This year, only two watchmakers released pulsometer watches — Montblanc’s Heritage Pulsograph and Blancpain’s Villeret Flyback Chronograph Pulsometer. That makes this piece especially noteworthy.
As a special branch of chronographs, pulsometers were popular during the 1950s and 1960s. The principle is similar to a tachymeter: start the chronograph, count 30 heartbeats, stop the timer, and the reading shows the number of heartbeats per minute.
The 43mm 18K rose gold case houses a white enamel dial, with a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock. The pulsometer scale is printed around the inner bezel, giving it a refined vintage aesthetic.
Inside beats the Calibre F385 movement, the same one used in this year’s Fifty Fathoms model. It features a column-wheel chronograph, vertical clutch, and flyback function — allowing the chronograph to reset and restart instantly with a single push of the button at 4 o’clock. It runs at 5Hz, uses a silicon balance spring, and provides 50 hours of power reserve — all hallmarks of a high-performance chronograph.
In a market full of rugged sports chronographs, the Villeret Pulsometer Flyback Chronograph stands out as an elegant and distinctive choice for those who appreciate vintage charm and horological finesse.
Blancpain Villeret Flyback Chronograph Pulsometer
18K Rose Gold Case, Diameter 43.66mm, Sapphire Crystal, Grand Feu Enamel Dial, Power Reserve 50 Hours, Alligator Leather Strap, Rose Gold Folding Clasp, Water Resistance 30m.
Complications: Chronograph
