BLANCPAIN – VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar 2019 Edition

BLANCPAIN – VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar Platinum 45 mm Limited Edition - 2020 Year of the Metal Rat

A Chinese New Year Under The Sign Of Excellence

Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar is a watchmaking masterpiece combining the fundamental principles of the age-old lunisolar calendar stemming from Chinese tradition with the date according to the Gregorian calendar. To celebrate Chinese New Year, the Manufacture is unveiling a new limited edition of this Complication featuring the Rat, the first animal of the Chinese zodiac, which heralds a year of luck and prosperity.

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With the Traditional Chinese Calendar, Blancpain took up the challenge of mechanically combining two different interpretations of time. Five years of research and development were required to associate within this timepiece the main indications of the Chinese calendar as well as the date based on the Gregorian calendar. Given that the basic unit of these two time-division systems is not the same, this represents a real technical feat. While the Gregorian calendar is based on the solar day, the lunisolar Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle, composed of 29,53059 days.

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A year of 12 lunar months is about 11 days shorter than a solar year. In order to maintain consistency with the seasonal cycle, a leap month is added to the Chinese calendar every two to three years. This distinctive feature is the reason behind the variability of the Chinese New Year date. But the complexity of this calendar does not stop there, since it uses a system of subdividing the day into 12 double hours, thus replacing the 24 hours composed of 60 minutes each featured in the Gregorian calendar. Each of these double hours is named, in successive order, after one of the twelve earthly branches and represented by one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

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All this information can be found on the white Grand Feu enamel dial of Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar. The animal of the year, the Rat, appears in a window at 12 o'clock. Below is the double hours counter displayed in numbers and symbols. The ten celestial pillars and five elements are displayed at 3 o'clock, while two hands at 9 o’clock serve to read the month and date. They are complemented by an aperture dedicated to the leap months. The moon phases, which are used to determine the months of the Chinese calendar and represent an emblematic element of Blancpain's calendar models, are highlighted in a window at 6 o’clock. Finally, the date according to the Gregorian calendar, associated with these indications, is read off around the rim of the chapter ring by means of a blued steel serpentine hand.

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This timepiece, which is even more complex than a perpetual calendar, is driven by the self-winding 3638 movement. The latter is distinguished in particular by a seven-day power reserve made possible by the use of three series-coupled barrels, equipped with high-performance springs. It is secured against inappropriate manipulation of the functions and equipped with a silicon balance-spring.

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This exceptional movement is housed in a 45 mm platinum case featuring a crown and oscillating weight adorned with a cabochon-cut ruby. It incorporates five under-lug correctors – a patented Blancpain invention – enabling easy fingertip adjustment of functions without the need for a correction tool.

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The refined and timeless aesthetics of the Villeret collection can be seen in the double stepped bezel of the case, as well as on the dial bearing gold appliques for the Roman numerals and hands shaped like cut- out sage leaves.

Issued in a 50-piece limited edition, this timepiece features a white gold oscillating weight engraved with the Chinese zodiac sign of the year, the Rat. Each is entirely assembled and meticulously adjusted by hand by a single master-watchmaker in the Grandes Complications workshop of the Manufacture in Le Brassus.

Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar is also available in an unlimited red gold version with a guilloché oscillating weight.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar Edition

References:  00888H-3431-55B - Platinum 45 - Edition
References: 00888H-3631-55B - Red Gold 45
 
Complications
Traditional Chinese Calendar
[double-hour indication, signs of the zodiac, date and month of the Chinese calendar.
Indication of the five elements, the celestial stems and the leap months]
Specificities

• ∙ Gregorian calendar
• ∙ Moon phases
• ∙ Under-lug correctors
• ∙ Secured movement
• ∙ White grand feu enamel dial
• ∙ Oscillating weight set with a Madagascar ruby
• ∙ Sself-winding

Case

• Platinum
• Red Gold

Case thickness:     15.00 mm
Case diameter:     45.00 mm
Water resistance:     3.00 bar
Between horns:     23.00 mm
Sapphire back
Engraved on the - "Chinese Calendar - № Х/50 Piece"
Dial
Full fired enamel
White grand feu enamel
Movement
Calibre 3638
Reference:   3638   
Self-winding
Calibre thickness:  8.30 mm
Calibre diameter:  32.00 mm
Power reserve in hours:  168
Jewels:  39
3 mainspring barrels
Secured movement
Titanium free sprung balance with gold regulation screws
Components:     464
Strap/Bracelet
Alligator lined with alzavel
Black color strap
Platinum folding clasp
Brown color strap
Gold folding clasp

Platinum version - Only  Limited edition of 50 Piece


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Press release - 2019
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Blancpain S.A.
Le Rocher 12
1348 Le Brassus
Suisse
International PR: Lucie Notar
Tel.  (+41) 21 796 3619
Fax (+41) 21 796 3637
E-mail: pr@blancpain.com
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SPEAKE-MARIN – One & Two Open-worked Tourbillon Edition

SPEAKE-MARIN – One & Two Open-worked Tourbillon Red Gold Limited Edition 2019


Geneva, November 2019 – After the successes of the “One&Two” Openworked Hours& Minutes and the “One&Two” Openworked Dual Time launched in the last two years, which marked a new aesthetic trend for the brand, Speake-Marin now extends its Openworked collection with a new complication: a 60 seconds Flying Tourbillon.

The new SMA05 Calibre is part of the SMA proprietary movement family and follows the “Openworked collection” approach with a strong element at 1:30: the flying tourbillon. By displaying a Tourbillon cage at 1:30, the Speake-Marin objective to break-away from the watchmaking codes is achieved: Speake-Marin is the only watchmaker who positions its tourbillon there.

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It is actually a real constraint in terms of movement development since the tourbillon cage at 1:30 has to go through the time setting module. It is even more complicated than a small second at that place because the tourbillon cage requires more space in length and depth.

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The tourbillon cage is covered by the iconic Speake-Marin rotor shape in red gold as a reminder of the Speake-Marin logotype. The main plate has a microblasted black finish which brings depth to the dial. The regulating organ is especially accurate, with a precision of +/- 4 second per day, which is a very good performance for mechanical movements with flying tourbillon. For this new movement, Speake-Marin chose to develop a 3HZ movement (21,600 alt/h) so as to easily see the movement alternations on the tourbillon.

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Last but not least, the SMA05 Calibre displays a power reserve indicator at 7:30 (72 hours). It creates a visual balance between the barrel, the oscillating mass, the tourbillon and the power reserve, while the sharp edges of the bridges are counterbalancing the classical shape of the case. The barrel is engraved with the model name: “One&Two Openworked Flying Tourbillon”.

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This movement is nestled in a new version of the Piccadilly, an evolution of the iconic case of Speake-Marin. The new case is more technical than the original allowing the straps to be integrated closer in the case, moving the crown further into the case so as to soften its aesthetics whilst maintaining its original DNA. The bezel and the case back slightly overlap the central case section altering the overall “look” of the watch whilst maintaining the iconoclastic feel of Speake-Marin. In addition, the glass traditionally set into the bezel has now been altered to a box form, reducing the overall thickness of the case and accentuating the technical aspect of the watch.

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Revealing strong watch architecture, the One&Two Openworked Tourbillon anchors the Speake-Marin contemporary style to create “Belle Horlogerie” for those who want to wear something unique on their wrist. This new aesthetic is very masculine thanks to its material mix (gold, black finish and SuperLuminova® on the hands and indexes) and the sharp flanks of the bridges. Both hyper contemporary with the dial and classic with the case, it will please gentlemen watch connoisseurs who want to affirm their style and individuality with an audacious watch choice that will differentiate them from others.

This limited edition is proposed in 10 pieces only.

Since 2015, Speake-Marin has initiated a movement strategy to fully develop and assemble proprietary movements within its atelier in the Neuchatel area, Switzerland. This new strategy gave birth to the “SMA” collection, which includes Openworked, closed dials and Haute Horlogerie movements. Firstly, Speake-Marin focused its efforts on Haute Horlogerie 3 Hz movements (Minute Repeater and Double Tourbillon). Then, Speake-Marin developed Hour Minutes Seconds 4Hz movements, which were featured in the new One&Two design as an Openworked movement named SMA01. This movement is particular due to the small second counter being positioned at 1:30 and its integrated micro-rotor.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection: One & Two

Model: One&Two Open-Worked Tourbillon

References
38mm: 423811250
42mm: 424211250

MOVEMENT
Self-winding movement with micro-rotor
Calibre SMA05
60 sec Flying Tourbillon
Power Reserve: 72 hours
INDICATIONS
Hour Minutes
Poer reserve at 7:30
DIAL
Open-worked dial
Black micro-blasted mat finish
5N gold-plated bridge flanks
Heart-shaped golden hands with SuperLuminova®
CASE
New generation Piccadilly case in 5N red gold or titanium
Diameter: 38 or 42 mm
Front sapphire crystal treated with anti-reflective coating
Open back case
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
STRAP
Black alligator
Pin buckle in red gold

Limited Edition   - Only 5 watches of each diameter


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Press Release - 2019
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Should you need additional information,
feel free to contact our Communications Department by email:
veronique@speake-marin.com or by phone at: +41 21 695 26 56
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