Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm: A New Size for a Quiet Icon
The most persuasive dress watch in the room is the one you forget you're wearing.
There is a kind of luxury that announces itself, and there is a kind that doesn't. Blancpain has spent more than forty years perfecting the second kind. The Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate — the slim, automatic, time-and-date heart of the collection — has always made its case through restraint rather than display: an ultra-thin movement, a case that asks for no attention, a presence you feel more than you see.
For 2026, that restraint is offered in a new proportion. The Villeret Ultraplate now comes in a 38mm case, sitting alongside the emblematic 40mm that remains the soul of the line. It arrives with a genuine first for the collection — a sunburst salmon dial — plus a boutique-only study in steel and gold, and two newly compact moon phases. Here is what the new chapter brings, and why it matters.
What Is the Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate?
The Villeret Ultraplate is Blancpain's classic ultra-thin dress watch: a three-hand automatic with a date, housed in a slim case with the collection's signature double-stepped bezel. "Ultraplate" is French for ultra-thin, and the name is earned — the new 38mm measures just 8.35mm thick. It is the most pared-back, wearable expression of the Villeret family, which ranges all the way up to tourbillons and perpetual calendars. In short: the entry point to one of Swiss watchmaking's most quietly revered collections.
The Right Size, Finally Offered
The right size has never been a new idea to Villeret — it is the oldest one. The argument for 38mm is simple: it disappears. With a lug-to-lug of 43.35mm and a thickness under 8.4mm, the new case slips under a shirt cuff and sits flat on the wrist, comfortable for those who found 40mm a touch generous. Nothing about the formula changes — the same in-house movement, the same finishing, the same stepped bezel — only the footprint. As Blancpain likes to put it, one is never overdressed or underdressed with a Villeret. Now that holds true across two sizes, in stainless steel or 18-carat red gold.
A First in Salmon
For the first time in its history, Villeret wears salmon. The new sunburst dial shifts through the day between copper, rose and warm gold, set in a stainless steel case — restraint and warmth in the same timepiece. Its 18-carat gold numerals are treated in a new black finish and echoed by a matching anthracite nubuck strap. On a collection whose vocabulary runs to silvered and opaline tones, salmon is genuinely an event — not a flourish, but a new word in a familiar language. For those who prefer the quieter register, the gold-toned opaline dial sits right alongside it.
Reserved for the Boutiques
One reference makes a quieter kind of statement. Available only through Blancpain boutiques, it pairs a stainless steel case with solid 18-carat yellow-gold numerals, a gold-toned opaline dial, and an olive-green nubuck alligator strap — saddle-cut and hand-stitched, precious and modest in the same breath. The contrast is deliberate: steel and gold, classicism and a color Villeret has rarely worn. It is the sort of detail a collector notices first.
The Detail, Refined
The aesthetic language Blancpain introduced across Villeret in late 2025 now reaches the 38mm case. The Roman numerals, resized for balance, are solid 18-carat gold with satin-finished upper surfaces and polished bevels on the edges. The traditional XII gives way to the JB monogram — for Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, who founded the house in 1735. Slender leaf-shaped hands carry a line of Super-LumiNova for readability after dark, and a larger date window sits at three o'clock.
Through the sapphire case back, an open-worked oscillating weight — in red gold on the gold models, yellow gold on the steel ones — reveals the automatic manufacture Calibre 1150 and its 100-hour (roughly four-day) power reserve, regulated by a silicon hairspring.
The Moon, in 29.2mm
Few complications belong to a house the way the moon phase belongs to Blancpain. Alongside the new Ultraplate, the Villeret Phases de Lune appears in a compact 29.2mm case carrying that signature. Within an enlarged aperture, a blue ceramic disc sets off an applied, domed, satin-finished 18-carat gold moon with its distinctive face; a diamond-set bezel and indexes catch the light around it, and a blue serpentine hand marks the date. Beneath it, the secured automatic Calibre 913QL allows the calendar to be adjusted at any time without risk to the movement — a thoughtful piece of engineering that takes the worry out of a complication.
At a Glance
Villeret Ultraplate 38mm — three hands and date, Calibre 1150, 100-hour power reserve, 38mm × 8.35mm, 30m water resistance; stainless steel or 18-ct red gold; gold-toned opaline or sunburst salmon dial; tool-free interchangeable nubuck straps. Not a limited edition.
Sunburst salmon dial — a Villeret first, steel case, black-treated gold numerals, anthracite strap (ref. 6224N 1135 55B).
Boutique-exclusive two-tone — steel case, solid yellow-gold numerals, gold-toned opaline dial, olive-green strap.
Villeret Phases de Lune 29.2mm — moon phase plus date, Calibre 913QL, diamond-set bezel and indexes; stainless steel or 18-ct red gold.
Pricing — price on request; contact King Jewelers in Green Hills, Nashville for current pricing and availability.
A Conviction, Since 1983
The faith in the small, mechanical, understated watch is not a marketing posture for Blancpain — it is the founding bet of the modern brand. In 1983, when much of the industry was rushing toward quartz, Blancpain went the other way, releasing the smallest complete calendar moon phase of its time in just 34mm. It was a deliberate act of belief in mechanical watchmaking, and it carried the codes — the double-stepped bezel, the understatement, the moon with a face — that the collection still wears today, though it would not be named Villeret until 2002. The new 38mm chapter honors exactly those qualities: restraint, proportion, and the conviction that the most timeless watch is the one that never raised its voice.
Shop Blancpain Villeret Watches at King Jewelers
See the Villeret Up Close at King Jewelers
The Villeret has always rewarded a second look — the JB monogram where the XII should be, the way salmon catches the light, the moon with its quiet face. Those are details best appreciated in person, on the wrist.
As an authorized Blancpain retailer in Green Hills, Nashville, King Jewelers invites you to explore the Villeret collection in person and find the size, dial and metal that suits you best. Our team can walk you through the new 38mm Ultraplate, the boutique references, and the Phases de Lune, and help you bring home a watch built to disappear into a lifetime of wear. Stop by the showroom or reach out to start the conversation.
What is the Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm?
It is the 2026 addition to Blancpain's ultra-thin Villeret dress watch line: a three-hand automatic with a date in a new 38mm case, offered alongside the existing 40mm. It runs the in-house Calibre 1150 with a 100-hour power reserve and comes in stainless steel or 18-carat red gold.
How much does the Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm cost?
Pricing varies by case material and dial. As an authorized Blancpain retailer, King Jewelers can provide current pricing and availability on every Villeret reference: the new 38mm Ultraplate, the boutique editions and the Phases de Lune. Contact our Green Hills, Nashville showroom for details.
What makes the salmon dial special?
It is the first time the Villeret collection has ever offered a salmon dial. The sunburst finish shifts between copper, rose and gold through the day, paired with black-treated gold numerals and an anthracite nubuck strap: a warm, contemporary look on an otherwise classical watch.
Is the 38mm Villeret a good size for most wrists?
Yes. At 38mm wide, 8.35mm thick, and 43.35mm lug-to-lug, it is a versatile dress-watch size that suits a wide range of wrists and slips easily under a cuff. The 40mm remains available for those who prefer a slightly larger presence.
What is the difference between the Ultraplate and the Phases de Lune?
The Ultraplate is a time-and-date watch focused on thinness and simplicity. The Phases de Lune adds Blancpain's signature moon-phase complication in a smaller 29.2mm case with a diamond-set bezel and indexes, making it the more decorative, jewelry-forward choice.
Is the Blancpain Villeret a limited edition?
No. Both the Ultraplate 38mm and the Phases de Lune are part of Blancpain's permanent collection. The steel model with yellow-gold numerals and an olive strap is the exception: it is reserved exclusively for Blancpain boutiques.
