Blancpain really need to look at the villeret collection and understand what made the OGs great. Agree that there doesn't seem like a middle ground and a greater sense of coherence woukd help them. Should take a leaf of of rhe Breguet playbook..
The revival of Blancpain in the 1980s is truly remarkable, the image of road warrior JC Biver in a camper van is mind boggling. Those wood panelled boutiques we see today were hard fought for. Have you heard those early stories of Max Büsser after he left Harry Winston when his office was his car?
That’s a really interesting parallel with modern independent brands too. Do you think those early days of Blancpain also created the modern perception of the value of an in-house movement?
That contrast always strikes me too! Hard fought, yes – and helped by that Swatch Group money. But still…
The image of a founder taking his message to the markets on the road is one of the things that struck me as independent-like behaviour.
Regarding in-house preferences, it’s possible but complicated (no pun intended) in my mind by the fact that Frédéric Piguet were not making movements exclusively for Blancpain at the time.
It ruins the brand for me with the intensity they argue (without evidence) to be the oldest brand.
If resurrecting a dead name in the 80s and creating ancient dates from the air is reasonable… Then how about I use some guy with a stick in 3000bc who noted its shade moved with the sun movement ..so he invented the sundial! Of course we can make up his name as BP did the same.
We call our brand that name and then celebrate our 5000 year old watch brand! Suck it 300th anniversary, losers!
Since nothing means anything so why stop at 300 years?
Blancpain really need to look at the villeret collection and understand what made the OGs great. Agree that there doesn't seem like a middle ground and a greater sense of coherence woukd help them. Should take a leaf of of rhe Breguet playbook..
I’m seeing some promising signs…thanks for reading!
Rumor is a whole new Leman line was ready for launch and then put on ice a few years ago. A shame. Hopefully it'll come back.
Oh, interesting! Hadn’t heard that.
The revival of Blancpain in the 1980s is truly remarkable, the image of road warrior JC Biver in a camper van is mind boggling. Those wood panelled boutiques we see today were hard fought for. Have you heard those early stories of Max Büsser after he left Harry Winston when his office was his car?
That’s a really interesting parallel with modern independent brands too. Do you think those early days of Blancpain also created the modern perception of the value of an in-house movement?
That contrast always strikes me too! Hard fought, yes – and helped by that Swatch Group money. But still…
The image of a founder taking his message to the markets on the road is one of the things that struck me as independent-like behaviour.
Regarding in-house preferences, it’s possible but complicated (no pun intended) in my mind by the fact that Frédéric Piguet were not making movements exclusively for Blancpain at the time.
Great post! Well, researched, and well written!
Thank you!
It ruins the brand for me with the intensity they argue (without evidence) to be the oldest brand.
If resurrecting a dead name in the 80s and creating ancient dates from the air is reasonable… Then how about I use some guy with a stick in 3000bc who noted its shade moved with the sun movement ..so he invented the sundial! Of course we can make up his name as BP did the same.
We call our brand that name and then celebrate our 5000 year old watch brand! Suck it 300th anniversary, losers!
Since nothing means anything so why stop at 300 years?