BLANCPAIN — The House That Only Makes Mechanical Watches
Claiming a founding date of 1735, BLANCPAIN has devoted itself to mechanical watchmaking and nothing
else.
The Swiss maison is best known for the Fifty Fathoms, widely regarded as a starting point for the modern
dive watch.
Here we introduce the appeal of BLANCPAIN.
What is BLANCPAIN?
BLANCPAIN is a luxury watch brand with its roots in the Swiss Jura.
When the house was revived in the 1980s it declared that it would never make a quartz watch, and it has
built mechanical watches exclusively ever since — a stance that has won it a devoted following among
collectors.
Two contrasting pillars anchor the collection: the Fifty Fathoms, built for the sea, and the Villeret, a
classical dress watch. Complications such as moon phases and tourbillons are developed in-house as well.
Source : https://swatchgroup.jp/blancpain
History of BLANCPAIN
BLANCPAIN is said to have been founded in 1735 by the watchmaker Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, in the
Swiss Jura. In 1953 the house developed the Fifty Fathoms at the request of the French Navy; with its
unidirectional rotating bezel and serious water resistance, it is counted among the origins of the modern
dive watch.
Business faltered in the later twentieth century and the company fell dormant, until Jean-Claude Biver and
his partners bought the trademark in 1981 and brought it back with a new watch in 1983. The brand presented
the 1735, then the most complicated mechanical wristwatch ever made, in 1991, and joined SMH — now the Swatch
Group — in 1992.
BLANCPAIN’s most popular items
The Fifty Fathoms Automatic (5015-12B30-B52A). The house’s flagship, a 45mm titanium case housing the
in-house calibre 1315. It offers roughly 120 hours of power reserve and 300m water resistance, with a
sapphire unidirectional bezel and a silicon balance spring underpinning its practicality.
Source : https://www.jw-oomiya.co.jp/products/5015-12b30-b52a
The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe (5000-0130-B52A). A 43.6mm ceramic case paired with a bezel whose markings
are rendered in liquid metal. It keeps the calibre 1315 and its 120-hour reserve, while the sailcloth strap
makes it easy to wear day to day.
Source : https://www.jw-oomiya.co.jp/products/5000-0130-b52a
The Villeret Complete Calendar (6654-1127-55B). A classical 40mm dress watch showing date, day, month and
moon phase. A slender double-stepped bezel and an uncluttered dial give it its traditional poise, and the
changing face of the moon adds a touch of poetry.
Recommended stores where you can buy BLANCPAIN
Source : https://www.gressive.jp/shop/R0490
| Store Name | BLANCPAIN Boutique Ginza |
|---|---|
| Address | Nicolas G. Hayek Center 4F, 7-9-18 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8188, Japan |
| Phone number | +81-3-6254-7233 |
| Business hours | 11:00–20:00 (Mon-Sun), closed during the New Year holidays |
Summary
How was it?
Here we introduced BLANCPAIN.
A house that makes mechanical watches and only mechanical watches, at home both in the water and at the
dinner table.
Be sure to check it out for yourself.