At the time of its launch in 1956, the Ladybird was equipped with the smallest round movement on the market. This was a period when dainty sizes were all the rage, and the Blancpain master-watchmakers had demonstrated amazing ingenuity in successfully miniaturising the components of a mechanical watch: an authentic technical feat.

2016 is the year this model turns 60. To mark the occasion, the brand has dreamed up several versions of the Ladybird, starting with the romantic Saint Valentine’s Day model was in February. The Baselworld display windows will be hosting a new interpretation by the artisans of the Manufacture, featuring a dial graced with luminous contrasts and displaying an elaborate foliage motif. The strap of the Ladybird is exclusively crafted from the small scales of Louisiana crocodile leather, thus creating a particularly refined aesthetic effect.

For the 60th birthday of the Ladybird, the watch is issued in a 60-piece limited edition. Its bezel is set with 32 diamonds. Adorned with eight of these sparkling gems, the dial is swept over by drop-shaped hands framed by a 21.50 mm-diameter white gold case that houses a self-winding movement with a silicon balance spring.