19 January 2016

Montblanc’s Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama reinterprets two traditional complications in a new and original way: the tourbillon and the indication of worldtime. The tourbillon, large in size and clearly visible at 12 o’clock, is constructed in a distinctive manner, with the hairspring apparently wrapped around a cylinder: derived from old marine chronometers (precision instruments used in the past on ships to calculate longitude), it guarantees the highest accuracy in this case too. Worldtime, allowing the time at any location to be seen at a glance, is displayed by means of two unprecedented 3D hemispheres, painted and engraved by hand, around which rotate two discs showing the course of day and night. The tourbillon and worldtime indication explain the watch’s dedication to the great Portuguese navigator: the first to circumnavigate Africa and reach India, i.e. to pass through both hemispheres on a sea voyage. The exclusive hand-wound mechanical movement indicates another time zone with the central hands, while “hometime” is shown at 6 o’clock on a subdial in the form of a compass rose. With a 47-mm-diameter red gold case and produced in a limited edition of just 18 pieces, the watch has a spectacular appearance and has been constructed with superlative technique.