Prior to the opening of the 2012 Baselworld watch fair in Basel, Switzerland this week, Blancpain has offered up what it refers to as an “appetizer” to the main course of new models to be unveiled at the show. It is the first model in the brand’s Villeret collection to feature a flinqué lacquered dial, on which several layers of translucent blue lacquer are applied to create the effect of depth.
Housed within the new watch’s 40-mm-diameter white-gold case is Blancpain’s ultra-slim Calibre 7663Q, which contains 244 parts and 34 jewels and has a three-day power reserve. This new self-winding movement powers the hour and minute hands as well as a center-mounted, serpentine-shaped date pointer. The running seconds are on a retrograde display at 6 o’clock. The under-lug corrector at 5 o’clock enables fast date adjustment. The watch has a sapphire exhibition caseback that shows off the movement, most notably the distinctive guilloché oscillating weight that is a hallmark of the Villeret collection.
The watch is water-resistant to 30 meters and features an alligator leather strap (in blue, matching the color of the dial) with alzavel lining and a folding clasp. Click on the pictures below for larger images.
