WatchTime – USA's No.1 Watch Magazine
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • News & Features
    • Watch Blog
    • Watch Features
    • Watch News
    • Watch Reviews
  • WatchTime Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Subscriptions Service
    • Subscribe Now
  • Watches
    • Popular Watch Brands
    • Watch Pronunciation
    • Watch Term Glossary
  • Events
  • Shop
  • submit search
  • Watches & Wonders
  • Baselworld
  • WatchTime New York 2021
  • Videos
WatchTime – USA's No.1 Watch Magazine
  • News & Features
    • Watch Blog
    • Watch Features
    • Watch News
    • Watch Reviews
  • WatchTime Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Subscriptions Service
    • Subscribe Now
  • Watches
    • Popular Watch Brands
    • Watch Pronunciation
    • Watch Term Glossary
  • Events
  • Shop

Blancpain

Blancpain was founded in 1735 and belongs to the Swatch Group (Breguet, Omega, Longines, Swatch). For many years during the 20th century Blancpain was out of business and did not sell any watches. In the 1980s Blancpain was revived and today enjoys considerable success among collectors.

A somewhat famous marketing slogan is that Blancpain has never produced quartz watches and it never will. Every Blancpain timepiece (usually thirty to forty per day are being manufacture) is entirely made by one person, the so called watchmaker. The Blancpain 1735 watch is one of the most complicated watches ever made, its features include a tourbillon, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split chrono – and together are the base for a grand complication. Blancpain watches are also popular with sports fans and divers.

Read more

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Milestone Moments in the History of the Wristwatch

Today it is common for a man to wear a watch on his wrist, but it was a different story around 100 years ago. World War I, which started in 1914 and ended in 1918, brought to the battlefield much that was new — airplanes, mustard gas, military tanks. It also brought something new to...

Read the article

Aug 3, 2022 by WatchTime

Sponsored: The Re-Edition of the First G-Shock Gets a New Color Variant

Unlike the MRG-B5000B, which was closely based on the first-generation model and whose dial used the key G-Shock color of red, the defining tone of the new MRG-B5000BA is blue. The concept behind the design is the “ao-zumi” (blue ink) used in Japanese calligraphy. The deep blue creates a mood of peace and serenity quite...

Read the article

Aug 15, 2022 by WatchTime

FEATURE

How Green is My Watch? How Watch Brands Are Embracing Sustainability

Sustainability is the topic of the hour. But how committed is the watch industry to ethical and ecological responsibility? We explore several interesting solutions in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

Read the article

Aug 1, 2022 by Maria-Bettina Eich

PORTFOLIO

Splash! A Plunge Into the Colorful World of Watersports Watches

Take the plunge with us into the colorful world of water sports in our latest dip into the WatchTime Archives! Here you can find professional instruments with appealing technologies, styles, and prices. In this article, we present divers’ watches without complex additional functions (e.g., chronographs) because the watches listed here are designed to focus your...

Read the article

Jul 31, 2022 by Alexander Krupp

Blancpain Presents Two New Variants of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet

First created in 1956 and reintroduced in 2013 as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscape is a diver’s watch that is meant to accommodate adventures both under water and on dry land. Today we look at recent release as part of that series in one of the brand’s...

Read the article

Jul 7, 2022 by Sabine Zwettler

Green Rambles: My Undecided Opinion About Watch Boxes

Watches and boxes are as common a combination as ham and eggs or fish and chips. No matter how (in)expensive the watch is you buy, you get a box. I still remember getting my first serious watch on the brink of the new millennium. It was a Seamaster Professional, and at that time, Omega delivered...

Read the article

Jul 5, 2022 by Martin Green

FEATURE

Dive Watches in Depth: A Dive Watch FAQ

"How water-resistant does it need to be?" "How does a depth gauge work?" We answer your FAQs about dive watches: learn about water resistance, diving bezels, depth gauges, and more in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

Read the article

Jun 19, 2022 by WatchTime

Airborne: Blancpain Drops New Executions of Air Command in Smaller Sizes

Blancpain is expanding its Air Command line with two new 36.2 mm executions, one in red gold, one in grade 23 titanium. This collection is rooted in Blancpain’s history of military-aviation timepieces that took to the sky in the 1950s. Comprising of pink gold, titanium and stainless steel executions, the line of luxury pilot’s chronographs...

Read the article

May 23, 2022 by Sabine Zwettler

One of a Kind: Six Watches Made From Proprietary Gold Alloys

What’s even more exclusive than yellow, white or rose gold? A gold alloy that’s only available from a single brand. Here are watches made of unique gold alloys. Lime Gold (Montblanc)Montblanc relies on its own gold color, which has a green shimmer and is therefore named “Lime Gold.” It debuted this year in the 1858...

Read the article

May 14, 2022 by Ruediger Bucher

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Highlights in the History of the Dive Watch

In the beginning, dive watches were pure tools that helped keep divers on time and alive. Today they’re something else: fashion statements, conversation pieces, rugged companions for a trip to the beach or pool. Our Timeline: "Dive Watches Through the Decades," traces the history of the dive watch from its start in the 1920s, with the invention of the first truly water-resistant cases, to 2014.

Read the article

Feb 16, 2022 by WatchTime

When in Rome: Five Watches with Roman Numeral Dials

Roman numerals are mostly reserved these days for movie sequels and Super Bowls, but they can still add a hint of elegant classicism to a watch dial, as in the five timepieces we showcase here. BLANCPAIN VILLERET ULTRAPLATE Blancpain’s Villeret series, named for the Swiss village where the manufacture was founded in 1735, is distinguished...

Read the article

Jan 26, 2022 by Mark Bernardo

Inspired by Ancestry: Exploring the Blancpain Villeret Collection

Blancpain’s Villeret collection channels the haute horlogerie roots of the world’s oldest watchmaking brand and continues to innovate with an array of grand and practical complications. We explore the collection’s origins, as well as its historical and modern highlights, in this feature from the WatchTime archives. The author Thomas Wolfe is often credited with coining...

Read the article

Jan 13, 2022 by Mark Bernardo

Highlights from WatchTime’s January-February 2022 Issue, On Sale Now

The January-February 2022 issue of WatchTime is available at retailers now. Among the highlights of the issue are our cover story, a hands-on review of the new Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph in titanium; a comprehensive history of the dive watch and how it has evolved with the times; and in-depth tests of new models,...

Read the article

Jan 11, 2022 by WatchTime

2021, The Watch Year in Review: Seven Dynamic Dive Watches

By almost any standard, the luxury watch world enjoyed a successful year in 2021 despite the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and its worldwide economic consequences — with high-profile retailers reopening and expanding, new auction records set, some large-scale industry events (like our own WatchTime New York) returning, and of course, a host of...

Read the article

Dec 27, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Ready for a Week and More: Blancpain Launches the Updated Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon 8 Jours

Blancpain’s famed Fifty Fathoms collection is known today as one of the brand’s most utilitarian design families. However, in addition to the collection’s practical, dive-focused wearability, it’s also become a series known for its sense of refined luxury. At this past fall’s WatchTime New York event, for example, the brand showcased one of its more...

Read the article

Dec 22, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Small Seconds’ Big Moment: Five Watches with Independent Seconds Displays

A watch’s seconds hand is most often staged in the center, playing third wheel to the hours and minutes. Here are a handful of watches in which the seconds display is decentralized and allowed to shine on its own. IWC PORTUGIESER AUTOMATIC Dating back to 1939 and a special timepiece produced specially for Portuguese clients,...

Read the article

Dec 6, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Strength in Numbers: Five Watches with Big Date Displays

Some watch connoisseurs find date displays of any kind on a watch dial distracting, unnecessary, and disruptive to a harmonious design. Others not only appreciate them, but also want them to be as legible and prominent as possible. For the latter group, we’ve assembled this list.

Read the article

Nov 29, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Whirlwind Romance: The 220-Year History of the Tourbillon

From its utilitarian roots in the 19th century, the tourbillon has evolved in the modern era to become the ultimate expression of watchmakers’ technical prowess and avant-garde creativity. We trace its fascinating two-century-plus evolution in this feature from the WatchTime archives. Throughout the centuries-long history of timekeeping, mechanisms originally developed for entirely practical purposes have...

Read the article

Nov 28, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Black Friday Special: 26 Ladies’ Watches for the Holidays

Women today have more options than ever when it comes to choosing their favorite watch. These new models designed for women have a sparkle and appeal all their own and are a perfect holiday gift. BELL & ROSSThe new Bell & Ross BR 05 Diamonds brings a shimmering look to the modern architectural lines of...

Read the article

Nov 26, 2021 by Dara Hinshaw

Blancpain Air Command Titanium Brings the Vintage-Styled Pilot’s Watch to the Regular Collection

Blancpain introduced the Air Command Flyback Chronograph, a well-received and somewhat unexpected revival of a rare, collectible pilots’ chronograph developed for the United States Air Force, in 2019 as a limited edition in steel. This year, following in the footsteps of its more well-known military-produced timepiece, the Fifty Fathoms divers’ watch, Blancpain brings the Air...

Read the article

Nov 9, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Mission Timers: Five Modern Watches with MIL-SPEC Origins

Like Jeeps, GPS, and the Internet, some of today’s popular wristwatch models started out as military projects. Here are five modern timepieces whose ancestors were made-to-order for soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Read the article

Nov 5, 2021 by Mark Bernardo
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 10
  • 11
  • »
Current Issue
Sponsored
Follow us
WatchTime on Facebook
Blogroll
  • A Timely Perspective
  • WatchTime Germany
  • WatchTime India
  • WatchTime Mexico
  • WatchTime Middle East
  • Dive into Watches
Recent Posts
  • Green Rambles: The Power Of Goodbye August 15, 2022
  • Flying High: Five Watches with Altimeters August 15, 2022
  • Union Glashütte Releases the 1893 Johannes Dürrstein Power Reserve August 15, 2022
Recent Comments
  • Gerry Dimatos on Silent Accord: Reviewing the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver SBGA229
  • John Gilbert on Progress Through Technology: 10 Tourbillon Watches with High-Tech Designs
  • Daniel Theodore Berkley on Streamlined: Bell & Ross Releases the BR 05 Artline, Inspired by 1930s Design
Return to top
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Terms and Conditions
Shipping and Return Policy
Free Newsletter
About WatchTime
Current Issue
Contact us
Advertise
Press Releases
Subscribe

© 2022 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.

Return to top
Return to top

© 2022 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.