Baselworld 2010: Blancpain
By Melvyn Teillol-Foo
Blancpain may be considered a premier brand within the SWATCH Group portfolio together with a handful of true haute horlogerie brethren. Although not quite the favoured child like Breguet, it still has a special place in the SWATCH portfolio. Mr Nick Hayek Sr. acquired Blancpain from the previous owner who had also revived the brand from modern obscurity like Breguet was.
SWATCH treats its special brands….well….specially. They get their own dedicated boutiques and to hold special client events like musical concerts and opera. We wondered what Blancpain had in store for 2010. Many brands have ‘returned to their roots’ during this economic recession and focused on their core strengths with simpler designs but executed well. These caught my eyes…..
NOVELTIES
Villeret Collection
Baselworld 2010 marks the 275th Anniversary for Blancpain and is the occasion for the debut of a new Villeret Collection. The flagship of the 2010 Villeret Collection is the complete calendar moon phase model fitted with an 8-day power reserve automatic caliber 6639 movement, with its three mainspring barrels and free-sprung titanium balance. Blancpain used an 18th century design of blued serpentine steel hand for the date display. Two models will be offered: in platinum and in red gold with a grand feu enamel dial.
This movement offers a long power reserve and allows the owner to set any of the indications at any time without fear of damaging the mechanism. Every other moon phases / complete calendar movement forbids changes during certain hours of the day. Blancpain incorporated patented under-lug correctors that produce a clean case side profile, free from adjustment dimples, and which allow the owner to set each indication with finger pushes instead of an adjustment tool.
L-Evolution Carrousel Saphir
The Carrousel was introduced in 2008, but the 2010 edition has a new movement with plates and bridges made from sapphire. New techniques of polishing sapphire surfaces to work with the pinions, wheels, and moving parts of the movement were developed. The lugs are those of L-Evolution family, being separate parts from the case.
Fifty Fathoms Collection – Complete Calendar Moon Phase Flyback Chronograph
For 2010 Blancpain expands the Fifty Fathoms line-up to included the complications of a moon phase and a complete calendar together with a column-wheel controlled flyback chronograph.
This newest Fifty Fathoms model, with a 448-part movement, has been fitted with the latest innovations. The moon phase complete calendar mechanism is derived from the caliber F185 movement, offering risk-free setting of any indication regardless of the time of day or night.
Blancpain claims idiot-proof safety to set the calendar indications. Setting is by under lug correctors that eliminate the need for adjusters on the sides of the case and which allow finger-tip setting in place of an adjusting tool. The chronograph base is a vertical clutch column-wheel controlled flyback movement. The stainless steel case is 45 mm in diameter and fitted with a blue coloured sapphire unidirectional bezel and blue dial
LE BRASSUS, “Carrousel Répétition Minutes Le Brassus”, cathedral gong, grey dial, hand-winding
The press release of Blancpain’s Basel 2010 novelties has already been published. This so-called 'grand complication', combines a flying one-minute carrousel and a cathedral gong minute repeater. What it lacks is a split-second chronograph or perpetual calendar for the full Monty monicker. In any case, this new offering should work better than the Le Brassus 1735 Grande Complication, a legendary ‘prima donna’ of its time.
The minute repeater features a cathedral gong striking mechanism that is attached to the case instead of the movement, ostensibly to improve volume and clarity. The flying regulator is claimed to be idiot-proof; by disconnecting the repeater mechanism from the crown during activation, eliminating the risk of damage if the crown is manipulated. The red gold movement bridges and mainplate are individually hand engraved.
Conclusion:
Blancpain is still trading as an haute horlogerie brand within the SWATCH Group. Blancpain does not reach out to clients like Breguet and Glashuette Original do but still has a core fan base with a dichotomy of tastes. The classical line fans are clearly different from the diving watch enthusiasts.
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and other diving watches have an almost cult following on PuristSPro with crossover fans from the Omega and Rolex collectors.
The younger PuristS fans of the Le Brassus and Villeret lines, with no memory of the ‘1735 Grande Complication’, are well satisfied today.