1990s Blancpain Villeret Perpetual Calendar

In 1981, Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet purchased Blancpain and paved the way for a revival that re-established the brand as a powerhouse in traditional Swiss mechanical watch-making. As a direct response to the Quartz Crisis, Biver and Piguet famously centered their efforts around the slogan: "Since 1735 there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. And there never will be.” Indeed, much of the 11 years of their leadership was spent developing the company’s “six masterpieces”, a collection of classically designed watches that focused on discrete sizes and high complications including an ultra-thin, calendar moonphase, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, split seconds, and flying tourbillon. The move proved to be a massive success and in 1992 Blancpain was sold to the SMH Group (now the Swatch Group) for nearly 3,000 times what the two had originally paid.

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Of the six masterpieces that Blancpain unveiled in 1991, the perpetual calendar and the split seconds have gone on to become collector darlings, with exotic dials and rarer case metals becoming especially sought after. The perpetual calendar here represents a classical and well-balanced take on one of watchmakings most romanticized complications. With its 3.28mm thick automatic caliber and compact 34mm case, Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet created a technical marvel and gave the watch world plenty to be excited about. While initial references lacked a leap year indicator, they later corrected this with the 5495 and fully delivered on the potential of their perpetual calendar. If ever there was a single watch that represents the pinnacle of neo-vintage Blancpain, this one may just be it.