Blancpain Carrousel Volant Une Minute Watch

The Blancpain Carrousel Volant Une Minute watch is a brilliant new complicated timepiece whose technical elements and beauty affirm the high status of Blancpain amongst the haute horlogerie elite.

This watch's stunning mechanical movement is inspired by the carrousel, a nearly forgotten invention by Bahne Bonniksen, a 19th century Danish watchmaker who greatly admired Abraham-Louis Breguet. Created in its original form in 1892, the carrousel, like Breguet's tourbillon, was intended to compensate for the effects of gravity upon a watch escapement. Much more sophisticated and complex than Bonniksen's carrousel, the automatic movement of this Blancpain watch comprises 262 individual pieces, whose miniaturization to wristwatch dimensions is a feat all of its own. The carrousel is also remarkable for its 60-second rate of revolution; by contrast, carrousel movements of old rotated at an unspecified rate which ranged from 27 to 42 minutes. To develop the inventive mechanism, Blancpain has been closely involved with renowned watchmaker Vincent Calabrese, whose famous designs include the unique Golden Bridge of Corum. Ultimately, more than four years were involved in the conception and realization of the Blancpain Carrousel Volant Une Minute watch.

The Blancpain Carrousel Volant Une Minute watch features a polished 43.50mm platinum case outfitted with sapphire crystals on both sides; this will surely be appreciated by connoisseurs, as it allows a fascinating glimpse into the virtuosic mechanical secret of the carrousel and other components, each of which has been richly beveled by hand and refined with traditional decorations. A pointer with a long and short side travels over a staggered scale by the 9 o'clock position to indicate the date. Meanwhile, a scale at the 6 o'clock position keeps track of the status of the impressive 100-hour power reserve. The timepiece is completed by a fine crocodile strap, and a platinum deployant clasp.