Serpentine Sophistication: Blancpain Unveils Limited Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionelle
Blancpain commemorates the Chinese New Year for the 14th time with a complex timepiece that combines the Gregorian calendar with the Chinese calendar, uniting two distinct timekeeping systems in one watch. The Chinese Year of 2025 will be represented by the Wood Snake, and according to legend, it is said to be a time for personal and spiritual growth, and for making plans and solving problems.
In 2012, Blancpain made a world-first with the introduction of the Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel, which combined the globally used Gregorian calendar with the Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar is primarily used in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau to determine traditional festivals like the Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. These two calendars differ in several fundamental ways. The Gregorian calendar is solar-based, aligned with the Earth's orbit around the sun. It comprises 365 days in a year, with a leap year every four years to account for the difference between the actual orbital period of the Earth and the calendar year. Years are numbered according to the Christian era (BC and AD).
In contrast, the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, meaning it accounts for both the lunar and solar cycles. A month in the Chinese calendar corresponds to a lunar cycle of about 29.5 days, while a year typically has 354 days. To balance the difference between the lunar and solar years, a leap month is inserted every two to three years, making a Chinese year sometimes 13 months long. Each year is associated with one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals (such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, etc.), which are linked to traditional beliefs about luck and fate. Additionally, each year is also associated with one of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), creating a 60-year cycle.
As the second 12-year cycle of the Chinese calendar began in 2024, Blancpain refreshed the design of the 12 zodiac animals, which are displayed in a window at 12 o'clock to remind us of the legend of the Jade Emperor, who once called the animals to him. In the Year of the Wood Snake, from January 29, 2025, to February 16, 2026, the snake is depicted on a green Grand Feu enamel dial for the first time.
These diverse displays are powered by the Caliber 3638, with 464 components, housed in a 42.5mm platinum case. It is crafted in Blancpain's atelier for grande complications in Le Brassus. The depiction of the snake, rendered in frost-finish on the rotor, is brought to life by Blancpain’s artisans at the Métiers d'Art workshop.
The Caliber 3638 is equipped with three barrels, offering an impressive seven-day power reserve. Its complexity is immediately evident on the dial with its multitude of information. However, thanks to the thoughtful layout, it remains perfectly legible. The displays are indicated by four hands and through two windows. The four hands show the five elements in combination with Yin and Yang at 3 o'clock, the days and months of the traditional Chinese calendar at 9 o'clock, and the double hours of the Chinese calendar at 12 o'clock. The window at 9 o'clock indicates the Chinese leap month, and at 12 o'clock, the zodiac sign of the current lunar year. These multitude of calendar information are complemented by a serpentine hand for the Gregorian date and the striking Blancpain moon phase at 6 o'clock, which gives the celestial body a face.
Despite its complexity, the Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel’s displays are easy to adjust thanks to Blancpain's patented correctors located beneath the lugs. Introduced in 2005, this mechanism allows for the simple adjustment of the calendar indications with a finger press, without the need for additional tools.
The Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2025 is equipped with a chocolate-brown alligator leather strap that harmonizes with the dial color and is limited to 50 pieces. The price is 81,000 Swiss Francs, or approximately $90,700 when converted to USD.
To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.
