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Lot Essay
Blancpain Villeret - The Six Masterpieces Limited Edition
With these Six Masterpieces of the watchmaker’s art, Blancpain, under the direction of Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet, were pioneers in the manufacture of complicated wristwatches at a time in the 1980s and 90s when serious complications such as minute repeaters, split-seconds chronographs and tourbillons were almost unknown to the market except at the very highest and most inaccessible level. Under appreciated in recent years, collectors have now awoken to these exceptional neo-vintage wristwatches in the realization that they are significant and important examples of haute horology, including examples of all the complications that are now regarded as wristwatch classics with several technical firsts among them. Only 99 sets were ever made and it is almost unheard of for a complete set of the Villeret ‘Six Masterpieces’ to remain together today, we are therefore delighted to have the opportunity to offer this superb set to collectors. Fitted in identical 950 platinum cases all with a diameter of 34 mm., the set comprises of the following models:
Minute Repeater, reference 0033, released in 1988, it is one of the smallest minute repeating wristwatch movements ever made and took an incredible 10,000 hours development and tuning to perfect. It was the most expensive of the ‘Six Masterpieces’.
Flying Tourbillon, reference 0023, made in collaboration with Vincent Calbrese and launched in 1989, it was the world’s first wristwatch flying tourbillon and also the world’s thinnest hand-wound tourbillon, it has a power-reserve of 8 days, another world’s first.
Perpetual Calendar (with leap-year indicator), reference 5495, released in 1986.
Rattrapante Split-Seconds Chronograph, 1988/9, reference 1186, super-thin automatic, launched in 1988/9, it was the first of its kind ever produced and is only 6.75 mm thick.
Complete Calendar Moon Phase, reference 6595, it was the first model to be released by the re-established company in 1983.
Ultra-Thin, reference 0071, released in 1984.
Each a tour-de-force of the watchmaker’s art, the wristwatches comprising this set of historic and highly impressive complications are and wearable additions to any serious collection of modern watchmaking.
With these Six Masterpieces of the watchmaker’s art, Blancpain, under the direction of Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet, were pioneers in the manufacture of complicated wristwatches at a time in the 1980s and 90s when serious complications such as minute repeaters, split-seconds chronographs and tourbillons were almost unknown to the market except at the very highest and most inaccessible level. Under appreciated in recent years, collectors have now awoken to these exceptional neo-vintage wristwatches in the realization that they are significant and important examples of haute horology, including examples of all the complications that are now regarded as wristwatch classics with several technical firsts among them. Only 99 sets were ever made and it is almost unheard of for a complete set of the Villeret ‘Six Masterpieces’ to remain together today, we are therefore delighted to have the opportunity to offer this superb set to collectors. Fitted in identical 950 platinum cases all with a diameter of 34 mm., the set comprises of the following models:
Minute Repeater, reference 0033, released in 1988, it is one of the smallest minute repeating wristwatch movements ever made and took an incredible 10,000 hours development and tuning to perfect. It was the most expensive of the ‘Six Masterpieces’.
Flying Tourbillon, reference 0023, made in collaboration with Vincent Calbrese and launched in 1989, it was the world’s first wristwatch flying tourbillon and also the world’s thinnest hand-wound tourbillon, it has a power-reserve of 8 days, another world’s first.
Perpetual Calendar (with leap-year indicator), reference 5495, released in 1986.
Rattrapante Split-Seconds Chronograph, 1988/9, reference 1186, super-thin automatic, launched in 1988/9, it was the first of its kind ever produced and is only 6.75 mm thick.
Complete Calendar Moon Phase, reference 6595, it was the first model to be released by the re-established company in 1983.
Ultra-Thin, reference 0071, released in 1984.
Each a tour-de-force of the watchmaker’s art, the wristwatches comprising this set of historic and highly impressive complications are and wearable additions to any serious collection of modern watchmaking.