BLANCPAIN - Lot 18
BLANCPAIN Villeret, n° 196 Former Alain Delon Collection Circa 2000 Steel bracelet chronograph. Case: round, back engraved "AD 8 novembre 1995", signed. Dial: white, applied hour-markers, 3 counters for 12-hour, 30-minute and seconds indications, railway minute track with 1/5-second graduation, date window, signed Movement: automatic, signed Buckle: steel pin buckle, signed Diameter: 38 mm With: case signed "Les montres d'Alain Delon, November 5, 2012" and purchase invoice from the "Alain Delon Collection" sale on April 5, 2012 Provenance: Former Alain Delon Collection. Cornette de Saint Cyr sale, "Collection Alain Delon" April 5, 2012, Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, lot no. 546. Tajan sale, July 22, 2020, Paris, no. 77. Alain Delon was a lifelong watch collector. In the 1980s, the French movie star even launched his own watch brand in collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Aquastar. The first "Alain Delon" watches were unveiled in 1983 at the Basel Fair. Alain Delon's eponymous brand has enjoyed unprecedented commercial success in Asia, and is still distributed in Malaysia. Whether tuxedo watches, sports models or decorative clocks, this great connoisseur built up an extremely specialized and demanding personal collection, a significant part of which was dispersed in Paris in 2012, including this Villeret model signed by Blancpain. Since this legendary sale, this watch is one of the rare pieces to have reappeared on the market. Watch enthusiast, Alain Delon collected watches all his life. In the 1980s, the French movie star even launched his own watch brand in collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Aquastar. The first "Alain Delon" watches were unveiled at the Basel trade fair in 1983. Alain Delon's eponymous brand has enjoyed unprecedented commercial success in Asia, and is still in existence today, distributed in Malaysia among other countries. From dinner jacket watches to sports models and decorative clocks, this great connoisseur built up an extremely attractive personal collection, a large part of which was sold in Paris in 2012, including this Villeret model signed by Blancpain. Since that legendary auction, the present watch is one of the rare pieces to have reappeared on the market. Condition report given for information only: Movement operational at time of writing, servicing recommended. Chronograph function operational at time of cataloguing (start / stop / reset). Sold as is, without warranty. Scratches on back. Please note that in the description of the 2012 Cornette de Saint Cyr sale catalog, this watch was presented with "steel indexes attached". Condition report given as an indication: At the time of cataloguing, movement is ticking, overhaul required. Chronograph function operational at the time of cataloguing (start / stop / reset). Sold as is, without warranty. Caseback with scuffs. Well-preserved enamel dial. Please note that in the description in the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction's catalog in 2012, the present watch was presented with "steel hour markers added later". 
