A huge year for Blancpain watches at Basel—4 new movements debut (and this is on top of the 7 new movements that were introduced in the two and a half previous years).? At the top of the pyramid for 2010 is no less than a Grand Complication—a combination of a cathedral gong minute repeater and carrousel.
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The details of this watch are outstanding.? The cathedral gong minute repeater is a brand new design, done entirely in house by Blancpain.? Keep in mind this is the third minute repeater movement that Blancpain has developed.?
Cathedral gong means that the sounding rings are extra long, circling the movement one and half times.? To make the sound particularly loud and pure, Blancpain has attached the rings to the inside of the case—this channels the sound directly to where it can be heard, which is outside the case.? Another innovation in the repeater design is a rown disconnect when the repeater is actuated.? With other repeaters, if the crown is adjusted during sounding, the mechanism will break.? This disconnect system protects the movement from that kind of damage.?
The carrousel is Blancpain’s design that debuted 2 years ago.? It is the first and only flying one minute carrousel.
The plates and bridges of the movement are in rose gold and are specially carved and decorated by hand and done by
engravers in Blancpain’s Le Brassus workshops.? Other movement particularities in the photo are a newly developed flying regulator for the repeater and a power reserve indicator.
The Bancpain watch is in rose gold in a 45mm case, with a special brushed white gold dial with rose gold applied numerals, opened to give view to key components of the movement.
