Blancpain added a number of new timepieces to its emblematic Villeret collection at the Swatch Group’s 2019 “Time to Move” showcase, with a new GMT design being one of the options. This isn’t really a revolutionary development for the Villeret line, as Blancpain has consistently offered a variety of travel-time designs within it, most recently with the Villeret Quantième Complet GMT in 2018. What is refreshing about the new Villeret GMT Date, however, is its pared-down appearance of complementing its dual time zone display solely with a date aperture at 3 o’clock, sans any additional calendar functions.
The Villeret GMT Date Ref. 6662 shows its second time zone in a display that seamlessly matches the collection’s defining focus on elegant dress watch styling. Namely, a simple 24-hour ring of Arabic numerals runs along the inside of the stylized Roman numeral appliques. A slender hand tipped with a red arrow indicates the secondary time along this 24-hour scale, while hour and minutes are shown via the Villeret’s characteristic leaf-shaped hands. The time displays are completed by a white date aperture located at 3 o’clock. The bezel is double-stepped in Blancpain’s Villeret tradition.
The watch is powered by the automatic 5A50 manufacture movement, which has a silicon hairspring and offers 100 hours of running autonomy. Fast GMT correction, the date, and the time are all adjusted through the crown. The 40-mm case, available in either 18K red gold or stainless steel, is only 10.28 mm thick. The red gold option is paired with an opaline dial; the stainless steel with a white variation. Both models are available with either an alligator leather strap or a matching mille mailles metal bracelet. Pricing starts at $12,000 for the stainless steel iteration on strap ($14,300 for the steel bracelet) and goes up to $40,800 for the rose gold bracelet ($21,600 for the rose gold on strap).
