Blancpain Le Brassus 8 Jours Limited Edition Watch Review

Watchuwant is now WatchBox! Subscribe for the best luxury watch content. The 1-of-260 limited edition Blancpain Le Brassus 8 Jours is a 42mm platinum formal watch with the heart of a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. As the launch platform for Blancpain's epic 2006 caliber 13RO, the 8 Jours spawned an entire family of modern high horology movements... including the one in the famed Fifty Fathoms. But while the "Fifty" conceals its automatic variant (cal 1315) behind a solid case back, the Blancpain Le Brassus 8 Jours reveals its manually-wound caliber 13RO through a vast sapphire case back. And this is a movement worthy of the distinction. Blancpain CEO Marc Hayek claimed to have tested prototype 13RO calibers while mountain biking. In a high horology world that regards mere gold outings at the ultimate mechanical torture test, Hayek's off road antics should have left the 13RO in pieces on the trail... ... but the movements endured and excelled. 13RO calibers boast an arsenal of anti-shock measures that range from the contemporary (ultra light titanium balance wheel) to the traditional (Breguet overcoil hairspring). Blancpain watchmakers added a secure free-sprung regulator for extra resilience. Other notable refinements include an eight day (192-hour!) power reserve via three mainspring barrels, a power reserve indicator, a jump-date, hacking (stop seconds), and finish worthy of the top-tier of Swiss horology. The cotes de Geneve, mirror-polished anglage, graining of the whee