Two retrograde indicators for Blancpain's new women's watch

An innovative new women's watch from the Swiss watchmaker features a movement with two retrograde displays. The new model has debuted at Baselworld, which opened Thursday in Basel, Switzerland.

The originality of the Jour Nuit watch lies in its two retrograde indicators (seconds and hours), and in their coordination with the minutes hand, which, as on most watches, completes one rotation of the dial per hour. Every 60 seconds, the seconds hand in the subdial jumps back to zero after completing its journey across its linear arc. Synchronized with the minutes hand, the retrograde hours display returns to its starting position twice per day.

Technical innovation and luxury jewelry

Blancpain's exceptional craftsmanship is apparent in the painstakingly detailed Jour Nuit disk ("Day Night"), which rotates twice daily. The manufacturer estimates rotation time at four minutes, meaning that the wearer has plenty of time to appreciate the extraordinary details covering the entire surface.

Three techniques were used to decorate the disk: décalque (transfer of materials in a thin layer), champlevé enameling and marquetry. The décalque technique was used namely to create the fade from dark to lighter blue that marks the transition from night to day.

The disk features several precious materials: the moon is made of 50 diamonds, while 50 yellow sapphires make up the sun and 14 diamonds represent the stars, shimmering amongst mother-of-pearl flecks.

Made entirely of mother-of-pearl, the dial consists of three parts, which are assembled in four layers to provide an impression of depth. The bezel includes 140 diamonds in a two-tier spiral setting. This ultra-feminine jewelry watch is worn on a white ostrich leather band.