Blancpain Ladybird Ultraplate 0063-2987-55A
About This Watch
The Blancpain Ladybird Ultraplate revives the name of the world's smallest round automatic watch, originally created by Blancpain in 1956. The modern Ladybird maintains the ultra-feminine proportions at 29mm with the caliber 1150, the same ultra-thin automatic movement found in the larger Villeret, miniaturized but delivering the same 100-hour power reserve. This is a remarkable technical achievement: fitting a twin-barrel automatic movement into a 29mm case while maintaining only 7.9mm thickness. The ivory dial with applied markers and a clean, refined design emphasizes the watch's jewel-like quality. The rose gold case is proportioned specifically for smaller wrists, with slender lugs that follow the wrist's contour. The Ladybird collection was historically significant as it demonstrated that haute horlogerie caliber mechanical watchmaking was not exclusively the domain of large men's watches. The modern Ultraplate continues this tradition, offering women a genuine manufacture automatic movement in an appropriately sized case, rather than the quartz movements that many luxury brands default to for their ladies' collections.
In-Depth Review
# Editorial: The Blancpain Ladybird Ultraplate 0063-2987-55A
Blancpain's commitment to refined minimalism reaches its apex with the Ladybird Ultraplate 0063-2987-55A, a 29mm dress watch that prioritizes understated elegance over complication. Housed in 18k rose gold and fitted with an ivory alligator leather strap, this timepiece embodies a distinctly European sensibility—one that equates sophistication with restraint. The Caliber 1150 automatic movement, offering an impressive 100-hour power reserve, powers nothing more than hours, minutes, and seconds; there are no chronographs, moonphases, or perpetual calendars to distract from the watch's essential purpose. The sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and polished fixed bezel speak to methodical engineering, while the ivory dial creates an almost jewelry-like warmth against the rose gold case. At just 7.9mm thick, the watch sits comfortably under dress shirt cuffs—a critical consideration that many contemporary luxury watches carelessly overlook.
The Ladybird Ultraplate appeals primarily to collectors seeking a genuine dress watch rather than a versatile daily wearer. This is a watch for occasions: black-tie events, important dinners, milestone celebrations. Its 30-meter water resistance confirms its intended distance from swimming pools and showers. Potential owners should appreciate mechanical watchmaking as art rather than utility, and possess the wardrobe and lifestyle to justify a specialized, single-purpose timepiece.
Positioned at approximately $10,000 on the secondary market, the Ladybird competes with similarly-sized dress watches like the Cartier Ballon Bleu 33mm and Longines DolceVita
Specifications
Movement
| Movement Type | Automatic |
|---|---|
| Caliber | Caliber 1150 |
| Power Reserve | 100 hours |
| Frequency | 21,600 vph |
| Jewels | 29 |
Case
| Case Diameter | 29.0mm |
|---|---|
| Case Thickness | 7.9mm |
| Case Material | 18k Rose Gold |
| Crystal | Sapphire with anti-reflective coating |
| Bezel | Fixed, polished |
| Dial Color | Ivory |
| Lug Width | 14mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 35.0mm |
Features
| Water Resistance | 30m / 98ft |
|---|---|
| Bracelet/Strap | Ivory alligator leather strap |
| Clasp | 18k rose gold pin buckle |
| Weight | 35g |
| Complications |