Felix Scholz
On the face of it, Blancpain's elegant Villeret Quantieme Complet 8 Jours or, if you don't parlez vous, Complete Calendar 8 Days is exactly the sort of thing you'd expect from the dressier family of one of Switzerland's old marques. But once you get past the numerous traditional points the day/month apertures, the smiling moon, that idiosyncratic waving pointer date and double-stepped case you'll find a watch that's much more modern than it first appears.?The great thing about this Blancpain is that the innovations are very under-the-radar, and made with the wearer in mind. The calendar complications are all adjusted via ingenious under-lug correctors, which can be manipulated with your fingernail. This means you don't need to worry about unsightly micro-adjusters on the otherwise smooth profile, or indeed losing the special tool needed to adjust them. Additionally, the calendar complications are secured, which is quite a big deal, as with many more complex calendar watches, if you manually adjust the functions when they are in the process of changing (typically around midnight), you risk doing serious damage. That Blancpain has circumvented this issue is smart, and just the sort of not-so-flashy watchmaking that shows they have the longevity of their product and the satisfaction of the wearer in mind.?Other brands would do well to take a leaf out of Blancpain's classy book.?Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Complet 8 Jours priceBlancpain Villeret Quantieme Complet 8 Jours, $49,300 AUDMade in partnership with Blancpain. However, the opinions?expressed in this article are our own in?accordance with our Editorial Policy.
09.10.19