Now an annual affair, Blancpain has just released the Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2026 for the year of the fire horse arriving on February 17, 2026. Though it’s based on a longstanding model, the 2026 edition is dressed in striking new livery.

A 50-piece limited edition in platinum with a salmon-coloured grand feu enamel dial, the Calendrier Chinois marks the Year of the Fire Horse in a way that few brands can: with a fully-mechanical Chinese calendar complication.

Initial thoughts

Building a traditional Chinese calendar complication on wristwatch scale was a real first back in 2012 when Blancpain first unveiled the Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel. While many brands introduce yearly limited editions to honour each year’s symbol of the Chinese zodiac, Blancpain’s annual edition is elevated by a thematic sincerity that comes along with the dedicated complication.

This specific edition aside, the Blancpain Chinese calendar is notable and interesting for being one of the few such calendars on the market. It’s a technical achievement and is further upgraded with Blancpain’s patented under-lug correctors for the calendar.

The defining colour of the 2026 Chinese calendar comes from its warm, salmon-tone dial. Executed in milky grand feu enamel, the dial is as glossy as ever, and features twin Blancpain ‘secret signatures’ on the lower half of the dial. The often underrated Villeret collection is one of the subtler gems in modern high horology, and it is nice to see the return of the platinum case and salmon dial combination — a true modern classic. 

Beyond the visual firepower of the dial, the watch has substantial presence (and heft) thanks to its 45.2 mm platinum case. Though the presence of a true Chinese calendar complication is more than enough of a tribute to the year of the Fire Horse, the expansive fully polished case could arguably benefit from some commemorative engraving.

The Chinese calendar

While the Gregorian calendar uses the Sun as a reference point and employs leap years for calendar corrections, the Chinese calendar is lunar-centric, taking the Moon cycles as main reference points and uses an “intercalary” month to keep the calendar in sync with the seasons.

A lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar ranges between 29 and 30 days and one month is defined as the time between two new moons. During one full Chinese year the months of 29 and 30 days perfectly alternate, unlike the 30 and 31-day months in the Gregorian calendar.

As a result, one common year in the Chinese calendar takes 354 days — hence the need for a 13th intercalary month every three years or so, in order to bring the calendar back on track with the seasons. The Calendrier Chinois displays this information legibly and attractively, and the choice to use exclusively Chinese characters and symbols gives the dial immense charm.

The sub-dial configuration resembles the brand’s own perpetual calendars, but functionally it’s quite different. The first sub-dial at nine o’clock shows the days of the lunar month, co-axial with the yearly month cycle indicator. This sub-dial also features an aperture for the intercalary month, turning red when the current year is supplemented with a leap month. At the adjacent three o’clock position, another sub-dial indicates one of the five natural elements and the corresponding ten celestial stems, which cycle over a 10-year timeframe.

The show-stopping feature on the dial is arguably the aperture for the current year’s Chinese zodiac sign, positioned just above a 24-hour indicator linked to the main time display. There are 12 animals in the zodiac, so this disc makes one complete rotation every 12 years.

A nod to convenience, the watch also features a second date in a typical 31-day format, indicated with the trademark Blancpain blued-steel serpentine hand, and a moon phase indicator at six o’clock. Having the 31-day format complement the historic Chinese month format is a welcome concession to real-life utility.

Horsepower

The Blancpain cal. 3638 is built atop the cal. 1315 found mainly in the Fifty Fathoms collection, and features an embossed 22k white gold winding mass embossed with a fire horse motif. An extremely sturdy and well-finished movement, the cal. 3638 packs three series-coupled barrels, adding up to seven days’ worth of power (168 hours, to be precise). The movement runs at the modern 4 Hz frequency standard and features a free-sprung balance paired to a silicon hairspring. 

In terms of overall complexity, the Chinese calendar system inside the cal. 3638 is more complicated than an ordinary perpetual calendar. The complication itself is not fully perpetual, instead being more akin to an annual calendar due to the Chinese calendar cycle. But that’s hardly a meaningful shortcoming; only one watch has ever managed an actual perpetual Chinese calendar and it weighs nearly a kilogram.

Furthermore, any correction required is easy thanks to Blancpain’s patented under-lug correctors. This clever solution means any date indication can be adjusted with a fingertip, without the need for a stylus, as is still the norm for calendar watches. The discreet correctors also leave the case band unmarred for a more elegant appearance.

The movement is also user friendly in another regard: the calendar system is protected against misuse, so date corrections can be made at any time without damaging the movement.

Key facts and price

Blancpain Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel “Year of the Fire Horse”
Ref. 0888-3432E-55B

Diameter: 45.2 mm
Height: 15.1 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 3638
Functions: Hours, minutes, date, Chinese lunar calendar and Chinese hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 168 hours

Strap: Leather with folding clasp

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: At Blancpain boutiques
Price: CHF81,000 excluding tax

For more information, visit Blancpain.com.

Today Richemont confirmed the rumoured sale of its entry-level Baume et Mercier brand to the Damiani Group, a key distributor of the brand in Italy through its retail chain Rocca.

While Baume et Mercier is understood to not be profitable, the acquisition should give Baume et Mercier the home-field advantage, as Italy is one of the most important markets for the brand today. According to the Baume et Mercier website, 325 stores in Italy carry the brand, compared to just 150 in France, 130 in the United States, and only 66 in Mainland China.

A leaner Baume et Mercier focused on the Italian market, in the same vein as Eberhard & Co., is likely in the long-term, but in the meantime it must be untangled from Richemont. The deal is expected to close this summer, after which Richemont will provide “operational services” for the brand for at least 12 months.

It is unclear whether the brand’s “Baumatic” movements with 5-day power reserves will survive the transition, as there are made by ValfFeurier — Richemont’s counterpart to ETA.

For more information, visit Richemont.com.