Blancpain, the world's oldest watch manufacturer, also suffered greatly from the quartz shock that began at the end of 1969. Operations were temporarily suspended in the 1970s, and its revival had to wait until the 1980s. However, upon its revival, the company declared, "We do not make quartz," and chose the path of perfecting mechanical watches.

After its revival, in 1991, when business was back on track, Blancpain announced the "Masterpiece" collection. This was a special series that assigned one of the six major complications of mechanical watches to each individual timepiece: "Ultraplate," "Moon Phase," "Perpetual Calendar," "Split-Seconds Chronograph," "Tourbillon," and "Minute Repeater." At the same time, they also unveiled an astonishing model that combined all six of these elements into a single watch. That was the "1735," named after Blancpain's founding year. It is the ultimate complicated watch, symbolizing the company's pursuit of perfection in mechanical timekeeping.

Of the aforementioned six "Masterpieces," the "Perpetual Calendar," "Split-Seconds Chronograph," "Tourbillon," and "Minute Repeater" are each formidable complications. Normally, watches combining two or more of these functions are called grand complications and are highly prized. However, to house four of these complications in a wristwatch, and further finish it as an "Ultraplate" with a thickness of just 16.5mm (and make it self-winding), requires superlative craftsmanship. Encased in platinum, its appearance exudes a certain dignity. Blancpain, the creator of this watch, is indeed the world's oldest prestigious brand and can be said to be the brand that determined the revival of mechanical watches after the quartz crisis.

Self-winding. 21,600 vibrations per hour. 80-hour power reserve. Case diameter 42.0mm. Case thickness 16.5mm. Platinum case. Crocodile strap. Water-resistant: No. Price: Not determined.



BRAND HISTORY

Founded in 1735 by watchmaker Jean-Jacques Blancpain, it is renowned as the oldest existing brand. Its high-quality products, which emphasize traditional watchmaking, have captivated countless people for ages.

Furthermore, in 1953, it made a significant contribution to the development of sports watches with the release of the iconic diver's watch "Fifty Fathoms," featuring 50-fathom (91.5m) water resistance and a rotating bezel.

Although it faced a temporary crisis of survival in the 1970s when quartz watches dominated the world, it was revived as part of the Swatch Group by Jean-Claude Biver, then an executive at Omega. In '88, it released the world's smallest wristwatch with a minute repeater, and the following year, it produced complication watches with the announcement of the first-ever self-winding split-seconds chronograph.

Then, in '91, it launched the "Masterpiece" collection, featuring six complications for which Blancpain is renowned: the tourbillon, perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, minute repeater, moon phase, and ultraplate, each housed in a separate timepiece.

Furthermore, the miraculous unveiling of the "1735," which contained all six complications within a single wristwatch, once again brought the Blancpain name to global prominence. At the end of 2006, Blancpain announced its first in-house developed caliber, reaffirming its high level of technical expertise.

Founding Year: 1735
Place of Founding: Villeret, Switzerland
Main Series Names: Fifty Fathoms, Villeret, Le Brassus, Leman, Specialty
Blancpain Woman
Inquiries: Swatch Group Japan Blancpain Division 03-6254-7150
Official Website: http://www.blancpain.com/