Pre-Baselworld 2018 – Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT

The combination of a complete calendar (or Quantième Complet in French) with a moon phase indication and a GMT function is a classic at Blancpain. Indeed, this interesting and practical combination of complications has established itself as a mainstay of the brand since its debut in 2002. What’s more, the complete calendar has become a signature display of the brand since its relaunch in the 1980s. For Baselworld 2018, the Le Brassus-based manufacture reinterprets this classic in a modern way, with a redesigned dial, an improved movement and more practicality. Here is the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT.

The complete calendar married to a moon phase display – a type of calendar watch that displays the date, the day of the week and the month, yet without any additional complications (i.e. with no annual or perpetual capacities) – has been a classic for the watchmaking industry for almost a century. It is no surprise that, when the brand was relaunched in the 1980s, we’ve seen this combination appear fairly constantly in the collection. Later, the addition of a second time zone or GMT function would make this watch a complex yet quite reasonably priced offer. It is now time for Blancpain to give this watch a visual and technical update.

The new Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT remains true to the origins of the model, with a display that is unsurprisingly familiar. Hours and minutes (no seconds hand) are paired with two windows for the day of the week and the month at 12 o’clock. An almost mandatory feature, the date is indicated by a blued serpentine hand, which points to the current date on a peripheral track. The moon phase finds its place rather high on the dial, above 6 o’clock. To add to the functionality of this watch, a GMT function is located on the central axis, with a 24h track positioned in the centre of the dial. Multiple indications, but all of them are practical on a daily basis and feel well organised.

To add clarity, the opaline white dial of the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT features several layers. It is animated by applied Roman numerals, in Blancpain’s signature shape. Crafted in white gold or red gold, the numerals match the case metal and the hour/minute hands. Housed in a 40mm case, with the classic Villeret double-stepped bezel, it will be available in steel or in 18k red gold. Fully polished, this case can be combined on both versions with a leather strap or a metallic bracelet.

The movement has been improved too, and the new Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT incorporates innovations that were developed after the original version of the Quantième Complet GMT was launched. Indeed, all corrections are now done by the crown (the quick adjustment of local time in one-hour increments is accomplished via the crown) or with the correctors hidden underneath the lugs (for the date, the day, the month and the moon). The calibre 67A5 also features a silicon balance spring with its superior anti-magnetic and precision-timing properties.

The movement is visible through the sapphire case back and is decorated with great attention to detail – polished bevels, Geneva stripes, solid gold rotor. It boasts a 72-hour power reserve.

The Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT will be officially launched at Baselworld 2018 and its price will be revealed during the fair – expect around EUR 15,000 for the steel version. More details on www.blancpain.com.