Following the sale of the Rayville-Blancpain name to Jacques Piguet and Jean Claude Biver in 1983, Blancpain began a journey from near-bankruptcy to acting as one of the main catalysts that saved Swiss watchmaking. Key to this success was Blancpain’s steadfast dedication to mechanical watches with thin complicated movements, classical designs, and extremely luxurious craftsmanship. As part of their celebration of these three tenets, Blancpain launched the Platinum Masterpiece Collection in the early 1990s. This was a collection of six different Villeret models, each limited to 99 pieces that shared platinum 34mm constructions, white dials, and incredibly impressive mechanical movements that each housed a different complication. Offered here, we have the split-second chronograph variant, the ref. 1186, powered by its eponymous automatic spit-second chronograph movement, the cal. 1186. Launched in 1988, the cal. 1186 was Blancpain’s first foray into the world of rattrapante chronograph movements, and it was even the very first automatic split-second chronograph movement ever, which earned it its revered place within Blancpain’s history and thus deserving of a spot in the Platinum Masterpiece Collection. Incredibly thin, the cal. 1186 allows the ref. 1186 to stand just 6.75mm – an incredible achievement considering its complexity and craftsmanship.

An incredibly understated watch harboring one of the most technically impressive movements in all of watchmaking, the ref. 1186 contains everything that Blancpain have come to stand for since their re-emergence as one of horology's most important brands.