Blancpain is celebrating the 60^th birthday of its Ladybird watch some very special editions.

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: a technical feat.

With the model now turning 60 in 2016, the brand has dreamed up several versions of the Ladybird, including a romantic Saint Valentine’s Day model and a limited 60-piece edition. 

The 60-piece edition watch’s 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 21.5 mm-diameter white gold case that houses a self-winding movement with a silicon balance spring.

Meanwhile, the Ladybird Saint Valentine’s Day 2016 model has a mother-of-pearl dial adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds. A mother-of-pearl marquetry heart, sparkling with diamonds and rubies on its upper part, sets the perfect finishing touch to the watch face.

The 21.5 mm-diameter white gold case is lit up by a bezel set with more than 0.5 carats of diamonds. Beating at the heart of this new two-hand model is the 15.7 mm-diameter self-winding 6150 movement: one of the smallest in the world and now equipped with a silicon balance-spring.

Symbolising love at first sight, a heart pierced by an arrow enhances the watch at 6 o’clock. This removable white gold charm features a ruby heart and a diamond arrow. 

Blancpain’s charms, specially created for the Ladybird, can be easily attached at 12 or 6 o’clock if the owner so wishes.

The Ladybird Saint Valentine’s Day 2016, enhanced by a calfskin strap, is issued in an engraved and numbered 99-piece limited edition.

At Baselworld, Blancpain will be showing 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.

The Baselworld watch and jewellery show will be held from March 17 to 24 in Basel, Switzerland.