Blancpain faced the quartz crisis by choosing craft over convenience. In the early 1980s, it doubled down on mechanical watchmaking, and in 1983 the complete calendar moon phase set the codes for Villeret. The later push into high complications – the Six Masterpieces and the 1735 – did not dilute that vision. Today the modern Villeret carries this heritage forward with quiet confidence.
At the heart is the in-house calibre 6654.4, conceived, produced, decorated, and assembled under one roof. Its secured architecture lets you adjust calendar indications at any time without harm – a practical kindness that spares both nerves and wheels. A silicon hairspring adds chronometric stability and strong magnetic resistance.
Finishing is appropriately restrained and thorough: Côtes de Genève, perlage in multiple sizes, polished angles, and drawn lines. A new open-worked gold rotor gives a cleaner view of the bridges through the sapphire back. Two mainspring barrels provide a 72-hour reserve – three days of poised running, not a boast but a baseline.
The moon phase is the signature. Blancpain keeps the familiar Mona Lisa smile, now rendered as a solid 18k gold domed applique. Set on a blue ceramic disc with a newly arranged star field, it offers high contrast and improved legibility. The enlarged aperture is not drama, just clarity.
The dial earns its depth, not with lacquered rhetoric, but with process. Five successive baths – two washing stages, then three galvanic – build a deep, even tone. The final galvanic bath uses gold superior to 18 carats, lending quiet richness. A sunray finish animates the surface, tempered by a contrasting date ring. Each dial meets strict thickness and flatness criteria and is checked eight times by a human eye and hand.
Indexes are solid 18 ct gold Roman numerals with satin-finished tops and polished bevels, catching light without shouting. At 12, the traditional XII yields to the JB symbol. The hour and minute hands are sharper, more assertive, and set with Super-LumiNova for discreet night use.
The Villeret case keeps its double-stepped signature. Under-lug correctors – patented in 2025 – allow tool-free, intuitive calendar setting while preserving clean case flanks free of dimples. Proportions are refined with a slimmer bezel and thinner profile, plus an enlarged crown and reworked lugs for comfort and poise.
Straps use a new quick-interchange system. Discreet tabs at the case attachment and the deployant permit tool-free swaps with a fingertip. Colors include blue-grey, honey, beige, brown, and more. Sensible, elegant, and faithful to purpose – the way Villeret has always been at its best.
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