153 Blancpain A highly impressive and valuable, Villeret, split-seconds automatic wristwatch in platinum, with white dial.
Estimate: € 8.000 – 16.000
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| model | Villeret Split Seconds Chronograph |
|---|---|
| year | Circa 1990 |
| reference | 1186 |
| case material | Platinum |
| case number | N°080 |
| bracelet material | Platinum with white gold deployant Gay Freres bracelet, approximate length 190mm |
| movement type | Automatic, cal. 1186, 38 jewels |
| dimension | 34mm Diameter |
| signed | Case, dial and movement |
When Blancpain was revived in 1983 by Jacques Piguet and Jean-Claude Biver, it signaled not only the renaissance of a revered brand but the beginning of a bold chapter in the story of Swiss mechanical watchmaking. At the height of the quartz crisis, Blancpain dared to believe in tradition, sophistication, and intricate craftsmanship—values that culminated in the launch of the Platinum Masterpiece Collection in the early 1990s. Limited to just 99 examples per reference, the collection showcased six different complications housed in compact 34mm platinum cases, each characterized by white enamel-style dials and exceptional mechanical movements. The present piece, number 80 of the edition, represents perhaps the most mechanically ambitious of them all: the Split-Seconds Chronograph. Inside this deceptively elegant timepiece beats the caliber 1186, the first automatic rattrapante chronograph movement ever created by the brand. Developed by Blancpain in 1988, this revolutionary movement enabled the simultaneous measurement of two independent time intervals—an extraordinary technical feat that catapulted Blancpain into the ranks of haute horlogerie’s elite. Remarkably, despite its complexity, the movement allows the case to remain a slender 6.75mm in height, emphasizing Blancpain’s commitment to elegance as well as engineering. Accompanied by its heavy platinum Gay Freres bracelet, this Blancpain is a masterclass in subtle sophistication and mechanical excellence.
Condition Report
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