Basel 2010 marked 275 years of Blancpain, and the brand celebrated with three major announcements.
They’ve created a new grand complication, Carrousel Répétition Minutes Le Brassus (below) complete with the world’s first carrousel powered cathedral gong minute repeater movement.
Blancpain developed an entirely new cathedral gong minute repeater mechanism, and in an unprecedented step, married it with a one minute flying carrousel.
This movement fixes the cathedral gong rings to the inside of the case which produces an excellent sound. On top of that it solves the historic problem of repeaters being vulnerable if the time is changed while the repeater is sounding.
The solution is a system which disconnects the mechanism from the crown when the repeater is activated, thus eliminating the risk of damage.
Meanwhile the new Villeret collection reinterprets Blancpain’s most traditional line with nine new models ranging from a pocket watch to an 8-day power reserve complicated moon phases complete calendar timepiece.
The flagship of the 2010 Villeret Collection is the complete calendar moon phases model (below) fitted with Blancpain’s 8-day power reserve automatic caliber 6639 movement.
This movement offers a substantial power reserve for a watch of this complication, but also (unlike other moon phases/complete calendars in the industry) allows the owner to set any of the indications at any time without fear of damaging the mechanism.
Additionally, Blancpain has incorporated its under-lug correctors that produce a perfectly clean case side profile, free from adjustment dimples, meaning the owner can set each indication with their finger rather than an adjustment tool.
Two models will be offered: in platinum and in red gold with a grand feu enamel dial.
On top of that they’ve made a new addition to the L-evolution Collection, which debuted at Basel in 2009. The line has expanded with a new long power reserve complication, the L-evolution Semainier (above).
Powered by an in-house automatic winding movement with three mainspring barrels and a titanium free-sprung balance, the L-evolution Semainier offers week of the year, large date, day of the week and power-reserve indications in addition to its 8-day power reserve.
It includes a complex multi-layered dial, bold numerals, crisp double stepped bezel, removable lugs and a 43.5mm case diameter.
