Blancpain

Experienced Blancpain collectors and friends of the brand have of course already deciphered, from the reference number, the most important details:

- 6654: Complete calendar (triple date/moon phase) complication based on the Cal 1151

- 1113: steel case, gray dial

- 55B: alligator strap with deployant buckle

The dial layout follows the famous and traditional 2+1 (weekday/month & moon phase) indication with a central date hand:

It is not up to me to judge whether this is a design necessity (due to the constriction of movement and complication module) or a design choice (to achieve a given design objective). In part I could imagine it to be the latter, just note the cut-outs for the weekday and the month...

... as well as for the moonphase. OOOOHHHH - and do not forget this gorgeous blued date hand!!!!

The moon phase disk appears to be coated in a material similar to (Champlevé) enamel. It manages to transmit light coming in from a steep angle - wonderful!

On the back side we identify the known signs of a movement based upon the Frédéric Piguet Cal. 1150 family, here the Cal. 6654.

A closer look spots two important details which collector certainly can appreciate: Blancpain's proprietary (and very practical) correctors under the lugs...

... as well as a freesprung balance:

This is a very recent improvement to the base Cal. 1151. It comes however with one 'downside': the power reserve shrinks slightly from 100 to 72h.

Still, that's enough to exchange it from your wrist on Friday evening in favour of your Bathyscaphe, just to strap it on back on Monday morning, still displaying the correct time...

But why take it off at all? The Villeret line has an intrinsic quality called versatility. We tried it here with a business ...

... vs. a more casual attire. Always a perfect match!

A bit thicker than an 'ultra-slim' Villeret promises to be, don't you think? but not disturbingly so... In fact, I think it gives the watch a nice touch of substance (which makes it more versatile, even!):



The dial is a joy to admire, and once again is over boring to appreciate (just flip the wrist a bit to change the angle of light!). It could even appear almost unicolour:

The finely brushed sun ray decoration lends a quite remarkable subtlety to the lively design.

Overall, congratulations to Blancpain for (yet again) creating an immensely elegant timepiece with many modern (design, movement) aspects and many, many fascinating details (dial). The result is a modestly complicated timepiece with a number of technical delicacies (72h PR, free sprung balance, correctors under the lugs) combined with an exterior which fits just in about any scenario, from business, office to evenings with friends.

The latter is a quality where the Villeret line always excelled, and Blancpain demonstrated once more that the brand just knows how to advance and improve this line time and time again.