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7. Blancpain represents Formosa clouded Leopard in its Métiers d'Art collection

With its Métiers d'Art collection, the Manufacture Blancpain offers a journey through cultures. Its openness to the world gives rise to unique creations in which watchmaking excellence and artistic expertise come together in praise of Nature. Blancpain sets sail for Taiwan by dedicating two individual models to one of the wonders of the animal kingdom bound up with the island's history: the Formosa clouded leopard.

The Formosa clouded leopard, endemic to the island, is an important symbol in the collective consciousness of the Taiwanese. The Paiwan aboriginal people consider the leopard to be a spiritual icon. If not extinct, the animal is extremely rare. Blancpain had a wish to represent this emblematic feline by drawing on its expertise in the realm of hand decoration. Like the Formosa clouded leopard, the artistic techniques practiced by Blancpain are rare in watchmaking. Some, such as miniature enamel painting, are only offered by a handful of watch companies worldwide.

The range of Blancpain's craftsmanship is vast and represents an age-old heritage. Five skills, fully integrated within the Métiers d'Art workshops at the "Farm" in Le Brassus – as is always the case at Blancpain – have been selected to interpret the theme of the Taiwanese clouded leopard on the dial: the art of porcelain, miniature enamel painting, shakud?, engraving and damascening. The two one-of-a-kind models resulting from the meticulous work of Blancpain artisans represent the clouded leopard in its forest habitat. A skilled acrobat, this animal enjoys hiding in the trees. Trunks and foliage have been patiently painted or hand-carved in minute detail. The same naturally applies to the majestic feline. Also crafted using the enamel painting on porcelain and engraving techniques, along with shakud?, its tawny coat with spots reminiscent of clouds is strikingly realistic.

On the engraved model, the craftsmen of the Manufacture have gone so far as to inlay the panther's whiskers hair by hair, made of gold threads almost as fine as a silk ribbon, in accordance with the art of damascening. The dials thus executed come to life beneath the artist's fingers, giving rise to the kind of emotions that stem from blending aesthetics with technical perfection. The Formosa clouded leopard enamel painted on porcelain is framed by a 33 mm white gold case with a diamond-set bezel. The accompanying movement is the Manufacture 1154 self-winding calibre, whose meticulous finishing is revealed through the back of the timepiece. The engraved and damascened shakud? model comes in a 45 mm red gold case. Traditionally favoured for highly decorative timepieces, the sapphire crystal caseback reveals the 15B hand-wound movement adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif.

Shakud? is a centuries old Japanese art form favored by samurai to embellish small elements of their katana. Blancpain’s artisans use it to create one of- a-kind watch dials. The introduction of this craft in watchmaking emanates from the Manufacture's innovative spirit, which constantly looks for new artistic techniques and unique decorative patterns matching its timepieces. Shakud? itself is a technique that transforms the color of a gold/copper alloy from its natural yellow/orange hue to a subtle nuanced black/gray. Often, the surface is reworked to bring complexity and texture to the black/gray color. Each particular design represents a special and one-unit piece, since no two designs will be the same. The dial featuring the Formosa clouded leopard is a perfect example. The work on creating such a timepiece begins with a paper sketch of the pose and the background decorations. The image of the leopard, along with other foreground elements, takes the form of a gold applique hand-engraved thanks to extremely precise tools.