Blancpain: A Luxury Watch Brand Nearly Three-Centuries Old
The Blancpain brand was established in 1735 and is the world’s oldest watch brand. This Swiss watchmaking house has an astounding history that is over two centuries old. Its mechanical watches have an admirable style of blending tradition with modernism and are acknowledged in the market for luxury watches to this day.
The history of Blancpain
The Blancpain brand was founded at the beginning of the 18th century by Jehan-Jacques when the watch industry was still in its embryonic stage. Nonetheless, the brand’s watches were an instant success and Jehan-Jacques’ expertise in watchmaking continued to flourish under his heirs, until Frédéric-Louis Blancpain, his great-grandson, renovated the old workshop, in 1815, to enhance production.
He achieved this through the introduction of series methods and having production within the workshop organized on an industrial basis. Machinery was introduced to increase productivity and improve quality.
In 1926, the brand collaborated with another watchmaker, John Harwood, and launched the first automatic wristwatch and, after a period of four years, another automatic watch for women – Rolls – was introduced.
In 1932, the family business was sold to Frédéric-Louis Blancpain’s close associate, Betty Fiechter, changing the name to Rayville SA (the brand’s name since 1983). But the identity of the brand still remains; the qualities of the Blancpain watches being maintained.
Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Betty’s nephew, joined in 1950. At this time, one of the brand’s greatest triumphs took place: the Fifty Fathoms, a high-performance watch for divers. This watch was introduced in 1953 for the Combat Swimmers of the French Army to facilitate their underwater expeditions.
Luxury creations : a used Blancpain watch
Blancpain’s timepieces are still manufactured in the Jeux Valley, the origin for Swiss clockmaking; skilled artisans being spread between the areas of Le Brassus and Le Sentier. The old farmhouse in Le Brassus, where the business was first established, is a heartwarming site with its surroundings of forest and pastureland. The renovated place provides expert watchmakers with relaxation and concentration while they are manufacturing prestigious and modern timepieces. The brand’s innovative strategies focus on improving performance, precision, and elegance of its watches.
Blancpain is still strongly linked to its centuries-old heritage; it has great expertise over every manufacturing phase with respect for Swiss watchmaking tradition. Every Blancpain watch is a fabulous luxury watch and an actual work of art; a product of innovation and accuracy. Similar to a Blancpain bracelet, a pre-owned Blancpain watch, from a technical perspective, is perfect and reliable with a resplendent finishing.