07 May 2025
The royal purple shade makes its debut in the Ladybird Colors collection, joining an already vibrant palette of raspberry pink, lilac, midnight blue, coral blue, apple green, peacock green, forest green, turquoise, lemon sorbet yellow, and white. With the Ladybird Colors Royal Purple capsule collection, Blancpain merges watchmaking and jewellery inspiration, capturing the spirit of sunny days. A staple of current trends, the purple hue captivates with its sophisticated contrasts and elegantly harmonises with the iridescent softness of the unique mother-of-pearl called nacre perlée.
Vibrant and textured, the nacre perlée dial is at the heart of this new Ladybird Colors creation. Of exceptional quality, this mother-of-pearl is only found in limited quantities and is meticulously extracted from specific cultured shells, each of which can make just one, or at most, two dials. Carved from the centre of the shell’s most curved area, it rarely allows usable nacre perlée diameters greater than 28 mm to be obtained, and it represents less than 2% of all usable mother-of-pearl of a shell, the rest being destined for less selective uses.
The nacre perlée is distinguished by its finely grained surface, naturally formed over time. Through this new Ladybird Colors capsule, Blancpain confirms its ability to blend noble materials, craftsmanship, jewellery inspiration, and watchmaking excellence.
With an 18 ct red or white gold case and over 2 carats of diamonds set on the dial, bezel, crown, lugs, and buckle, the Ladybird Colors brilliantly embodies the jewellery inspiration of the collection.
The 34.9 mm silhouette is masterfully balanced between sophistication and wearability. Equipped with the automatic calibre 1163L with a power reserve of over four days, it also features a moon phase and a discreet small seconds at 6 o’clock, a technical signature of the line.
Twelve inclined Roman numerals in royal purple, applied directly to the mother-of-pearl, encircle two circles of 70 diamonds that interlock. A Blancpain signature, the openwork sage leaf-shaped hands indicate the hours and minutes.
The purple alligator leather strap, inspired by trends spotted at major tanneries, showcases exceptional craftsmanship: light royal purple on the scales, more intensely coloured between them. Combined, these features create a dynamic, balanced visual effect without compromise.
Blancpain has a long history in the world of women’s watches. Betty Fiechter, who took the helm of the Maison in 1933 and remained in charge until 1967, became the first woman to own and lead a Swiss watch brand. Under her leadership, Blancpain revolutionised the 1930s by continuing the development of the ‘Rolls’, the first automatic wristwatch for women.
The Ladybird was born in 1956 and marked a turning point: it incorporated the smallest round mechanical movement of the time (the R-52 movement of 11.85 mm) in a minimalist case with the winding crown placed on the back. A bold innovation, counter to an era when women’s watches were discreet, hidden in sophisticated jewellery. The Ladybird has evolved over the years, like in 1995 with the ultra-thin automatic calibre 615, which still equips today’s Ladybird Ultraplate models. This expertise, combining miniaturisation, design, and performance, embodies the DNA of the Ladybird Colors collection.
Discover more exciting creations from Blancpain at our boutiques, or online.