Blancpain Villeret Carrousel 0225-3434-53B

About This Watch

The Blancpain Villeret Carrousel brings a forgotten 19th-century complication back to life, housing a one-minute flying carrousel visible through a dial aperture at 12 o'clock. The carrousel is mechanically distinct from a tourbillon: while both rotate the escapement to counteract gravitational effects, the carrousel uses a fixed fourth wheel rather than the tourbillon's rotating fourth wheel, resulting in a different mechanical architecture. Blancpain was the first manufacture to revive the carrousel for wristwatches after it had been abandoned for over a century. The flying construction, supported from only one side, maximizes the visual drama. The caliber 225 provides a 100-hour power reserve through twin barrels, impressive for a complication movement. The white opaline dial and Villeret double-stepped bezel provide the classical setting appropriate for this historically significant complication. The carrousel is rarer than the tourbillon in modern watchmaking, making this Villeret a genuine conversation piece among knowledgeable collectors.