Blancpain
About
Blancpain is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland. The brand claims to be the oldest watchmaking brand in the world with continuous existence since its founding. Blancpain is a subsidiary of the Swatch Group.
The company made a defining commitment in the 1980s under the leadership of Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet: Blancpain declared it would never produce a quartz watch, a policy the brand maintains to this day. Every Blancpain watch contains a mechanical movement. In 1953, the brand introduced the Fifty Fathoms, one of the first purpose-built modern diving watches, developed in collaboration with Captain Robert Maloubier of the French Navy's combat swimmers unit. The Fifty Fathoms predates many other diving watch icons and is considered a foundational design in the category.
Core collections include the Fifty Fathoms (diving watches), Villeret (classical complications and grand complications including the Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel with a complete Chinese calendar), the Ladybird (women's watches, originally the world's smallest round mechanical movement), and Blancpain Ocean Commitment editions (supporting marine conservation research). Blancpain produces approximately 30,000 watches annually.
The brand operates its own manufacture in Villeret and Le Sentier, producing all movements in-house. Blancpain has produced movements with complications including tourbillons, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and carrousels.
Retail prices generally start at approximately $8,000 for Villeret models and extend to over $300,000 for grand complication pieces. Blancpain sells through its own boutiques, authorized retailers, and e-commerce platform.
The company made a defining commitment in the 1980s under the leadership of Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet: Blancpain declared it would never produce a quartz watch, a policy the brand maintains to this day. Every Blancpain watch contains a mechanical movement. In 1953, the brand introduced the Fifty Fathoms, one of the first purpose-built modern diving watches, developed in collaboration with Captain Robert Maloubier of the French Navy's combat swimmers unit. The Fifty Fathoms predates many other diving watch icons and is considered a foundational design in the category.
Core collections include the Fifty Fathoms (diving watches), Villeret (classical complications and grand complications including the Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel with a complete Chinese calendar), the Ladybird (women's watches, originally the world's smallest round mechanical movement), and Blancpain Ocean Commitment editions (supporting marine conservation research). Blancpain produces approximately 30,000 watches annually.
The brand operates its own manufacture in Villeret and Le Sentier, producing all movements in-house. Blancpain has produced movements with complications including tourbillons, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and carrousels.
Retail prices generally start at approximately $8,000 for Villeret models and extend to over $300,000 for grand complication pieces. Blancpain sells through its own boutiques, authorized retailers, and e-commerce platform.
Luxury Watches
Blancpain, founded in 1735, is among the oldest watchmaking brands in the world and produces exclusively mechanical watches. The Fifty Fathoms (1953) is one of the first modern diving watches. Collections include the Fifty Fathoms, Villeret (classical complications including the Chinese calendar), and Ladybird. All movements are produced in-house at manufactures in Villeret and Le Sentier. The brand actively supports ocean conservation through its Ocean Commitment program.
Brand Details
Brand Tier
High Luxury
Price Range
$8,000 - $400,000+
Founded
1735
Headquarters
Le Sentier, Switzerland
Parent Company
Swatch Group
