HANDS-ON: The Blancpain Villeret Grande Date
Felix ScholzThe story in a second:
For many, Blancpain is synonymous with the Fifty Fathoms, but there’s much more to the brand than dive watches. The Villeret collection is just as important and iconic. Please welcome the latest addition to the collection – the Blancpain Villeret Grande Date.
The Villeret collection is the heart and soul of Blancpain; it is the spiritual, and geographic centre of the brand, expressing all the brand values that found and complement their other famous icon, the Fifty Fathoms. The Villeret watches are all about a purity and clarity of design that exudes elegance.
The latest member of the family is the Villeret Grande Date – basically the classic automatic Villeret with a large date complication (which changes instantaneously at midnight, rather than dragging). The watch is powered by the calibre 6950, which packs an impressive 72-hour power reserve thanks to its twin barrels. It’s an attractive movement, especially with the honeycomb finished rotor.
But pretty as the movement is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the rest of the watch. The 40mm rose gold case, with its double stepped bezel is classic without being conservative. And the opaline dial is stunning – gently cambered around the outer edge. The distinctively fluid roman numerals are another unique nuance – and about as funky as roman numerals can get.
The date is superbly executed, though to my mind it is recessed a fraction too deep into the dial. I also find the combination of roman and Arabic numerals odd, but I appreciate the impracticalities of having a date wheel read XXV.
On the wrist this watch is as nice as you’d expect – at a shade under 11mm it’s thin, but not quite ‘ultrathin’ territory – which means it has a reassuring presence and feel on the wrist. This is a gold watch you could wear all day, rather than just at a black tie event.
Blancpain Villeret Grande Date Australian pricing
The Villeret Grande date in rose gold on leather with deployant buckle will retail for $25,400 AUD.