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Blancpain holds two distinctions that are difficult to reconcile. It is the oldest watch brand in the world, founded in 1735, twenty years before Vacheron Constantin. And it is one of the least known among the general public, overshadowed by brands with a fraction of its history. Among collectors who understand haute horlogerie, Blancpain commands deep respect. Outside that circle, it barely registers.
This gap between reputation and recognition creates one of the most interesting value propositions in the luxury watch market. Blancpain produces fully in-house movements, finishes them to a standard consistent with its Vallée de Joux neighbors, and prices its watches below the levels commanded by Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, or even some Vacheron Constantin references. For buyers who prioritize mechanical substance over brand visibility, Blancpain is a brand worth knowing well.
Origins and Revival
Jehan-Jacques Blancpain established his workshop in Villeret, in the Swiss Jura, in 1735. The firm produced watches continuously for nearly 250 years, passing through multiple generations of the Blancpain family before eventually being absorbed into larger Swiss watch groups in the twentieth century. By the early 1980s, the brand had been folded into SSIH (the same group that held Omega) and was effectively dormant.
The revival came from Jean-Claude Biver, one of the most influential figures in modern watchmaking. Biver acquired Blancpain in 1983 for a modest sum and relaunched the brand with a declaration that became its defining principle: Blancpain has never made a quartz watch, and it never will. At a time when the Quartz Crisis was devastating the Swiss industry and many firms were abandoning mechanical production entirely, Biver bet that the future of luxury watchmaking lay in the very thing the market was discarding.
He was right. Biver positioned Blancpain as a champion of traditional mechanical watchmaking, producing complicated watches in small quantities with an emphasis on hand-finishing and heritage. The strategy worked. Blancpain regained its footing, and in 1992 Biver sold the brand to the Swatch Group, where it remains today alongside Omega, Breguet, Longines, and Tissot. Under Swatch Group ownership, Blancpain has access to shared manufacturing resources while maintaining its own identity and its own manufacture in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux.
The Fifty Fathoms
The Fifty Fathoms is Blancpain’s most famous watch, and it holds a legitimate claim as the first modern dive watch. Introduced in 1953, the same year as the Rolex Submariner, the Fifty Fathoms was developed for the French Navy’s combat swimmers at the request of Captain Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud. It featured a rotating bezel with a locking mechanism (to prevent accidental movement underwater), luminous markers, automatic winding, and water resistance to roughly 91 meters (fifty fathoms).
The original Fifty Fathoms predated many of the conventions that would later become standard in dive watch design. Blancpain’s contribution to the category is often overlooked because Rolex’s Submariner achieved far greater commercial success and cultural visibility. But the Fifty Fathoms was there first, or at least simultaneously, and its influence on the development of the modern dive watch is undeniable.
The current Fifty Fathoms collection retains the spirit of the original while benefiting from modern manufacturing. The standard Fifty Fathoms Automatique features a 45mm steel or titanium case, a unidirectional ceramic bezel, and Blancpain’s in-house caliber 1315 with a 120-hour (five-day) power reserve. It retails for approximately $14,000 to $16,000 in steel. The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe offers a more contemporary, slightly smaller interpretation at 43mm, priced similarly. On the secondary market, both trade at 20 to 35% below retail, placing serious in-house dive watchmaking in the $9,000 to $12,000 range.
The Collections
Beyond the Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain’s catalog covers a range of complications and styles that reflect the brand’s Vallée de Joux manufacturing depth.
The Villeret collection, named for Blancpain’s founding village, houses the brand’s dress watches and grand complications. The Villeret Ultraplate is a thin, elegant time-only watch. The Villeret Quantième Perpétuel is a perpetual calendar. The Villeret Carrousel Volant is one of the few wristwatches to use a carrousel (a complication similar to a tourbillon but mechanically distinct, rotating the escapement to compensate for positional errors). Prices for Villeret models range from approximately $10,000 for the simplest references to well above $100,000 for grand complications.
The Ladybird collection is Blancpain’s women’s line, originally introduced in 1956 as one of the smallest round mechanical watches in the world. Modern iterations maintain the compact dimensions and feminine aesthetic while incorporating contemporary movements and materials. The Air Command, reissued in recent years, is a flyback chronograph inspired by military aviation watches of the 1950s.
Manufacturing
Blancpain manufactures all its movements in-house at its facility in Le Sentier. The brand’s current caliber portfolio includes the 1315 (a three-barrel automatic with 120-hour power reserve and silicon balance spring), the 13R0 (a chronograph flyback), the 5025 (a complete calendar with moon phase), and the caliber 242 (a carrousel). The finishing standard is consistent with the brand’s haute horlogerie positioning: Côtes de Genève, snailing, hand-chamfered bridges, and blued screws.
Blancpain’s commitment to mechanical-only production means the brand does not offer quartz in any form. Every Blancpain watch, from the entry-level Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe to the most complicated Villeret grand complication, is powered by an in-house mechanical movement. This consistency is part of the brand’s identity and reinforces the philosophical position that Biver staked out in 1983.
Buying Blancpain Today
Blancpain watches are available at authorized dealers and Blancpain boutiques. Availability is generally good, with no significant waitlists for most references. The Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphe are readily available at retail. The brand’s limited editions and collaboration pieces (including the popular Blancpain x Swatch MoonSwatch-style collaboration, the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms) can sell out quickly, but the core catalog is accessible.
Retail prices range from approximately $10,000 for a Villeret Ultraplate to $14,000 to $16,000 for a Fifty Fathoms Automatique to $20,000 and above for chronographs and complications. On the secondary market, Blancpain depreciates more than collectors who appreciate the brand might expect. Fifty Fathoms references can be found for $9,000 to $12,000 pre-owned. Villeret models trade from $6,000 to $10,000 for standard references. At these prices, Blancpain delivers Vallée de Joux manufacturing, fully in-house movements, and a no-quartz philosophy at price points that many Swiss brands with less manufacturing depth charge for watches powered by third-party calibers.
Blancpain is, in many ways, the collector’s brand that the broader market has not yet fully discovered. Its history is longer than any competitor’s. Its manufacturing credentials are beyond question. Its prices, particularly on the secondary market, represent some of the strongest value in Swiss haute horlogerie. The question is not whether Blancpain deserves more recognition. It is when.
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This article is for informational purposes only. Prices, secondary market values, and specifications are approximate and based on market conditions as of early 2026. Blancpain is a registered trademark of Blancpain SA. Tempo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Blancpain or the Swatch Group.