Only Watch Auction

Monaco, Sep 20, 2007

LOT 2

Blancpain ?Ultra-Thin? Pièce Unique.

EUR 0 - 0

Sold: EUR 70,000

Fantasy defines the mood of this ultra-rare timepiece.Blancpain?s watchmakers have conceived a window flowing like a stream across the centre of the dial and opening onto the going train of the watch. The lucky owner will be unlikely to want to keep his watch tucked away in his pocket out of sight. He will instead doubtless prefer to contemplate the flow of energy from the mainspring barrel through the gear train to balance wheel and escapement, all of which may be admired through the dial of the Blancpain Only Watch. Moreover, the bridges have been skeletonized by hand, reducing their thickness to the minimum and thereby enhancing the view by further exposing the delicate movements of the gears, escapement and balance wheel. The dial itself is a masterpiece of fine handcraftsmanship.Fashioned out of solid gold, the broad surfaces of the dial have been sculpted out to create a basin for a traditional grand feu enamel surface. Layer upon layer of enamel has been spread by hand across the dial, each one individually oven fired. The enamel has been imbued with a warm brown colour applied in multiple layers to endow the dial with a rich patina, in perfect harmony with the yellow gold borders of the dial?s movement windows. The hour indexes, also fashioned out of yellow gold,are set into the enamel surface. The 45 mm yellow gold case is of the half hunter style, featuring a hinged back cover that opens to reveal the reverse side of the calibre 15 ultra-thin manual-winding movement, endowed with a 40-hour power-reserve.

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Image

Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1

As new

Dial: 1

As new

Notes

To mark the fifth consecutive year of its participation in the Monaco Yacht Show charity auction, supporting the fight against muscular dystrophy, Blancpain?s watchmakers have created an inspirational Villeret Only Watch pocket watch. Of course, an Only Watch is a limited edition of one piece, the ultimate in rarity. However, the Blancpain Villeret Only Watch pocket watch has an added dimension of exclusivity. Blancpain introduced its calibre 15 pocket watch in 1978. Since then, pocket watches have left Blancpain?s Le Brassus workshop only in response to special orders. Thus, the Villeret Only Watch pocket watch is a series of one, related to an already exclusive group of bespoke pieces.