Blancpain has announced the Villeret Traditionnelle Chinese Calendar. This model is themed around the Chinese zodiac sign for 2024, the Dragon. The green Grand Feu enamel dial features a lunisolar calendar in addition to the usual date display, and the rotor visible through the case back is engraved with the image of a dragon.
A limited edition model for the Year of the Dragon featuring a complex Chinese lunisolar calendar
Blancpain has once again released its Villeret Traditionnelle Chinese Calendar. The theme of this work is the Dragon, the Chinese zodiac sign for 2024. This series was created in 2012. Since then, the Chinese zodiac has completed one cycle, and this time, the second cycle begins.
The green dial is made of Grand Feu enamel. The serpentine hand extending from the center displays the date in the Gregorian calendar, but this model also features a separate inset dial displaying the Chinese calendar (lunisolar calendar) and time.
This new Villeret Traditionnelle Chinese Calendar is themed around the dragon, the zodiac sign for 2024. The serpentine hand indicates the Gregorian date, while three subdials display the Chinese calendar and time. Automatic (Cal. 3638). 39 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve: approximately 168 hours. 18KRG case (45.2mm diameter, 15.1mm thick). Water resistant to 3 bar. Limited to 50 pieces worldwide. Price: 10,021,000 yen (tax included).
The subdial at 12 o'clock displays the hours, which divide the day into 12 parts, and the zodiac sign is displayed in a small window illustration. The subdial at 3 o'clock displays the ten heavenly stems and five elements, while the subdial at 9 o'clock displays the month and date. The leap month, which occurs every two to three years, a feature of the Chinese calendar, can be identified by a small round window in the subdial at 9 o'clock. The moon phase, a specialty of Blancpain, is located at 6 o'clock.
The movement of this watch, which realizes a more complex calendar display than the Gregorian calendar, took a full five years to develop. It is made up of 464 parts spread over six layers, and the assembly and adjustment of these components requires the skills of the company's highly skilled engineers.
The rest of the basic design follows that of the Villeret collection: leaf-shaped hands, Roman numerals, and a polished round case with a double-step bezel create an elegant impression.
The automatic winding rotor, visible through the case back, is engraved with a dragon, this year's zodiac sign, and is set with a single ruby. The Côtes de Genève and chamfering on the bridges are also a highlight.
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