Blancpain’s 2026 Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar Watch Honors the “Year of the Fire Horse”
Featuring a dual-calendar display and a salmon‑rose Grand Feu enamel dial.
Summary
- Blancpain debuted its 15th Chinese calendar interpretation to mark the Year of the Fire Horse
- Limited to 50 platinum pieces, it features a salmon-rose Grand Feu enamel dial and an engraved 22k gold rotor
The Blancpain Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2026 Edition marks the Manufacture’s 15th interpretation of the Chinese calendar complication, created to honor the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse this upcoming Lunar New Year.
Limited to just 50 pieces worldwide, the watch is housed in a 45.2 mm platinum case and distinguished by a salmon‑rose Grand Feu enamel dial, the first of its kind at Blancpain. The dial features applied white gold numerals and leaf‑shaped hands, while the blued serpentine hand indicates the Gregorian date, recalling 18th‑century watchmaking tradition.
The complex dial masterfully integrates two parallel systems: the solar-based Gregorian calendar and the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Through an array of four dedicated hands and specialized windows, the watch displays Chinese double hours, the 60-year cycle of elements and Yin/Yang, and the 12-year cycle of the Zodiac.
Turning the piece over reveals a 22k gold winding rotor designed by the Métiers d’Art workshop, which depicts a horse in full gallop treading upon a flying swallow — a poetic reference to the celestial steed, Tianma, the Heavenly Horse of Chinese legend. Enhanced with a natural ruby and engraved Chinese characters for “horse” and “fire,” the rotor transforms a functional component into symbolic artwork visible through the sapphire caseback.
The timepiece is paired with a brown leather strap and platinum pin buckle, priced at approximately 81,000 CHF (approx. $102,269 USD) and comes with a five‑year warranty. Head over to Blancpain’s official website for more information.
