Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Blancpain Villeret Extraplate Boutique Edition, Now With Green Dial
A striking combination of green and yellow gold in a slender case.
The Villeret collection unites Blancpain’s most classic and elegant watches. Named after the village where the brand was born, it is an ode to classicism and tradition with discreet watches equipped or not with complications – this collection ranges from time-only to tourbillons and minute repeaters. Usually available in sleek cases with subtle-coloured dials, today the brand is introducing a far more daring combination – a first for the Villeret collection – with a new edition available only from its boutiques. Meet the new Blancpain Villeret Extraplate Boutique Edition Green dial.
Ultraplate or Extraplate, automatic or hand-wound, date or no-date… There are many thin and elegant watches to choose from in the Villeret collection. Take for instance the recently-introduced Villeret Ultraplate 6224, with its 38mm diameter, date display and automatic movement. For an even more classic look, you can go for the Villeret Extra-Plate 6605, this time with a two-hand display and a hand-wound movement. Today, the watch in question for this boutique edition is a classic from the brand, a 40mm automatic piece, thin yet powerful, the Villeret Extraplate 6651. And for the occasion, the brand has given it a surprising splash of colour.
The 40mm case of this Blancpain Villeret Extraplate, as you’ve guessed from its name, it sleek and slender with an 8.70mm profile. The shape remains traditional with a stepped bezel and short, thin lugs which ensure a snug fit. Entirely polished, the case is made of 18k yellow gold, a somewhat forgotten tone of gold that is modernised with a dial that has nothing old-school about it at all. The case is equipped with two sapphire crystals and is water-resistant to 30 metres.
The most appealing part of this new Blancpain Villeret Extraplate Boutique Edition is its dial, executed in a bright, vivid green tone over a sunray-brushed pattern. The rest of the watch is identical to all Villeret watches with cut-out sage leaf-shaped hands and applied gold Roman numerals with curved lines. The display consists of H-M-S and a date at 3 o’clock.
Under the sapphire caseback is a seemingly simple movement but packed with a lot of energy. Measuring only 3.25mm in height, which is pretty compact for an automatic movement, this calibre 1151 can store up to 100 hours of power reserve thanks to a twin-barrel architecture. Based on a Piguet 1150 ébauche, it has been modernised with a silicon hairspring. It is decorated with Geneva stripes, bevelled edges and a solid gold rotor decorated with a honeycomb motif.
The watch is worn on a brown nubuck alligator leather strap and closed by a gold pin buckle. The Blancpain Villeret Extraplate Boutique Edition Green dial (Ref. 6651-1453-55A) is a non-limited edition, only available from official Blancpain boutiques. It is priced at USD 18,400. More details at www.blancpain.com.
