Blancpain#The Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize

Jehan-Jacques Blancpain started making watches in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland. He founded the Blancpain brand, setting up his first workshop on the upper floor of his house at Villeret, in the present-day Bernese Jura. This part of the history is disputed. According to Perezcope, there is no evidence that Jehan-Jacques Blancpain and the following two generations were watchmakers. [https://perezcope.com/2024/08/30/a-bunch-of-baloney-the-fabricated-history-of-the-modern-blancpain-brand/ A Bunch of Baloney? – The Fabricated History of the Modern Blancpain Brand by Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope.com, August 2024]

In 1815, Frédéric-Louis Blancpain, the great-grandson of Jehan-Jacques, who was head of the family business at the time, modernized production methods and transformed the traditional craft workshop into an industrial undertaking capable of serial production. By replacing the crown-wheel mechanism with a cylinder escapement, Frédéric-Louis introduced a major innovation into the watchmaking world.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In the second half of the 19th century, as industrialization took hold, the prices of watchmaking products were falling and many workshops were fated to close down. To face up to American competition, in 1865 Blancpain built a two-storey factory by the River Suze and made use of water power to supply the electricity needed for its production processes. By modernizing its methods and concentrating on top-of-the-line products, Blancpain became one of the few watchmaking firms to survive in Villeret.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Image:Blancpain MG 2605.jpg

File:Blancpain.jpg. The Fifty Fathoms model family was introduced in the mid 1950s.]]

In 1926, the Manufacture entered into a partnership with John Harwood and started marketing the first automatic wristwatch. The year 1932 saw the end of the family's management of the firm, which had lasted for over two centuries. On the death of Frédéric-Emile Blancpain, his only daughter, Berthe-Nellie, did not wish to go into watchmaking. The following year, the two members of the staff who had been closest to Frédéric-Emile, Betty Fiechter and André Léal, bought the business. As there was no longer any member of the Blancpain family in control of the firm, the two associates were obliged by law as it stood at the time to change the company name. The firm would be called Rayville S.A., succ. de Blancpain, "Rayville" being a phonetic anagram of Villeret. Despite this change of name, the identity of the Manufacture was perpetuated, and the characteristics of the brand were preserved.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Betty Fiechter remained director of Blancpain until 1950, when her nephew, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, joined her. At the end of the 1950s, Rayville-Blancpain was producing more than 100,000 watches per year. To make it possible to meet the continually growing demand, the firm became part of the SSIH, joining such brands as Omega SA, Tissot and Lemania. In 1971, the company's annual production reached the historical peak of 220,000 watches. During the quartz crisis of the 1970s, SSIH was forced to reduce its output by half and to sell off part of its assets. In 1975 SSIH transitioned Blancpain from watch brand to movement manufacturer for Omega and quartz pocket watch maker for Moeris. [https://perezcope.com/2024/08/30/a-bunch-of-baloney-the-fabricated-history-of-the-modern-blancpain-brand/ A Bunch of Baloney? – The Fabricated History of the Modern Blancpain Brand by Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope.com, August 2024] By 1980 the brand had been dissolved and totally absorbed by Omega, even the factory, was repurposed to serve Omega's jewelry department. [https://perezcope.com/2024/08/30/a-bunch-of-baloney-the-fabricated-history-of-the-modern-blancpain-brand/ A Bunch of Baloney? – The Fabricated History of the Modern Blancpain Brand by Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope.com, August 2024] In 1982, Omega withdrew from Villeret, Switzerland, abandoning the former Rayville factory completely. [https://perezcope.com/2024/08/30/a-bunch-of-baloney-the-fabricated-history-of-the-modern-blancpain-brand/ A Bunch of Baloney? – The Fabricated History of the Modern Blancpain Brand by Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope.com, August 2024]

In 1983 the current iteration of Blancpain was born when SSIH sold the Rayville-Blancpain name to Jacques Piguet, son of Frédéric Piguet and director of the company of that name, and Jean-Claude Biver, at that time employed by the SSIH. The company set up production at Le Brassus, in the Joux Valley, and from then on traded under the name of Blancpain SA.

In 1992, the SSIH purchased Blancpain back for 60 million Swiss Francs. At that time, Blancpain had annual sales of 50 million Swiss Francs. Jean-Claude Biver remained as CEO of Blancpain until 2002. Marc Hayek, the grandson of the Swatch Group's founder and chairman, Nicolas Hayek (1928–2010), has run Blancpain since 2002.

Later, SSIH became known as the Swatch Group, and in July 2010, Frédéric Piguet SA, also owned by Swatch Group, was merged into the firm Blancpain SA. Currently, Blancpain is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fhs.swiss/eng/watch_brands.html?letter=B|title=Our brands|website=Federation of the Swiss watch industry}}

One of Blancpain's company slogans is "Blancpain has never made a quartz watch and never will."

File:Blancpain 1.jpg from Blancpain]]

According to their commercial slogans, the company has never produced quartz watches in the past and has stated in its advertisements that it never will, nor have they ever produced watches with digital displays. In comparison to a large watchmaker like Rolex, which makes about 2,000 watches a day, Blancpain produces fewer than thirty watches per day. Each watch is made by a single watchmaker.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blancpain.com/en/assembly|title=Assembly {{!}} Blancpain|website=www.blancpain.com|access-date=2019-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124112/https://www.blancpain.com/en/assembly|archive-date=9 February 2019|url-status=dead}}

• In 1983, created the world's smallest moon-phases display.
• In 1987, created the world's thinnest self-winding chronograph and the smallest minute-repeater movement at the time.
• In 1988, created the world's thinnest split-second chronograph at the time.
• In 2000, produced the world's first self-winding tourbillon and perpetual calendar, with an eight-day power reserve.
• In 2005, patented the system of under-lug correctors.
• In 2006, patented the "rail effect" stone-setting technique.
• In 2006, created the Tourbillon Semainier, an unprecedented combination of complications with a seven-day power reserve.
• In 2008, produced the world's first movement with a one-minute flying carousel and 100-hour power reserve.

File:Blancpain MG 2607.jpg

The Villeret collection is marketed as Blancpain's most classic collection.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blancpain.com/en/category/collections/villeret-0|title=Villeret|website=www.blancpain.com|access-date=2019-02-06}} Named after the birthplace of Blancpain, the Villeret collection has been a flagship line of the company since 1980s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blancpain.com/en/news/blancpain-unveils-new-villeret-collection|title=Blancpain Unveils a New Villeret Collection|website=www.blancpain.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180121/https://www.blancpain.com/en/news/blancpain-unveils-new-villeret-collection|archive-date=9 February 2019|url-status=dead}} The collection not only includes wristwatches with simple and elegant designs, but also include watches with complications such as triple calendar, moon phase, and carousel.{{Cite web|url=https://moneyinc.com/a-closer-look-at-the-blancpain-villeret-quantieme-complet-gmt/|title=A Closer Look at The Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT|last=Berman|first=Nat|date=2018-03-12|website=Money Inc|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/blancpain-villeret-quantieme-complet-gmt-introducing|title=Introducing: The Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet GMT|date=February 20, 2018|first=Stephen|last=Pulvirent|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-02-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/blancpain-villeret-ultra-slim-complete-calendar-week-on-the-wrist|title=A Week On The Wrist: The Blancpain Villeret Ultra-Slim Complete Calendar In White Gold|date=December 21, 2016|first=Arthur|last=Touchot|website=Hodinkee|language=en|access-date=2019-02-06}}

Blancpain is known for its Fifty-Fathoms watch, produced in collaboration with the French Navy’s Nageurs de Combat (combat swimmers) led by Captain Bob Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, and worn by Jacques Cousteau.[https://www.fratellowatches.com/detail-blancpain-tribute-fifty-fathoms-mil-spec/ In Detail – Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms Mil-Spec] Robert-Jan Broer, September 20, 2017 From 1958, Fifty-Fathoms was standard issue of the US Navy's combat divers and United States Navy SEALs.[http://watchtime.me/the-knowledge/article/883/a-deep-dive-into-the-fifty-fathoms-milspec-1-s-past A Deep Dive into the Fifty Fathoms MILSPEC-1's Past] Nitin Nair, April 19, 2017 The watch has a water-resistant level up to 91 meters.

Blancpain is famous for being the creator of one of the most complicated mechanical watches ever made, the Blancpain 1735, which is a true grand complication (Tourbillon, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split chrono), a limited edition of 30 pieces only, production of just one piece per year.

File:Blancpain-img 0319.jpg wristwatch]]

• Francis Ford Coppola, American film director (The Godfather series) & multiple Academy Awards winner{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/lot-226-238?page=1&q=blancpain|title=Blancpain White Gold - Pièce Unique - Francis Ford Coppola Blancpain|website=catalog.antiquorum.swiss|access-date=2018-12-22}}

• Vladimir Kramnik, Russian chess grandmaster{{Cite web|url=https://www.blancpain.com/sites/default/files/files/pdf/ldb/ldb1/Lettres_du_Brassus_01_EN.pdf|title=If Only Walls Could Speak|website=Blancpain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031193106/http://www.blancpain.com/sites/default/files/files/pdf/ldb/ldb1/Lettres_du_Brassus_01_EN.pdf|archive-date=31 October 2015|url-status=dead}}
• Marilyn Monroe, American actress{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertanaas/2016/11/21/blancpain-watch-owned-by-marilyn-monroe-sells-for-225000-mr-president-dress-sells-for-4-81m/|title=Blancpain Watch Owned by Marilyn Monroe Sells for $225,000|last=Naas|first=Roberta|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2018-12-22}}
• Brad Pitt, American actor{{Cite web|url=https://deployant.com/spot-the-watch-brad-pitt/|title=Spot the Watch: Brad Pitt -|date=2016-04-19|website=Deployant|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-22}}

• Vladimir Putin, President of Russia{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/how-vladimir-putin-spends-his-mysterious-fortune-rumoured-to-be-worth-70-billion-a7805026.html|title=How Vladimir Putin spends his mysterious fortune rumoured to be worth $70 billion|date=2017-06-23|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2018-12-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/putins-extravagant-700000-watch-collection/|title=Putin's Flashy $700K Watch Collection|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2019-01-27}}

Blancpain sponsors Motorsport programs including the Blancpain Endurance Series,{{cite web|url=http://www.blancpain-endurance-series.com/info.php|title=Series Information|year=2012|work=Blancpain Endurance Series|publisher=SRO Ltd|access-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718102953/http://blancpain-endurance-series.com/info.php|archive-date=18 July 2012|url-status=dead}} Blancpain Sprint Series, Blancpain GT Series until 2019 when the sponsorship was discontinued, {{cite news|url=http://www.fiagtseries.com/news/details/blancpain-watches-extends-partnership-to-the-sro-promoted-gt-sprint-series|title=Blancpain Watches extends partnership to the SRO-Promoted GT Sprint Series|date=15 November 2013|work=FIA GT Series|access-date=10 December 2013|publisher=Stéphane Ratel Organisation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130928/http://www.fiagtseries.com/news/details/blancpain-watches-extends-partnership-to-the-sro-promoted-gt-sprint-series|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}} Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series, ADAC GT Masters{{cite news|url=http://www.adac-gt-masters.de/uk/artikel/blancpain-and-adac-gt-masters-extend-partnership-agreement-with-adac-gt-masters-for-three-more-years-185104|title=Blancpain and ADAC GT Masters extend partnership|date=4 December 2013|work=ADAC GT Masters|access-date=10 December 2013|publisher=ADAC}} and Reiter Engineering's GT1 and GT3 cars until Reiter mostly stopped racing Lamborghinis.

The Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize is a literary prize established by Blancpain and The Imaginist literary journal in 2018 to "“discover and encourage outstanding young writers under the age of 45.” The winner receives a cash award of 300,000 RMB and the finalists receive 20,000 RMB.https://lettresdubrassus.blancpain.com/en/issue-21/blancpain-imaginist Retrieved 5 Sept 2024.

• List of watch manufacturers
• Manufacture d'horlogerie

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Blancpain}}

• [http://www.blancpain.com Blancpain homepage]
• [http://www.timeandwatches.com/p/the-history-of-blancpain.html Blancpain, the history of the oldest watch brand]
• [https://archive.today/20130121211318/http://www.demesy.com/histories/blancpain.html Blancpain corporate history]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeR9s7QUzX4 The making of a Blancpain Tourbillon]
• https://perezcope.com/2024/08/30/a-bunch-of-baloney-the-fabricated-history-of-the-modern-blancpain-brand/

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Category:Swiss watch brands

Category:Luxury brands

Category:The Swatch Group

Category:1735 establishments in Europe

Category:18th-century establishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy

Category:Companies established in 1735

Category:Companies based in the canton of Vaud

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1735