The latest watch in Blancpain‘s Valentine’s Day series, this watch features the classic heart motif in buff-top rubies on the dial, and a Cupid’s arrow seconds hand, enhanced by the mother-of-pearl dial and diamond-set bezel and lugs. But the watch is much more than just hearts, diamonds and arrows.
Inside the case is the new self-winding Calibre 913, impressively slim at 3.3 mm thickness, with 174 components, 20 rubies and a power reserve of 40 hours. The Glucydur balance-wheel has a silicon balance spring. Silicon has many advantages, principally its lightness, shock-resistance, and imperviousness to magnetic fields. This improves the geometry of the balance spring and the isochronicity of the movement. Some watchmakers prefer not to use silicon because it is a brittle material and if it breaks, it can’t be repaired, it just has to be replaced. A traditional metal balance-spring is more durable in this regard. However, silicon is undoubtedly one of the latest advances in watchmaking technology. The Calibre 913 can be viewed through the sapphire caseback, with the Blancpain logo on the white gold oscillating weight, engraved and coloured in red.
Interchangeable strap
The Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2017 watch is slim at 9.24 mm, with a stainless steel case 29.2 mm in diameter, water resistance 3 bar. It is supplied with two interchangeable alligator leather straps, one red, the other white.
Price and reference
The Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2017 watch is reference 6104-4654-99A. It is a limited edition of 99 watches. Price £10,380, approximately €12,200. Click here to view most of the watches iin Blancpain’s Saint Valentin series, from 2001.