Blancpain Unveils The New Villeret Ultraplate 38mm: A Timeless Ultra-Thin Dress Watch

A proper dress watch is rather like a beautifully engineered grand tourer. It doesn’t need oversized spoilers, racing stripes or a dashboard filled with flashing lights to prove its worth. It simply gets the proportions exactly right. Every curve, every polished surface and every tiny detail exists because it belongs there, not because someone in the marketing department thought it would attract attention on social media. The finest dress watches have always been about restraint rather than excess, quietly complementing the person wearing them instead of shouting for attention. In an era where sports watches dominate waiting lists and oversized cases have become almost obligatory, Blancpain continues to champion understated elegance through its Villeret collection. Available in both 40mm and, perhaps more importantly, a wonderfully balanced 38mm, the latest Villeret Ultraplate builds on the subtle redesign first introduced with the 2025 Golden Hour Series. Warmer colours, softer textures and proportions that feel almost impossibly well judged make this one of the most refined dress watches the manufacture has produced in recent years.

Alongside the adventure ready Fifty Fathoms, the contemporary Bathyscaphe and the aviation inspired Air Command collections, the Villeret remains the quiet gentleman within Blancpain’s catalogue. Named after the small village in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux where Jehan Jacques Blancpain established his workshop in 1735, the collection represents everything the manufacture has stood for over nearly three centuries. While the family stretches from simple time only references to some of haute horlogerie’s most complicated creations, the Villeret Ultraplate has always served as its purest expression. Slim, elegant and mechanically sophisticated without ever becoming ostentatious, it remains the natural entry point into Blancpain’s world of classical watchmaking.

For 2026, Blancpain wisely leaves the case dimensions untouched while subtly refining the case architecture to match the design language introduced on the 40mm references, which remain available for those preferring a slightly larger wrist presence. Measuring 38mm, the polished case retains its softly rounded profile, elegantly stepped bezel and restrained proportions that define a true dress watch. Buyers can choose between polished stainless steel or warm 18 karat rose gold, both offering the sort of versatility that ensures the watch never feels either overdressed at a formal dinner or underdressed in everyday wear.

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The most noticeable transformation, however, takes place on the dial. For the first time, Blancpain introduces a striking sunray brushed salmon dial housed inside a stainless steel case, bringing a refreshing warmth to the traditionally conservative Villeret collection. The copper toned surface shifts beautifully under changing light and is paired with an anthracite grey nubuck alligator leather strap that complements the darker appearance of the 18 karat white gold hands and applied hour markers.

Alongside this sits a more restrained palette of three opaline finished dials rendered in a soft champagne beige tone. Buyers can choose a stainless steel model with white gold hands and markers, a rose gold reference featuring matching precious metal details, or a boutique exclusive edition that combines a steel case with yellow gold dial furniture and a distinctive olive green strap. Much like the earlier Golden Hour Series, the dial itself has also received careful refinement.

The Roman numerals have been resized to improve visual balance, each crafted from solid gold with satin finished upper surfaces and polished bevelled edges. At twelve o’clock, the traditional Roman numeral gives way to the elegant JB monogram, honouring Jehan Jacques Blancpain. Slender leaf shaped hands now incorporate discreet lines of Super LumiNova for improved low light visibility, while a generously proportioned date aperture at three o’clock enhances everyday practicality without disturbing the dial’s symmetry.

Turning the watch over reveals one of Blancpain’s most accomplished in house movements, the automatic Calibre 1150. Despite its ultra thin construction, the movement delivers an impressive four day power reserve and benefits from a modern silicon hairspring that enhances precision while resisting magnetic interference. The finishing remains thoroughly traditional, with beautifully executed Geneva stripes, polished bevels and refined decoration throughout.

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The stainless steel models introduce a newly designed openworked yellow gold oscillating weight, while the rose gold reference receives a matching rose gold rotor that perfectly complements the warmth of the case. Completing the package is a nubuck alligator leather strap offered in beige, anthracite, honey or olive green depending on the reference, secured by a folding clasp. Blancpain also incorporates a practical tool free interchangeable strap and buckle system, allowing owners to effortlessly adapt the watch to different occasions without compromising its timeless elegance.

The Villeret Ultraplate has never been about chasing trends or reinventing classical watchmaking. Instead, it quietly perfects it. With its carefully judged 38mm proportions, richer dial colours, subtle design refinements and dependable in house movement, Blancpain has demonstrated that genuine elegance rarely demands dramatic change. Much like a beautifully restored grand tourer, it doesn’t need to shout to remind everyone why it has endured for generations.