Apotheosis Temporis – a new milestone in watchmaking history

Apotheosis Temporis Single Push-button Chronograph with Split-seconds

Making time stand still and watching tradition pass by: for centuries, the precision of time measurement has occupied the most brilliant minds. Once precision was established, people then did their best to try and stop time in its tracks. But time is fluid by nature and moves inexorably forward, revealing its splendours as it goes. It may however allow a few temporary pauses… Blancpain has sought to capture this principle by creating exceptional watches with a special vocation for measuring short times. These remarkable expressions of the watchmaking art comprise a mechanical clutch-and-memory device enabling the splitseconds hand to stand still for just a heartbeat while a time is recorded, before catching up with its twin, the chronograph hand.

Nonetheless, the Blancpain master-watchmakers wished to explore whole new horizons: in a vibrant tribute to horological tradition, they devised a single push-button chronograph with split-seconds based on an entirely original conception. The Villeret Single Push-button Chronograph with Split-seconds “Apotheosis Temporis” model is a worthy heir to short-time measurement. Water-resistant to 30 metres and fitted with a sapphire crystal glareproofed both sides and an anti-glare sapphire case-back, its 950 platinum case with a diameter of 38 mm features an original arrangement: the chronograph push-button is set into the crown at 3 o’clock and the split-seconds pushbutton is located at 10 o’clock. At the heart of this model beats Calibre M186, a self-winding movement with a 40-hour power reserve.

The platinum oscillating weight is decorated with a raised Blancpain engraving. More than 375 parts are required for this extremely sophisticated movement to drive the chronograph and split-seconds hands and to record their progress on the 12-hour and 30-minute counters. The understated matt black dial also displays the hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock as well as a date window. The hand-sewn black alligator leather strap is fitted with a folding clasp in 950 platinum.

Apotheosis Temporis Tourbillon

Is the Tourbillon the most sublime expression of the art of horology? Two centuries after its invention, this ethereal mechanism is more than ever a truly head-spinning sensation. A carriage comprising 70 parts and weighing less than a gram sets out to conquer gravity, consistently fired by the same quest to achieve precision and to delight the senses. Blancpain is a past master in this exercise in fine watchmaking.

Numerous world firsts and other recent records to its credit in the field of Tourbillons bear eloquent witness to its keen sense of innovation and creativity. From the hand-wound Tourbillon to the self-winding Perpetual Calendar, Split-seconds Chronograph and Minute Repeater, along with the most recent, the Large Date Léman Tourbillon, Blancpain is able to offer no less than eight different variations on the Tourbillon theme within its three collections. Nonetheless, it has preserved intact its determination to constantly push existing limits and to interpret watchmaking traditions in ways that are in tune with the times.

The Villeret Tourbillon “Apotheosis Temporis” model is the ultimate materialisation of this capacity for innovation. Water-resistant to 30 metres and fitted with a sapphire crystal glareproofed both sides and an anti-glare sapphire case-back, its 950 platinum case with a diameter of 38 mm houses Calibre 25, a self-winding movement with a one-week power reserve. The platinum oscillating weight is decorated and chased by hand with the inscription “JB 1735”. Under the matt black dial, an ingenious 238-part mechanism drives this flying Tourbillon and indicates the hours, minutes, date and power reserve, while the upper bridge of the Tourbillon carriage caries the seconds indication. The hand-sewn black crocodile leather strap is fitted with a 950 platinum folding clasp.

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