Blancpain marks the arrival of the Fire Horse with its 2026 Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel, a limited run of 50 platinum pieces that continues the house’s annual exploration of the Chinese lunisolar calendar in mechanical form.
The concept remains as thoughtful as ever. The watch presents the traditional Chinese calendar while also displaying the Gregorian date and a moonphase. Blancpain debuted this East-West combination in 2012 and states that it was a world first. According to the brand, this combination remains unique in watchmaking.
At the heart is calibre 3638, developed in-house over five years. The movement drives one of the most intricate calendar mechanisms, coordinating the Chinese cycles with the familiar solar count. This is the fifteenth interpretation of the series, a steady cadence rather than a sprint.
Practicality has not been forgotten. Five patented hidden correctors simplify life at the bench and on the wrist – four tucked beneath the lugs and a fifth in the case back at 9 o’clock. No tools are needed, and the case flanks stay clean.
The dial is salmonrose Grand Feu enamel – calm, legible, and traditional in method. Turning the watch reveals a 22K gold rotor by the Métiers d’Art workshop. It depicts a horse in gallop over a flying swallow, an invocation of Tianma, the Heavenly Horse from Chinese Imperial legend. The motif suits a calendar that reads both sky and season.
It is easy to admire the persistence of the idea. Rather than chasing complications for their own sake, the Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel continues to translate a cultural system of time into gears and levers. The result is scholarly in intent and quietly practical in use – a watch for those who enjoy the why as much as the how.
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