You really couldn’t ask for a more stately-looking watch case. The white Grand Feu enamel dial is crisp with colors that won’t fade over time. Everything about it feels high-end, and it has just a touch of depth, which is nice (such as the slightly recessed upper subdial). The fully featured perpetual calendar display has a dial for the day of the week, date, month, leap year, and of course, a moon phase indicator that has the subsidiary seconds hand over it. The hands could be a bit easier to see, but they are not too bad, given the overall theme. Legibility is markedly better on the gold versus the platinum version.
It is really a pleasure to look at the details on a dial such as this. That grinning moon face and nicely blued subsidiary dial hands are the types of details you expect at this level. Again, all of this looks best in my opinion on the red gold model, but I am sure no one would complain about having the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours watch in platinum either.
On the wrist, the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours feels like a big gold watch, that is because it is a big gold watch. At 13.5mm thick it isn’t at all massive, but this isn’t a slim timepiece. Blancpain has thinner pieces for sure, but the trade-off for the massive power reserve and automatic winding system is totally worth it in my opinion. Given the size and boldness, even though Blancpain is going for a more dressy, mature look, I think this is a timepiece even much younger people can get excited about.
Of course the big question for me, is “strap or bracelet?” Blancpain was good enough to offer a solid 18k red gold bracelet option that adds a hefty $20,000 or so to the price. All that gold feels so nice on the wrist, with the bracelet design that is a bit retro, but cool, with its large, metal mesh style. It is wonderfully polished and comfortable. It also has a very clean, butterfly style deployant that doesn’t add any under-wrist bulk.
Of course, the full gold bracelet option is probably going to be a rather exotic configuration for the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours. It is priced about double that of a Rolex President (for example), which is a logical “other” piece someone might have in their collection if they are looking at a timepiece such as this, given taste and appeal.
The alligator strap is nothing to scoff at, and it does maintain a much more conservative profile for the watch. You really have to ask yourself how much of your money you want to show off in your watch. Overall I think the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours is a great new addition to the Blancpain Villeret family, if you find that the design matches your tastes. Price for the ref. 6659-3631-55B on the strap in gold is $58,900, and for the 6659-3631-MMB on the bracelet that goes up to $78,200. It is actually a bit more for the platinum version on the strap which tops out the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours at $80,300. blancpain.com
