Double-stepped case, Roman numerals and an understated aesthetic are what characterise the Villeret models. Their pure lines, clear dials and fine cases express the essential with timeless elegance.
In 2010 and 2011, Blancpain undertook a subtle aesthetic reinterpretation of the line to give it a more contemporary look, while keeping its iconic style. The new Villeret collection incorporates the results of recent research carried out by Blancpain in the making of its movements.
Far from breaking with tradition, the new models accentuate and amplify the spirit of this collection. The introduction of dials in grand feu enamel reaffirms Blancpains attachment to authentic watchmaking values. This unalterable material which keeps its shine indefinitely is particularly well suited to adorning high end watches and clocks intended to be handed down from one generation to the next. Grand feu enamel dials are obtained by a succession of several layers of enamel, with a firing at temperatures higher than 1000°C between each one. They are then set off with numerals or hour markers in real enamel, some of them requiring over 12 firings in the kiln. After each operation, the dials are meticulously inspected and retouched by hand. The finishing of the dials, the shaping and the openings, are equally delicate operations which also demand great skill and know-how. That is the very reason that Blancpain is the only watch Manufacture to offer domed enamel dials.
The serpentine hand in blued steel to indicate the date also embodies a return to the sources of watchmaking tradition. The shape may be new to the Villeret collection, but it has been used since the 18th century by watchmakers to indicate secondary information given by the watch. Its characteristic hue is obtained naturally by the colouring of the iron in the steel when exposed to heat in the presence of oxygen.
