original Liquidmetal Seamaster Planet Ocean and the more recent Titanium Liquidmetal Seamaster Planet Ocean.

Breguet Tradition 7047BR

Baselworld 2012: Breguet’s emblematic “Tradition” collection is being enriched this year with an original model in 18-carat rose gold. This “Grande Complication” timepiece featuring a tourbillon, fusee and chain transmission, and a Breguet balance spring in silicon, joins the existing models in yellow gold and platinum. Inspired by the legendary souscription watches created by A.-L. Breguet, this objet d’art symbolizes both a return to roots and a resolutely forward-looking brand vision. It’s pure, modern aesthetic sets the stage for the tourbillon and the fusee and chain transmission located on the upper part of the mainplate. This sculptural piece highlights the contrast and relief effects, giving vibrant life to each component. These technical accomplishments symbolising Breguet’s horological excellence are duly protected by four patents.

Ref. 7047BR/g9/9ZU

Case in 18-carat rose gold with a finely fluted caseband. Sapphire crystal back. Diameter 41 mm. Rounded lugs welded to the case, screw-secured spring-bars. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30 m).

Dial in black-coated engine-turned 18-carat gold, off-centred at 7 o’clock. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Chapter ring with Roman numerals. 60-second tourbillon at 1 o’clock. Polished steel “moon” tip Breguet hands.

Movement mechanical hand-wound with tourbillon, anthracite coating. Numbered and signed Breguet. Cal. 569. 16 lignes. 43 jewels. 50-hour power reserve with power-reserve indication on the barrel drum. Constant torque ensured throughout the running of the watch thanks to the fusee and chain transmission. Titanium upper bridge of the tourbillon carriage Breguet type tourbillon bar. Straight-line Swiss lever escapement. Breguet titanium balance with four gold adjustment screws. Breguet silicon balance spring, 2.5 Hz. Adjusted in 6 positions. Alligator leather strap.

Breguet 7067 Tradition GMT (HD Video) by Kyle Stults on August 01, 2012 Fancy63 Pinit Share on Facebook In 2005, Breguet introduced its 7027 Tradition model, the first of its wristwatches to reveal the mechanisms of the movement on the dial side. Since then, the Tradition collection has become one of the most representative of the Breguet brand. In 2012 Breguet added a second timezone complication to the lineup: the Breguet Tradition 7067. Available in a 40mm rose or white gold case, this piece is a real beauty. Let’s take a closer look, shall we? Video and more photos, after the jump Pinit 0 Comments Breguet Heritage Phases de Lune Retrograde

Baselworld 2012:  Another new piece from Breguet, this one a bit different look from the traditional.  Part of Breguet’si Héritage collection, this watch features a selfwinding calibre 586L movement with platinum winding rotor on the inside, and a  moon phase indicator with hours and minutes on the engine-turned mother of pearl dial.  In addition to rose gold case that is pictured, the Breguet Ref 8860 will also be produced in white gold case in either matching bracelet or woven strap (also pictured).

Breguet Heritage Phases de Lune Retrograde (Ref. 8660)

35mm x 25mm curved tonneau rose gold case, fluting on the caseband, dial with a centre in mother of pearl, engine-turned by hand in a flinqué alterné pattern; chapter ring in frosted silver-plating.  Moonphases with a rose gilt moon at 1 o’clock.

Rose gold case on a matching gold bracelet, Ref. 8860BR/11/RB0
White gold case on a woven leather strap, Ref. 8860BB/11/386
White gold case on a matching gold bracelet, Ref. 8860BB/11/BB0

Breguet 7067 Tradition GMT

In 2005, Breguet introduced its 7027 Tradition model, the first of its wristwatches to reveal the mechanisms of the movement on the dial side.   Since then, the Tradition collection has become one of the most representative of the Breguet brand.  In 2012 Breguet added a second timezone complication to the lineup:  the Breguet Tradition 7067.  Available in a 40mm rose or white gold case, this piece is a real beauty.  Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

The video here provides a good walk-through of the 7067, white gold version.

As demonstrated in the video, the timezone change of the off-centre dial at 12 o’clock is enacted via the button at 10 o’clock on the caseband (see close-up photo below).   A second engine-turned dial, executed in silver and black at 8 o’clock, shows the reference time.  Above this dial is a day/night indicator.

The balance wheel is highlighted at 4 o’clock.   The Breguet spring with its raised terminal curve and the inverted inline lever escapement are both in silicon.

As in the first Tradition model, the power-reserve indicator can be seen at the back of the watch through the sapphire-crystal caseback that also reveals a part of the hand-wound movement.  The power reserve (50 hours) is indicated on the via a clever differential system (see video).

Price for the Breguet Tradition 7067?  About $39,000.

Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar Watch

An interesting new piece from Blancpain — and a reflection on the attention given to the Chinese consumer these days.   With it, Blancpain lays claim to the first mechanical wristwatch equipped with a traditional Chinese calendar.  On its 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 watch will be available in platinum (20 piece limited edition with special “dragon” rotor) or red gold (non-limited edition).  Read on for more details…

Blancpain Traditional Chinese Calendar (Villeret Collection)

platinum:  20 pieces limited edition; or red gold (non limited)

45mm platinum or red gold case (15mm thick), Madagascar ruby crown, five integrated under-lug correctors serving to adjust the indications, grand feu enamel dial, “hollow leaf” shaped hands, automatic mechanical Caliber 3638

The watch is powered by Blancpain’s new self-winding Calibre 3638.  Its complexity stems as much from the number of indications to be displayed as from the irregular nature of their cycles. The hours, minutes and the Gregorian calendar are presented in the center. The counter at 12 o’clock indicates the double-hour numerals and symbols (24-hour cycle); while the one at 3 o’clock shows the elements and the celestial stems (10-year cycle). The month of the Chinese calendar (12-month cycle), its date (30-day cycle) and the leap month indicator appear at 9 o’clock, while a 12 o’clock aperture reveals the zodiac sign of the year in progress (12-year cycle); and the moon phases are displayed at 6 o’clock.

 platinum case (limited edition 20 pieces)

Contrary to the Gregorian solar calendar which uses the solar day as the base unit, the traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning a solar calendar with the lunar cycle (29.53059 days) as its base unit. Since a year comprising 12 lunar months (354.36707 days) is approximately 11 days too short compared with the tropical or solar year (365.242374 days), a leap month is sometimes added to preserve the match with the cycle of the seasons. Given that each month of the Chinese calendar, including the leap months, begins on the day of the new moon, its length is either 29 or 30 days. This means that when a year comprises a leap month, this 13-month year will be longer than the tropical year. On the contrary, when there is no leap month, the year of 12 lunar months is shorter than the tropical year. This distinctive feature is the reason behind the variable date of the Chinese New Year.

red gold case (non limited edition)

VIDEO

Blancpain Retrograde Calendar Watch

Here are two new absolutely gorgeous watches from Blancpain:

These graceful watches in white or red gold feature mother-of-pearl detailing, decentralized hour and minute counters (@ 6 o’clock), moon phase with diamond-stars, and calendar indicated by a star-tipped serpentine blue hand.  The calendar functions in a “retrograde” manner — meaning that the indicator hand “jumps” back to the first day of the month.   While of course it is easy to adore the diamond studded bezel (set with 40 diamonds), don’t overlook the diamond-topped crown as well.  A total of 2.021 carats!

On the back, the sapphire display back showcases a charming flower-shaped oscillating weight for the automatic mechanical movement (Blancpain calibre 2650RL).

A beautiful piece, available in choice of 36mm white or red gold case, fitted on a white leather strap.