For several years the Monaco Yacht Show (September 20-23) has hosted a charity auction of extraordinarily timepieces to benefit the Association Monegasque contre la Myopathie (Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy, AMM). Beginning 2003, Blancpain has demonstrated a continuing commitment to this vital crusade to fund muscular dystrophy medical research by contributing a special edition watch each year for auction.

The auction to be held on September 22, 2006 will mark, however, a particularly special occasion and rare gift by Blancpain to help fund AMM. This auction, to take place in the Blancpain booth at the Monaco Yacht show at 18:00, will feature a timepiece with an extraordinary complication by Blancpain, a one of a kind Equation of Time Marchante.

At the Basel fair in 2004, Blancpain unveiled the first wristwatch in the world featuring a running equation of time, the Le Brassus Equation Marchante. Never before had the extraordinary running equation complication, heretofore reserved for only the most historically important and rare clocks and pocket watches, been achieved in a wristwatch.

This landmark timepiece was produced in a limited series of 50 pieces which have all long since been eagerly snapped up by passionate collectors. For the Monaco Yacht Show AMM
auction, Blancpain has created an extra special Only One featuring an evolution of the 2004 world record breaking Equation Marchante movement.





The running equation display features two minute hands, one indicating civil time and another, adorned with the face of the sun, solar time. This elegant display of equation of time gives little hint of the prodigiously complex horological movement that lies under the surface of the dial. The remarkable mechanism of the Equation Marchante has been integrated within a self-winding movement, itself combined with the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar module.





Calibre 3863A
Horological view of the yearly rotation of the earth around the sun, represented by the cam.


The Monaco auction Only One is derived from the ground breaking 2004 watch and is based upon Blancpain’s Calibre 3863 and its 364 components. Endowed with a 72-hour power reserve, this mechanical self-winding movement displays, in addition to the running equation of time by two separate hands, indications of the date, day of the week, month, leap years and small seconds at 6 o’clock.

The Equation Marchante thus focuses on essentials, ensures excellent legibility, and features a brilliant blend of remarkable inner complexity and apparent outward simplicity. In keeping
with the same spirit, all the components of this fabulous mechanism are chamfered, polished, rhodium-plated, decorated and assembled by hand by Blancpain’s master-watchmakers.

To celebrate this encounter between astronomy and Haute Horlogerie, a circular aperture at 6 o’clock on the dial allows one to gaze upon the equation cam, whose position portrays
the universe in miniature. The small seconds hand also turns in the centre of this opening.

The Only One watch is realized in a 42mm brushed rose gold case, in the style of Blancpain’s Le Brassus collection, dramatically offset by a special black dial. It comes outfitted with a hand stitched crocodile strap and rose gold folding buckle. Further highlighting the uniqueness of this historically significant timepiece, the winding rotor has been hand carved by a Blancpain master engraver so as to bear the image of La Vaudoise, an historic Lake Geneva sailling vessel.


Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM)
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic illness affecting 1 in 3500 children. It is a severely degenerating disease, characterised by a progressive weakening of muscles and leading to pulmonary and cardiac complications that can, in adult life, jeopardise the vital prognosis. In consequence, children affected by DMD are increasingly dependent on an environment requiring constant help and adapted compensations. Although research has considerably progressed over the past ten years thanks to advancement in genetics and the actions of the parents’ associations ; a lot remains to be done to find a therapy.

The goal of the Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM) is to sensitise the public to favour the integration of children with DMD. The AMM promotes and encourages scientific and medical research to find therapies. It also collects funds to substantially finance research, organizes highly recognized international round tables and workshops on DMD and provide children with a better quality of life.


Source: Antiquorum

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