For centuries, watchmakers have been cutting and engraving movement parts to reveal their heart and endow them with a new aesthetic dimension. In openworking or “skeletonworking” these new parts, they choose to highlight their creations and their technical innovations.
The hand-wound Manufacture Calibre 1333SQ belongs to a family of movements that have proven their worth in terms of sturdiness, reliability and precision. It is equipped with a titanium balance, a Breguet balance-spring, and three series-coupled barrels ensuring an eight-day power reserve. This entirely openworked and decorated movement is fully visible through the two sapphire crystals on the front and back of the 38 mm white gold case, which simply envelops it and accentuates its light, airy design.
In the quest for harmony and transparency, the watchmaker is supported by three artistic crafts: skeleton-working, chamfering (also known as bevelling) and engraving. In openworking the movement, the artisan seeks to achieve the perfect balance that will preserve the robustness and smooth operation of the calibre. This involves paring the movements down to an extremely slender shape by dint of several hours of filing and chamfering, using a broad range of traditional tools that create a visually perfect result.
The meticulous nature of this work is even more remarkable in that the shapes chosen are arched and imply the complex process of crafting a number of interior angles. The engraver adds a final touch in harmony with the finest watchmaking traditions: the bridges and main-plate are adorned with a scrolling motif that delightfully reflects and accentuates the rounded curves of the barrels, case and bridges. The entire surface is thus engraved by hand right the way through to the most tenuous of its parts.
Blancpain Villeret Squelette 8 Jours Technical Specifications:
VILLERET, Squelette 8-Day
Réf. 6633-1500-55B
Hand-decorated movement
Hand-winding.