Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » Baselworld 2017 Review – The Blancpain Métiers d’Art Workshop pays tribute to Switzerland
The watchmaking house of Blancpain and its Métiers d’Art Workshop has showcased a new, unique timepiece at the Baselworld 2017. This one-of-a-kind model is designed to pay tribute to the country of Switzerland.
The newest member of the Blancpain’s Villeret Collection perfectly combines rose gold and the brand’s beloved shakudō alloy that is composed of gold and copper. Historically, the alloy was used to encrust sword sheathes, as well as other decorative objects and jewelry.
The dial of this exceptional model depicts a “battle of the queen cows” staged in front of the Mountain of Mountains, the legendary Matterhorn, which is the national emblem of Switzerland and the most-photographed mountain in the world.
The Switzerland’s most famous symbol stands at a skyline-dominating 4,478 meters above the sea level and it represents a powerful symbol for alpinists worldwide. On the dial of this novelty, it serves as a backdrop for a dynamic illustration where two fighting cows are fashioned in gold and hand-engraved.
The queen cows from the Val d’Hérens are yet another Switzerland’s national symbol. They have been a part of the country’s heritage since 1861. These animals are capable of climbing to the heights of 3,000 meters and above. They are also known for their traditional fights held each spring. Therefore, the dial depicts one of these fights. They are affixed to the shakudō dial and kept in place by miniature feet.
Once joined together, these three elements (two cows and Matterhorn) are given a rokushō patina, which is a copper salt bath into which the dial is dipped. The intensity is resolved by the number of dipping treatments and their duration.
The brand’s logo and the king of mountains are hand-engraved on the shakudō dial by an in-house artisan working with extremely precise tools. The necklaces of cows are in yellow gold, incorporated into the red gold cow applique by using the damascening technique, by hollowing a cavity into the applique to be filled, by hammering, with yellow gold.
The new Blancpain Villeret (ref. 6612-3616-55B) is equipped with the caliber 13R3A manual-winding movement which is capable to store enough energy to keep the watch working for approximately 8 days thanks to its construction with three series-coupled mainspring barrels that unwind in succession. The inner beauty of the movement is visible from the rear through the sapphire case back.
