The History of Blancpain

Blancpain was founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, within the Bernese Jura, the French-speaking part of an area now synonymous with watchmaking.

Blancpain saw an enterprising opportunity in watchmaking and launched what is arguably the first-ever watch brand. In 1815, his son Frederic-Louis Blancpain industrialised the watchmaking process, making it the most substantial business in Villeret and moving it to another level of prosperity.

In 1932, the business left family hands for the first time, purchased by two employees, Betty Fiechter and André Leal. In accordance with the law at the time, they were obligated to change the name of business, choosing "Rayville," an anagram of Villeret.

In 1953, Rayville created their most famous model, the Fifty Fathoms, on request of the French Navy's elite combat diving division. The integrity and immediate success of the Fifty Fathoms led it to become the standard for diving watches. After producing an average of 100,000 watches per year during the late 1950s, Blancpain joined the SSIH Group (the precursor to the modern Swatch Group) with Longines, OMEGA and Lemania to accommodate demand.

Sadly, the oil crisis and subsequent worldwide recession, coupled with the emergence of quartz movements from the Far East, forced the SSIH group to sell assets to ensure its survival. Blancpain was a casualty of this fire sale.

However, the company was again sold to associates of the brand, namely Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet, who privately reformed it into the renowned brand it is today. Returning to the fold of the modern Swatch group, alongside Breguet, Jaquet Droz and Glashütte, just to name a few, Blancpain has continued to build on its historical values of solid Swiss watchmaking, focusing on complications and, of course, the now legendary Fifty Fathoms collection.

Having never made a quartz watch in their history, one can assume the tradition of mechanical watchmaking is safe in the hands of Blancpain. Please visit us in-store or contact us directly to learn more about the wonderful world of Blancpain. New Cavendish Jewellers is the exclusive independent agent for Blancpain watches in Central London.

Blancpain Watches for Men and Women

The Swiss watchmaker is known for its revolutionary and innovative spirit, as well as being a pioneer of women’s watches. The brand understood early on that women appreciated the expertise and craftsmanship of mechanical watches as much as men, so Blancpain – and, especially, Betty Fiechter, took the challenge head-on and focused on manufacturing pieces with a feminine touch.

This meant creating jewellery watches, offering delicate designs, and more, and this decision catapulted Blancpain to international stardom when it came to horology. But you won’t just find the brand’s Women’s Collection at New Cavendish Jewellers – we've got many other Blancpain watches for sale at our store, such as the world-famous Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches, the Blancpain Air Command watches and the Blancpain Villeret watches.

These sophisticated watches also come with features designed to match your lifestyle, including date windows, chronographs, moon phases and even perpetual calendars.

Another thing to consider if you’re looking to buy from this brand is that you can choose from different materials, including white gold, rose gold, stainless steel, sailcloth, ceramic and titanium. These luxury materials elevate a stylish line of watches to new heights.

You can find many Blancpain watches online by browsing our website or visiting us in person, and we’ll be happy to answer all your questions when it comes to these exquisite pieces.

Unmatched Prestige and Luxury

Blancpain may be the world’s oldest watchmaking brand. Still, the company continues to innovate and create increasingly advanced pieces that suit a modern life – as well as modern preferences. This prestigious brand offers unique designs and complications and manufactures watches that can double as art pieces.

The brand is worn by many public figures as well, including Laurent Ballesta (marine biologist and photographer) and Thomas and Mathias Sühring (Michelin-star chefs), as well as celebrities, such as Brad Pitt, Francis Ford Coppola and David Garrett.

With the motto of ‘innovation is our tradition’, Blancpain creates watches that borrow from their great watchmaking traditions, but also keeps the contemporary wearer in mind.

Blancpain Watches at New Cavendish Jewellers

If you’re looking for Blancpain watches in the UK, New Cavendish Jewellers has many timepieces you can choose from, all of which have been designed with high-performance, precision and style in mind.

In fact, the brand is also known for having created the most advanced mechanical watches in the world, like the Blancpain 1735, which combines a tourbillon, a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a split chrono complications. Therefore, you can expect the best of the best when you choose Blancpain.

We can help you to find the perfect Blancpain watch for you, so call us on 020 7487 5628 or email us at info@newcavendishjewellers.com for more information. You can also chat with us on WhatsApp (078 6730 7597).