宝珀乾坤卡罗素（Blancpain Carrousel of Yin and Yang）：故宫收藏的机械艺术瑰宝
宝珀乾坤卡罗素：故宫收藏的机械艺术瑰宝
本文灵感来源：
卡罗素腕表与中国有着一段不解之缘。2008年，宝珀与故宫博物院的典藏腕表交接仪式在故宫博物院钟表馆盛大举行。一枚名为“宝珀乾坤卡罗素”的特制腕表，成为故宫博物院建院以来首枚收藏的现代腕表。这款腕表是宝珀公司耗时一年，为故宫博物院量身定做的，采用了浓厚的中国元素。在表盘上，设计师以“中华太极”为主形，将阴阳与时刻相融；在腕表的背面则铭刻着“1735”“乾隆”“BLANCPAIN”字样；底部雕刻有故宫博物院的图案，周边以古典精致的中华琉璃瓦为装饰。腕表走动，半镂空的刻度盘现出迷人的浮动卡罗素，这枚腕表就像一幅“中西合璧的机械画卷”。
格式引文：
胡雨馨著.奢侈的诱惑：遇见顶级珠宝和腕表品牌的梦幻世界.社会科学文献出版社.2017:108.
得到电子书：https://d.dedao.cn/FIUte538GYUhT27D
在世界钟表史上，瑞士顶级制表品牌宝珀（Blancpain） 以其精湛工艺和对机械制表的执着精神而闻名。作为全球最古老的腕表品牌（1735年创立），宝珀始终坚持“我们永远只做机械表”的理念，凭借创新复杂功能和卓越技艺，成为机械制表领域的佼佼者。
1735年，是宝珀创立的年份，也正是中国乾隆皇帝登基的年份。这一年不仅标志着瑞士制表业从“匠人时代”迈向“品牌时代”，也象征着中华历史上的康乾盛世。为纪念这一历史性的时刻，宝珀特别打造了一款极具中国文化意象的腕表——“乾坤卡罗素”，并于2008年10月赠送给故宫博物院钟表馆收藏。
这不仅是故宫博物院历史上收藏的第一枚现代腕表，也是东西方文化交流的见证。今天，让我们走进这款传奇腕表，探索它如何融合瑞士制表工艺与中华文化哲学，成为机械艺术的瑰宝。
一、2008年：宝珀“乾坤卡罗素”入藏故宫
🔹 2008年10月，在故宫博物院钟表馆举行的盛大典藏仪式上，宝珀正式将“乾坤卡罗素”赠送给故宫博物院，成为馆内首枚收藏的现代腕表。
🔹 这款腕表历时一年精心打造，不仅展现了宝珀在复杂功能机械腕表领域的巅峰技艺，还巧妙地融入了深厚的中华文化元素。
🔹 这款腕表不仅是一件计时工具，更像是一件承载东西方文化交融的艺术臻品，完美诠释了“乾坤”二字的深意。
📌 “乾坤卡罗素”不仅见证了瑞士钟表工艺的辉煌，也成为中华文化与机械艺术相结合的经典之作。
二、“乾坤卡罗素”腕表的独特设计
这款腕表的设计灵感来源于中华哲学思想、皇家文化和瑞士高级制表艺术，在细节之处都体现了东西方文化的完美融合。
2.1 “中华太极”表盘：阴阳交融，时间流转
🔹 表盘的核心元素取自中国传统文化中的“太极”阴阳图，象征宇宙的平衡与万物的相生相克。
🔹 在时间的流转中，腕表上的卡罗素每60秒旋转一圈，与“太极”概念完美契合，展现了时间与天地运转的和谐美感。
🔹 这种设计不仅赋予腕表深厚的文化寓意，也增强了视觉上的流动感，使腕表本身成为一件会“呼吸”的机械艺术品。
2.2 腕表背面的皇家元素：铭刻历史，致敬乾隆
🔹 底盖雕刻着“1735”“乾隆”“BLANCPAIN”，象征着：
✅ 1735：宝珀品牌创立的年份，也是乾隆皇帝登基的年份。
✅ 乾隆：代表中华文化的鼎盛时期，也体现故宫与皇家钟表艺术的不解之缘。
✅ BLANCPAIN：象征瑞士制表技艺的顶级传承。
🔹 另一个独特细节是故宫博物院的建筑图案，镌刻在表背底部，四周装饰着象征皇家气韵的中国琉璃瓦图案，展现了皇家建筑的庄重与典雅。
📌 整块腕表仿佛一件微缩的“中西合璧的机械画卷”，既是精密的计时仪器，也是艺术收藏品。
三、卡罗素（Carrousel）：宝珀复兴的制表传奇
3.1 什么是卡罗素？
🔹 卡罗素（Carrousel）诞生于19世纪，与陀飞轮（Tourbillon）类似，都是用于抵消地心引力对机芯精准度的影响。
🔹 然而，与传统陀飞轮不同，卡罗素采用独立动力系统，运行更加稳定，可以减少机械误差，提升走时精准度。
3.2 宝珀如何复兴卡罗素？
🔹 2008年，宝珀正式复兴这一复杂制表工艺，并将其融入“乾坤卡罗素”腕表。
🔹 当腕表运行时，半镂空的刻度盘缓缓转动，如同时间流动的轨迹，让人仿佛看到乾坤万象的变幻。
🔹 这是一次传统与现代、东方与西方的跨越时空的碰撞，宝珀成功地将这项古老的制表技艺带回当代，并赋予它更深层次的文化意义。
📌 “乾坤卡罗素”不仅仅是一款技术突破的复杂腕表，更是机械制表艺术的一次文化升华。
四、故宫与钟表：跨越时空的文化交流
🔹 故宫博物院是世界上收藏钟表最多的皇家博物馆之一，馆藏中包括大量18-19世纪欧洲宫廷钟表，代表了中西文化交流的辉煌历史。
🔹 清朝时期，欧洲钟表工匠曾为中国皇帝打造精美的钟表作品，这些作品不仅展示了机械工艺的高超技艺，也体现了中西文化的融合。
🔹 “乾坤卡罗素”腕表入藏故宫，不仅是现代瑞士钟表与中国皇家收藏的一次历史性连接，也延续了这一跨越世纪的文化交流传统。
📌 宝珀的这款腕表，不仅是一件当代制表的巅峰之作，更是一座连接过去与未来、东西方文化的桥梁。
五、结语：一枚承载文化与时间的腕表
✨ 1735年，宝珀创立，乾隆皇帝登基，西方的机械艺术与东方的盛世文化在历史长河中遥相辉映。
✨ 2008年，宝珀以现代机械工艺诠释中华哲学，打造出“乾坤卡罗素”腕表，并赠送故宫博物院，成为馆藏首枚现代腕表。
✨ 它不仅仅是一款时间计量工具，更是一件融合瑞士精湛制表技艺与中国文化精神的艺术珍品。
如今，这款腕表静静地陈列在故宫钟表馆，与那些来自18世纪的皇家钟表一同，继续诉说着机械制表与文化交融的传奇。⏳✨
Blancpain Carrousel of Yin and Yang: A Masterpiece in the Forbidden City
In the history of haute horlogerie, Blancpain (founded in 1735) is renowned for its unwavering dedication to mechanical watchmaking. As the oldest watch brand in the world, Blancpain has consistently upheld the tradition of fine craftsmanship and technical innovation, refusing to produce quartz watches even during the Quartz Crisis.
However, Blancpain’s legacy extends beyond horology—it is also deeply intertwined with cultural heritage. In 2008, Blancpain presented the “Carrousel of Yin and Yang” (乾坤卡罗素) to the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing, marking a historic moment as the first modern timepiece ever added to the museum’s collection.
This watch was not just a symbol of Blancpain’s technical prowess, but also a tribute to the cultural bridge between East and West. It seamlessly integrates Chinese philosophical concepts with Swiss watchmaking excellence, making it a mechanical art piece that transcends time.
1. 1735: A Year of Historical Significance
The year 1735 holds special significance for both Blancpain and Chinese history:
🔹 1735 – The Founding of Blancpain
This was the year when Jeanne-Jacques Blancpain established his watchmaking workshop, marking the beginning of Swiss watchmaking’s transition from the artisanal era to the brand era.
🔹 1735 – The Coronation of Emperor Qianlong
In the same year, in the distant Forbidden City, Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, ushering in the flourishing “Kang-Qian Golden Age” of the Qing Dynasty.
📌 To commemorate this historical parallel, Blancpain crafted the “Carrousel of Yin and Yang” in 2008 and gifted it to the Forbidden City’s Palace Museum.
2. The 2008 Ceremony: Blancpain’s Historic Entry into the Forbidden City
🔹 In October 2008, Blancpain officially presented the “Carrousel of Yin and Yang” to the Palace Museum, marking the first time a modern wristwatch was included in its prestigious collection.
🔹 The handover ceremony was held in the Forbidden City’s Clock and Watch Museum, a section of the Palace Museum dedicated to the imperial collection of antique European clocks from the 18th and 19th centuries.
🔹 This moment symbolized the recognition of modern Swiss watchmaking as an extension of the cultural exchange between East and West, a tradition that dates back to the Qing Dynasty.
📌 This was more than just a watch donation—it was the continuation of a centuries-old cultural dialogue between Switzerland and China.
3. The Unique Design of the “Carrousel of Yin and Yang”
This extraordinary timepiece combines Blancpain’s technical innovation with Chinese cultural symbolism, creating a harmonious fusion of horology and philosophy.
3.1 The Dial: Inspired by the Chinese Taiji (Yin-Yang) Philosophy
🔹 The watch dial is designed in the shape of a Taiji (Yin-Yang) symbol, a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy representing the balance between opposing forces.
🔹 The Carrousel mechanism rotates in harmony with the Yin-Yang motif, embodying the idea of continuous transformation and equilibrium.
🔹 As the Carrousel completes one full rotation every 60 seconds, it mirrors the flow of time itself, emphasizing the philosophy of eternal change and balance.
3.2 The Engraved Caseback: A Tribute to History
The back of the watch features three significant engravings:
✅ “1735” – Representing the founding year of Blancpain and the coronation of Emperor Qianlong.
✅ “Qianlong” – Honoring the emperor who reigned during China’s peak in cultural and artistic achievement.
✅ “BLANCPAIN” – Symbolizing Swiss watchmaking excellence.
🔹 At the bottom of the caseback, a detailed engraving of the Forbidden City’s silhouette is surrounded by ornamental Chinese glazed tiles (liuli), a feature commonly found in imperial architecture.
📌 This intricate design transforms the watch into more than just a timepiece—it is a wearable work of cultural and mechanical art.
4. Carrousel: The Rebirth of a Forgotten Complication
4.1 What is a Carrousel?
🔹 The Carrousel (Carousel) is a historical complication designed in the 19th century to counteract the effects of gravity on timekeeping accuracy, much like a Tourbillon.
🔹 However, unlike the Tourbillon, the Carrousel has an independent power source, which improves the distribution of energy across the movement, making it more stable.
4.2 Blancpain’s Revival of the Carrousel
🔹 In 2008, Blancpain reintroduced the Carrousel complication, reinterpreting it with modern engineering to enhance precision.
🔹 In the Carrousel of Yin and Yang, the semi-skeletonized dial allows the wearer to observe the Carrousel in motion, adding a mesmerizing visual effect.
📌 By reviving the Carrousel and incorporating it into this watch, Blancpain linked historical horology with modern mechanical advancements.
5. The Forbidden City and Horology: A Historic Connection
🔹 The Forbidden City’s Clock and Watch Museum houses one of the most important collections of imperial timepieces, many of which were gifts from European courts to Qing emperors.
🔹 During the 18th and 19th centuries, European watchmakers crafted intricately designed mechanical clocks for the Chinese imperial family, fostering early cultural exchanges.
🔹 The “Carrousel of Yin and Yang” continues this legacy, becoming the first modern watch to enter the museum’s collection.
📌 Blancpain’s donation bridges past and present, reaffirming the timeless connection between Swiss horology and Chinese imperial craftsmanship.
6. Conclusion: A Timeless Cultural Masterpiece
✨ In 1735, Blancpain was founded, and Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, marking two pivotal moments in Swiss and Chinese history.
✨ In 2008, Blancpain commemorated this shared legacy by creating the “Carrousel of Yin and Yang” and presenting it to the Palace Museum.
✨ It is not merely a timepiece—it is a symbol of cultural fusion, mechanical mastery, and the eternal dialogue between East and West.
Today, this extraordinary watch rests within the Forbidden City, among the treasures of imperial China, standing as a testament to the art of watchmaking and the enduring power of cultural exchange. ⏳✨
后记
2025年2月10日18点28分于上海。在GPT4o大模型辅助下完成。