Blancpain appeals to many, especially to mainland watch buyers who are among its biggest clients. Nevertheless, the brand is not resting on its laurels and is broadening its appeal across the border with one of its main highlights unveiled at this year's BaselWorld.
The company used the fair to present its Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel, or Traditional Chinese Calendar, a perpetual calendar watch that displays the fundamental principles of Chinese tradition alongside the Gregorian almanac.
The Gregorian calendar is displayed around the outer dial with minute and hour hands clocking Western time from the centre of the watch face, but the Chinese readings are given prominence.
The watch displays the main indications of the Chinese calendar, including traditional double-hour indications; day and month indications with warnings of leap months; signs of the zodiac, the five elements and 10 celestial stems. And, given the link between the lunar cycle and Chinese passages of time, a moon phase is also represented.
Although the Chinese year has 12 months, they are shorter than Gregorian months, producing shorter years that are accommodated with a leap month every few years. The month, date and leap-month indicators of the Chinese calendar appear at 9 o'clock, while the year's zodiac sign appears in an aperture at 12 o'clock. Double-hour numerals also appear here, while the elements and celestial stems are shown at 3 o'clock. Moon phases are displayed at 6 o'clock.
The watch is powered by a new self-winding 3638 calibre consisting of 434 parts and a seven-day power reserve. It represents a mechanical feat in overcoming the challenges of accommodating irregular lunar cycles and the number of indications required to stay true to the Chinese calendar. The watch comes in a 45mm red gold case and there is a 20-piece limited edition in white gold featuring a dragon motif engraving on the automatic rotor.