A Monday-Morning Reunion With The Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet
Three years ago, I had the pleasure of wearing the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet for a little while. The combination of a 40mm steel case with a characteristic stepped bezel, a classic white dial, and a complete-calendar caliber proved an impressive watch at a competitive price. I wrote that the watch that bucks the retro trend is a timepiece for “a time-transcending, trend-breaking, and style-savvy individual with a taste for the more refined things in life.” What do I make of a version in exclusive red gold paired with an exotic deep green dial?
In warm red gold, the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet ref. 6654A 3653 55B is a completely different creature from the much cooler-looking steel ref. 6654 1127 55B. The steel model (€17,550) is a classic calendar watch with a twist — indeed, a twist you don’t really notice. You would think that a complicated watch like this would have a white gold or even a platinum case. Instead, Blancpain decided to create a complication for the “masses.” But the same calendar watch is much more exclusive in a precious metal case. Of course, €31,550 is not a price that will attract the masses, but in a way, it still punches above its weight.
Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet: a positively deceiving complicated creation
A case with a stepped bezel executed in shiny red gold, an equally radiant green dial with applied red gold Roman numerals, a rather wide 22mm brown alligator strap paired with a folding clasp, and a bunch of apertures on the dial — in this configuration, the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet is an impressive watch. But that is not due to its size. The classic 40mm diameter, 44.5mm length, and 10.74mm thickness are rather svelte.
But the watch’s visual impact is serious and a tad misleading. If you’re not too deep into watchmaking but are aware of watch complications, the abundance of information on the dial might be confusing. The presence of a classic day/month display, a pointer date, plus a moonphase indicator with a starry night sky and an almost caricature-like moon might have you believe you’re looking at a perpetual calendar.
Put it on the calendar
It’s understandable; a complete-calendar caliber shows nearly all the calendar indications. There is a crucial difference between it and a perpetual calendar, though. The former doesn’t recognize the varying lengths of the months or indicate the leap-year cycle. The fact that the movement doesn’t need to do this makes a big difference from a technical point of view, which explains the considerable price gap between the two types of calendar watches.
Still, the automatic 4Hz caliber 6654.4 you can see at work through the rear sapphire window is a fascinating piece of watchmaking. This in-house movement has 321 components, including one silicon hairspring. It boasts a 72-hour power reserve and measures 32mm wide by 5.32mm thick. The movement also has a gold guilloché rotor and beveling and striping on the bridges for your viewing pleasure.
Let looks deceive you
From a technical standpoint, a complete-calendar caliber has nothing on its perpetual counterpart. But once cased up, things change drastically. When it comes to looks alone, a “QC” can certainly give a “QP” a run for its money. The dial here is nice and full, with all the different functions showing clearly, and it’s also nicely balanced. The steel version is an almost old-fashioned watch, while in red gold, it feels more like a classic with a contemporary touch-up. Still, either one has traditionally complicated charm and “deceiving” good looks. My pick would be the “more deceiving” one, the steel reference. The composition is less trendy than the green-dial one, and it looks like it can stand the test of time.
What do you think? Do you see the complete calendar as a “budget QP”? And would you consider one even though you dream of owning a perpetual calendar, one of the most fascinating complications? Please let me know in the comments.
Please visit Blancpain’s official website for more information about the Villeret Quantième Complet 6654 in either steel or red gold.
