Villeret, the Evolution of an Icon

The complete calendar moon phase launched in 1983 marked a decisive turning point in Blancpain’s history. At a time when the quartz crisis threatened to eclipse traditional watchmaking, Blancpain’s creation reasserted the timeless value of mechanical mastery. Its double-stepped bezel, understated style, and poetic complications established the aesthetic codes that continue to define Villeret today. Beyond its technical excellence, this timepiece embodied the human dimension of watchmaking — the art, emotion, and handcraft passed down through two centuries of Swiss horological tradition. It proved that a finely hand-finished timepiece and an industrially produced quartz watch had nothing in common. The Villeret became both a symbol of resilience and a beacon for the rebirth of Swiss mechanical watchmaking.

“This timepiece was more than a tribute to horological tradition,” recalls Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of Blancpain. “It opened new perspectives and reignited interest in mechanical watchmaking.”

Four decades later, the Villeret continues to evolve with the same devotion to beauty and balance. Within the Manufacture in Le Brassus, watchmakers and decorators bring together technical expertise and artistic intuition to refine every component — from the expressive moon sculpted in gold to the luminescent hands, polished Roman numerals, open-worked oscillating weight, and warm opaline dials. Each element bears the mark of the human hand, invisible yet inimitable, giving every Villeret its unique soul. It is not merely a watch that measures time; it is a creation that celebrates its poetry.