Blancpain Six Masterpieces

At the time, quartz movements were limited in capability and calculating complex formulas required massive computing systems. (The computers that powered the lunar landing in 1969 were the size of cabinets.) The lunar cycle requires a complex mathematical function for accuracy, an impossibility at the time. But mechanical watchmakers were more than capable of doing this. The symbolism of the Moon and its association with romance and beauty were not lost on the duo; it strengthened their argument that watchcraft was an artistry. The 34mm sized Complete Calendar Moon Phase, which displayed the day, date, and month together with the phases of the moon in a slim, compact gold and platinum case, was the industry’s answer to the advent of accessible quartz watches.

More high watchmaking accomplishments followed. Blancpain presented an ultra-thin perpetual calendar model with moon phase indication in 1986. The Ref. 5395 was based on the Fréderic Piguet calibre 95 with the 53 perpetual calendar module and was housed in a 34mm case that measured 9mm thick. A second reference, the Ref. 5495 added a leap year indication with the month counter at 12 o’clock. The Villeret Quantième Perpétuel Phases de Lune today is equipped with the calibre 5954.4, which offers a full-sized oscillating rotor with 3-day power reserve and measures just slightly thicker at 10.7mm.

Forty years on, Blancpain continues to innovate in the realm of high complications. Last year, as part of its 290th anniversary celebrations, Blancpain introduced the Grande Double Sonnerie, which offers two melodies that can be selected to sound the quarters and hours. One is the traditional four-note Westminster chime, and a second is a melody composed by Eric Singer for Blancpain. It’s the most complex watch ever made by Blancpain, and is equipped with a flying tourbillon with a silicon balance spring – another new innovation for the brand. Available only upon request, it’s a magnificent demonstration of the possibilities that mechanical watchmaking offers to the world, both in complexity and handcraft.

The final masterpiece that Blancpain crafted in 1989 was a flying tourbillon, a brand new design on the rotating regulator. Co-developed with the ingenious Vincent Calabrese, the design utilised a single bridge that fully supported the tourbillon cage, balance wheel, and escapement from underneath. It was also a feat of micro-engineering as a ball bearing system was required for the rotating tourbillon cage. This was the thinnest tourbillon wristwatch and the first flying tourbillon which offered an unhindered view of its function. Furthermore, the 34mm sized watch held a power reserve of 8 days, and the case measured just 7.5mm thick with gemset versions reaching 8mm. The Ref. 0023 remains in Blancpain’s catalogue, though it has increased a smidge in size to just under 38mm, with the same dial format with an analogue date at 9 o’clock, and the flying tourbillon at 12 and power reserve at 6 o’clock.

Blancpain’s masterpieces live on in modern iterations, paying homage to the bold innovation and creativity that enabled the company to not simply survive the quartz crisis, but emerge stronger than ever. By the early ’90s, it was making an annual turnover of around CHF 50 million, and this led the Swatch Group to re-acquire it just a decade after it sold the company. It achieved success not by following the cultural or technological trends of the time, but by taking stock of its strengths and using them to exceed its competition. In less than a decade, it developed some of the most challenging complications in the industry to the highest standards. It paved the way for others in the industry to follow, turning a crisis in fine watchmaking into an opportunity to broaden its clientele. Discover how these six masterpieces have evolved and what other developments Blancpain has.