Blancpain unveils new Villeret Traditionnelle Chinese Calendar to celebrate the 2022 Lunar New Year

Blancpain's new model celebrating the 2022 Lunar New Year is a platinum model with a Grand Feu enamel dial displaying the lunar calendar and a Tiger engraved on the caseback.

One of the few complications displaying the Chinese calendar

　Among the Blancpain Villeret collection's various calendar types, this new limited edition model displays the Chinese calendar, and is based on fundamental principles that have been developed over thousands of years and are deeply rooted in Chinese tradition.

　A complication developed in-house by Blancpain, the Traditional Chinese Calendar dial displays hours, minutes, the Gregorian calendar, and the Chinese calendar, which includes the traditional two-hour timekeeping, the day of the week, month, and leap month indications, the zodiac, the five elements, and the ten heavenly stems (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui). The dial also features a moon phase, which determines the months in the Chinese calendar and is a key element of Blancpain's complete calendars.

　Faithful to the signature design elements of the Villeret collection, the 45mm case with a double-step bezel features under-lug correctors for easy adjustment of the functions, and frames a display showcasing the expertise of Blancpain's artisans.

　The chapter ring is applied in gold, the other markings are painted in enamel, and the main hands, shaped like hollowed-out leaves, are combined with blued steel serpentine hands indicating the date on the Gregorian calendar, reminiscent of 18th-century watchmaking tradition.

　Practical and symbolic, the Traditional Chinese Calendar offers watch enthusiasts the opportunity to consider different approaches to the concept of time. The calendar, which dates back to the Shang dynasty in ancient China, was once important in Japan, but the use of the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches has become less common in modern Japan.

　The only time we encounter the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches in our daily lives is when we are telling our fortunes (Kanreki, or 60th birthday, is named after the 60th and final sign of the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches, the Water Pig). Each sign has its own meaning, and the 2022 sign, Water Tiger, represents the harsh winter, the more splendid the budding spring will be, and the year will be full of vitality.

　Even today, this timepiece remains deeply rooted in everyday life in China, even more so than in Japan, and it is clear to see how practical it is. The 50 serial-numbered pieces represent a new realization of this rich diversity.