At Baselworld 2017, Blancpain is presenting a new Date Moon Phases women’s timepiece in the Villeret collection. The opaline dial of this red gold watch is swept over by solid leaf-shaped hands, a pointer-type date display and a sapphire moon-phase indication. The latter is a horological complication that had almost vanished from the scene until Blancpain reintroduced it in the early 1980s. Since then, it has become a signature of the Manufacture. The depiction of the lunar cycle on the dial of this watch evokes the ancestral links between watchmaking and astronomy. The face of the moon corresponding to the current moon phase is visible through a dial aperture. The moon-phase indicator is composed of a wheel with 59 teeth, the equivalent of two complete 29.5-day lunar cycles – which is why the moon is drawn twice on the disk driven by this wheel. This moon graced with a feminine face is an amusing nod to history, since the arti cial mole or “beauty spot” (known as a mouche for its similarity to a y) appearing at the corner of its smiling mouth was regarded in 18th century France as symbolizing a playfully teasing attitude. Mouches were used by ladies of the Court as a message to their suitors that differed according to where these coquettish signs were placed.

The case of the new Villeret Quantième à Phase de Lune measures 29.20 mm in diameter and is topped by a bezel adorned with 48 full-cut diamonds. This model is powered by the automatic 913QL movement. The latter is equipped with a glucydur balance wheel featuring gold micrometric regulating screws as well as a balance spring in silicon. This material recently introduced within the watch industry offers several important advantages. Firstly, its low density makes it lighter and thus more shock-resistant. In addition, it is impervious to magnetic elds. The resulting balance spring is ideally shaped, thereby ensuring improved isochronism performance of the movement, which in turn leads to enhanced timekeeping precision. The sapphire case back reveals a red gold oscillating weight adorned with a snailed bevel, polished chamfers, as well as straight and circular Côtes de Genève patterns, as the Manufacture once again demonstrates its expertise through this array of delicate and sophisticated decorative techniques. This new timepiece is tted with a taupe-colored alligator strap.