A Regal Tribute: Blancpain Unveils Ladybird Colors Royal Purple

Blancpain celebrates feminine elegance and artisanal excellence with the launch of a stunning new capsule edition in its Ladybird Colors collection: Royal Purple. This rich, majestic hue joins a bold and vibrant palette including raspberry pink, lilac, midnight blue, coral blue, apple green, peacock green, forest green, turquoise, lemon sorbet yellow, and white.

The Ladybird has a storied history that dates back to 1956, when it debuted with the smallest round mechanical movement ever created for women's watches: the R-52, measuring just 11.85mm in diameter. Housed in a minimalist case with the crown discreetly placed on the case back, this daring design challenged the norms of an era when ladies’ watches were expected to remain understated. Over the years, the Ladybird has seen continuous refinement— most notably in 1995 with the introduction of the ultra-slim automatic calibre 615, still powering today’s Ladybird Ultraplate models.

At the heart of the new Ladybird Colors lies an iridescent dial crafted from nacre perlée, a rare and exceptionally luminous variety of mother-of-pearl. Harvested from the domed centers of specially cultivated mollusks, this refined material is found in less than two percent of usable mother-of-pearl. Framing this exclusive dial are twelve Roman numerals rendered in deep Royal Purple, encircled by two diamond-set rings. One of these rings artfully showcases the moon phase complication— a signature Blancpain feature, reintroduced to the dial in 1983 following the quartz crisis. The moon itself, flanked by delicate stars, bears a human face adorned with a tiny beauty mark on its right cheek. Adding to its charm are Blancpain’s signature openworked sage leaf-shaped hands, gracefully sweeping over the dial to mark hours and minutes.

As her sister models, the new Ladybird Colors— Reference 3662D-1954-55 in white gold and 3662E-2954-55 in red gold— is presented in an elegantly proportioned 34.9mm case, standing 10.43mm tall. More than two carats of dazzling diamonds embellish the bezel, crown, lugs, and clasp. Completing the look is a vibrant alligator leather strap in matching Royal Purple.

Inside beats the caliber 1163L, an automatic movement with an impressive 100-hour power reserve. Equipped with a silicon balance spring— resistant to magnetic fields and a game-changer in 21st-century horology— the caliber exemplifies modern mechanical precision. Through the transparent sapphire caseback, the movement reveals its full beauty, showcasing Geneva stripes and a skeletonized rotor.

Pricing is marked at $38,300.

To learn more, visit Blancpain, here.