A photo session with the Blancpain Villeret GMT Reveil

Despite being an exceptional travel watch with both aesthetic and functional virtues there's actually not too much coverage on this beautiful timepiece to be found.

It may very well be that since we all are very accustomed to the GMT Reveil from its previous existence as a (widely discussed) 40mm Leman model, the translation of this splendid complication into the Villeret line did almost go unnoticed, and that actually is a shame. So I reached out to the Blancpain Boutique in Munich and asked them whether I could get my hands on the watch for a photo session, and they gladly not only gratuitously agreed but they even sent two watches!

So let's get closer to those two pieces, starting with a look on calibre 1240H, which now has 396 parts (which is a little less than the Leman used calibre 1241), automatic winding and the typical Villeret decoration:

The reason for the photo session was the stainless steel version, but let's start with a closer look on the rose gold Villeret GMT Reveil:

The Flinqué dial works perfectly well with the gold case, which in itself is a pure joy in terms of both aesthetics and haptics. Take a closer look at the beautiful crowns:

The stainless steel version has a more reduced dial, which still offers a lot of nice details and very good contrast. Here's a series of photos concentrating on this timepiece:

To me the GMT Reveil has found a perfect home in Blancpain's Villeret line. The dials are less busy than with the Leman (the absence of a permanent running seconds helps with that), in this variation it is a perfect under the radar timepiece to travel with, and in it's stainless steel version it also works well in more casual environments.

I hope you enjoyed the photos. Since I cannot upload videos capturing the alarm, let me offer you to visit my blog, where you find those in case you wish to hear the Villeret GMT Reveil.

Cheers
Henrik

💰180 Marketplace Listings for Blancpain›

there are fashions, there are hypes, there are trends...and there is old-school comme-il-faut watchmaking....

By: Izhik : April 13th, 2019-04:09

those photos with those incredible beautiful details just scream top class watchmaking.... thanks for this wonderful presentation Henrik...

Very nice photos of a very elegant Reveil. I agree, this new Reveil works very well with the Villeret Line. [nt]

By: amanico : April 13th, 2019-06:45

Merci beaucoup, Nico! [nt]

By: shortys home : April 13th, 2019-10:21

Beautiful photos

By: jmpTT : April 13th, 2019-10:07

Love that curvaceous hand, the one I assume to be a GMT hand. Blancpain still has a marketing challenge, when I consider how under-appreciated the Villeret line watches are. How would you jumpstart brand recognition?

Thanks! Now, when it comes to appropriate recognition...

By: shortys home : April 13th, 2019-10:37

... I am the wrong person to comment since I personally appreciate Blancpain and their beautiful and very well executed timepieces for more than two decades. I have my own theory that after the heavy marketing years with Jean Claude Biver at the helm the ...