- Blancpain has added a new collection to its Villeret lineup, with the autumnal ‘Golden Hour’ series
- There are sixteen references across three models, crafted from stainless steel or rose gold and available in 33.2mm and 40mm case sizes with opaline or golden brown dials
- The Blancpain Villeret Golden Hour collection is priced from $18,000AUD to $49,500AUD
The lion’s share of attention at Blancpain usually goes to the Swiss manufacture’s Fifty Fathoms—thought to be the first modern dive watch—lineup, with a little love then thrown to the feminine Ladybird collection. Despite a lack of attention, the Villeret collection remains a paragon of understated elegance, with the perfectly proportioned dress watch making a quietly assured statement on the wrist.
The Villeret collection in its current incarnation was introduced in 2003, however the aesthetic DNA of the line dates back to 1983. In the wake of the quartz crisis, Blancpain remained steadfast in its commitment to mechanical movements, introducing the smallest complete calendar moonphase of its time within the Classique collection. With its double-stepped bezel, Roman numeral hour indices, and restrained dials, the design language of this model has come to define the Villeret—named after the Swiss village where the manufacture was founded in 1735—collection today.
The Golden Hour series doesn’t just introduce new dial colours—including a particularly alluring autumnal brown shade—and metal configurations, but makes some subtle design tweaks. Namely, redesigned hands with luminescent inserts (a rarity on classic dress watches); a more sculpted and polished font for the Roman numeral indices with a ‘JB’ replacing the applied XII numeral at 12 o’clock (the ‘JB’ is a nod to founder Jehan-Jacques Blancpain); a larger date window at 3 o’clock for the Villeret Ultraplate; an openworked rotor in yellow or rose gold, allowing for better visibility of the hand-finished automatic movement; and a quick-change strap system. The moonphase models (Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune and Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune) also feature larger moonphase apertures that put the characteristically expressive face of the Blancpain moon on full display.
Additionally, a key upgrade that’s not seen but definitely felt is the extension of a five-year warranty to all movements.
The new Blancpain Villeret Golden Hour collection comprises sixteen new references spread across three models; the Villeret Ultraplate, Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune, and Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune.
Villeret Ultraplate
The most pared-back model of the three, the Villeret Ultraplate is an automatic three-hand time-and-date dress watch. Its 40mm case is available in stainless steel or rose gold, paired with an opaline or golden brown sunburst dial. It’s kept ticking by the in-house 1151, which is visible through the exhibition caseback and is accompanied by an impressive 100-hour power reserve.
Price: $18,000AUD (stainless steel); $37,300AUD (rose gold)
Model: Villeret Ultraplate (ref. 6651N 1142 55B [steel/opaline]; 6651N 3642 55B [rose gold/opaline]; 6651N 1146 55B [steel/golden brown]; 6651N 3646 55B [rose gold/golden brown])
Case size: 40mm
Movement: 1151 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 100 hours
Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune
Another 40mm model, the Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune is Blancpain’s complete calendar offering — displaying the hours, minutes, seconds, date, date, and phases of the moon. The case proportions have been updated, with a slimmer bezel, larger crown, thinner profile, and reworked lugs contributing to a lighter feel on the wrist without sacrificing aesthetic presence.
The headliner here is undeniably the adorable moonphase, with its cheeky little face standing out in a sea of hyperrealistic moonphases.
Like the Villeret Ultraplate, the Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune is available in stainless steel or rose gold, with the choice of an opaline or golden brown sunburst dial. It’s powered by the in-house calibre 6654.4, which can be adjusted using the single-push under-lug correctors, an innovation the manufacture patented in 2005.
Price: $28,000AUD (stainless steel); $49,500AUD (rose gold)
Model: Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune (ref. 6654N 1142 55B [steel/opaline]; 6654N 3642 55B [rose gold/opaline]; 6654N 1146 55B [steel/golden brown]; 6654N 3646 55B [rose gold/golden brown])
Case size: 40mm
Movement: 6654.4 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, moonphase
Power reserve: 72 hours
Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune
Designed with smaller wrists in mind, the Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune clocks in at 33.2mm and receives eight new references. Like its stablemates, it’s available in stainless steel or rose gold, with the choice of an opaline or golden brown sunburst dial. The additional four references come in the form of diamond-set bezels, available in each metal and dial configuration.
Each of the models has Roman numerals at the cardinal numbers, with diamond hour markers in between. The peripheral date complication is indicated by an elegant curved blue hand, with the date surrounding the inner dial, which houses the same expressive moonphase as the Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune at 6 o’clock.
Price: $21,100AUD (stainless steel); $44,400AUD (rose gold with diamonds)
Model: Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune (ref. 6126N 1187 55B [steel/opaline]; 6126N 3687 55B [rose gold/opaline]; 6126N 1146 55B [steel/golden brown]; 6126N 3646 55B [rose gold/golden brown]; 6126N 4687 55B [steel/opaline/diamonds]; 6126N 2987 55B [rose gold/opaline/diamonds]; 6126N 4646 55B [steel/golden brown/diamonds]; 6126N 2946 55B [rose gold/golden brown/diamonds])
Case size: 33.2mm
Movement: 913QL.P (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, moonphase
Power reserve: 40 hours
With its warm colour palette and wearable proportions, the Blancpain Villeret Golden Hour collection speaks to contemporary tastes — which, incidentally aren’t all that different to traditional tastes. Either way, we’re happy to see Blancpain’s flagship dress watch collection get some love.
Words by Henry Blake
