ONLY WATCH 2005

Blancpain continues to support the fight against muscular dystrophy The world’s oldest watch-making brand is putting its know-how to work for Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy research, as for the second consecutive year, Blancpain will lend its support at this year’s ONLY WATCH 2005 charitable fundraiser.

Under the guidance of H.S.H. the Prince Albert II of Monaco, “Only Watch” 2005 is an outstanding charitable auction established by Luc Pettavino, founder of the United Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (UPPMD) and president of the “Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies” (AMM). The “Only Watch” event will take place on September 22, 2005 in the Principality of Monaco, during the internationally-renowned MONACO YACHT SHOW.

Building upon the fantastic success of the last two years’ “Only One” event, the newly-named “Only Watch” occasion will unite the largest Antiquorum-watchselling auction house and the 34 most prestigious watch-making brands in the world. The “Only Watch” operation consists, for each of the participating manufactures, in selling either a watch limited to a production of one, or in selling the first watch produced in a limited series. All proceeds will then be donated to the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies, the organization created by parents of children with Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy.

Until present the only watch-making brand to participate in the “Only One” past events, Blancpain very naturally renewed its involvement in this great-hearted cause by unveiling a self-winding timepiece, limited to an edition of one, in brushed red-gold with an astounding sapphire dial, and a large-date display on two, rhodium-plated date-discs located at 6 o’clock. With its bold, contemporary face, the watch fittingly finds its way into the sober yet sporty Léman collection. A Temporal Masterpiece, and a bit of Eye-Candy For the very first time, the unique Léman Only Watch 2005 will treat to an unimpeded view of the hand-assembled, hand-decorated 285-component, selfwinding Blancpain Calibre 6950A. Thanks to a sapphire dial and case-back, the movement’s exceptional, meticulous finishing has been made astonishingly visible.

To ensure maximum visibility of its interior workings, Blancpain was most certainly not shy about gracing the watch with one of the most difficult materials to fashion, a sapphire dial. In an extremely delicate and demanding undertaking, the dial plate, just 0.6 mm thick, has been drilled in 25 specific locations for mounting the baton and Arabic-numeral hour-markers, as well as for affixing other functional and ornamental elements. The rims of the two date-windows have been transferpressed into the sapphire to allow greater legibility. The Superluminova-tipped cone-shaped hands add both readability and panache to the watch.

Boasting a 70-hour power reserve, the Léman Only Watch 2005 is sheathed in a brushed, red-gold case measuring 40 mm in diameter, with its sapphire crystal, and its screw-down crown and case-back water-resistant to 100 metres. Aside from the large-date display, time is indicated via both luminescent baton markers and Arabic numerals at 12, 3 and 9 o’clock, and centre, cone-shaped hour, minute, and seconds’ hands. On the underside of the watch, the blued Blancpain signature has been engraved on the oscillating weight, N°1/1 and the usual Léman signature have been engraved on the case-back, and traditionally-heated blued screws share the limelight on the underside of the movement.The Léman Only Watch 2005 wears a rubber strap and folding clasp in brushed red-gold. The movement’s brilliant exposure reflects, without question, Blancpain’s loveaffair with beauty and with decorative minutia so characteristic of Haute Horlogerie. It is thanks to the translucent dial that the Calibre 6950A is displayed in all its splendour, with its hand-adorned Côtes de Genève, its fine circular graining on the plate and its sunburst, snailed finishing on the two wheels carrying the tens and units of the date display. For the coup de grace, the Only Watch and Blancpain distinctions have been engraved and galvanised in red-gold on the dial-side.