Zach Brass
Watches and films have long been a significant relationship, and Hamilton was the most watch cameo record holder of any film. The partnership between Omega and the James Bond 007 franchise is another strong example. Last week, Blancpain was at the heart of the Lost Lands Movie Premiere in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the Villet Minute Repeater Carousel Flyback Chronograph, which plays a prominent role in the film. Like Hamilton in all film partnerships, Branpine didn’t pay cents to be placed in Lost Land, based on a short story written by George RR Martin of Game of Thrones, directed by Paul WS Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista. If anything, I auditioned and recorded it, as the actors needed to do.
“One of my production partners, Jeremy Bolt, is a Uberwatch enthusiast,” Anderson explained. “The clock was an important part of the script. And he said, ‘What do you have in mind?” And in the film, it is a long lost relic of the Old World, almost mythical. It’s like a legendary magical artifact. Dave Bautista has a great line where Mira is trying to bail him with a watch. And he says, “I’ve heard of these, but I’ve never seen them.” So we needed something that looked extraordinary. ”
“Jeremy presented what he felt was something like a top ten possible for watches and I went to ‘that one’. And he’s like, “Really?” because he knew it was the most expensive. He wanted me to go to one of the cheaper options. I think he shuffled it towards the back of the mountain, hoping he wouldn’t choose it anyway. I felt that Blanpine looked like that magical artifact. It looked very special. ”
Milla Jovovich, the lead actor in the film, who met Anderson while creating the Resident Evil franchise, described the watch as “first class” and joking that he was always carried around on a velvet tray and not far from the microfiber fabric. But as Anderson said, this is a very expensive watch, and talking logistically seems like a massive, unwanted burden on an action film set full of battles, flames and explosions. The Villeret Minute Repeater Carousel Flyback Chronograph is undoubtedly the brand’s most complicated watch, with a retail price that reflects its status at $503,800 USD. Despite the hefty price tags and the responsibilities that come with it, Paul was on a mission to get the watch to do his own stunts at the climax of the film.
“The watch was very well cared for, and there was some sort of security guard that came with it to protect it and make it look really nice. But slowly, I slowly worked on the guy who brought the watch,” Anderson explained. “I didn’t know if he’d ever been on the set of a movie before. I know they’re a very dirty place, so he was a bit terrified of putting the clock on this mess and all of this skull, dirt and ashes. At the end of the film there’s Earth’s Tremer, and the clock must slide off this pile of skulls and fall to the ground. The gentleman at Blanpine was like, “We can’t do that with a clock. You need to use a stunt clock.” The stunt watch looked like a real watch, but it wasn’t. So I was trying to convince them that it was another lead in the film. “It’s like Tom Cruise on a watch. And, you know, Tom Cruise does his own stunt!”
Blumpaine representatives said “no” throughout the day, but Anderson’s tenacity paid off when he finally reached the shot. So a clock worth more than $500,000 was equivalent to a swan flying out of a cliff. He landed safely on a velvet cushion and broke the fall. Who said dressy high comping is not robust?
This impressive 45mm red gold case features a beautifully finished and engraved in-house movement that boasts tiny repeat customers, a one-minute flying tour billon, and a flyback chronograph that can track the time elapsed up to 30 minutes. To better see the movement of the front, the center of the white Grand Feweyenamel dial remains exposed, and instead of the traditional chronograph register, Blancpain designed the caliber to have an unusual 30-minute central counter. Below the second in the center chronograph is a smaller, red-tiped hand, corresponding to the 30-minute scale seen around the inside of the chapter ring, retaining the symmetry and beauty of the dial.
The watch was first introduced at Baselworld in 2013 and despite many complications, it has a power reserve close to the week. It was incredibly high tech at the time, but it relies on today’s standards over a decade later.
This clock can be seen in the theater’s Lost Lands right now. You can also head to your nearest Blancpine Boutique for more information.
