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Blancpain

The oldest registered watch brand in the world, founded in Villeret in 1735 - and the house that wrote the rules for the modern dive watch with the Fifty Fathoms in 1953. Haute Time covers Fifty Fathoms, Villeret and Air Command.
169Stories published
1735Maison founded
5Current collections
Blancpain Grande Sonnerie skeleton in white gold

Blancpain is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in Villeret in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, making it the oldest registered watch brand in the world. It is headquartered at Le Brassus and Paudex and owned by the Swatch Group. Its principal collections are the Fifty Fathoms, Villeret, Le Brassus, Air Command and Ladybird. The Fifty Fathoms of 1953 established the template for the modern dive watch - rotating locking bezel, high water resistance, luminous markers and antimagnetic protection - and Blancpain has never made a quartz watch.

BlancpainFounded 1735Le BrassusSwatch GroupFifty FathomsVilleretDive WatchLadybird

The Collection

Fifty Fathoms
Dive · 42-45mm
Cal. 1315 / 1315MC
Bathyscaphe
Dive · 38-43mm
Cal. 1150 / 1315
Villeret
Classical · 38-40mm
Cal. 1151 / 6763
Air Command
Flyback chronograph · 42mm
Cal. F388B
Ladybird
Ladies · 21-34mm
Cal. 1150 / 913QL

Latest Blancpain Coverage

All 169 Stories ›
Hands On: Blancpain Debuts the 38mm Villeret Ultraplate, and Reveals Plans for an Unforgettable Summer and Fall 2026  
News

Hands On: Blancpain Debuts the 38mm Villeret Ultraplate, and Reveals Plans for an Unforgettable Summer and Fall 2026  

By Andre Frois · July 31, 2026
The Best Chinese New Year–Themed Watches of 2026 (Part 2)
News

The Best Chinese New Year–Themed Watches of 2026 (Part 2)

By Andre Frois · February 11, 2026
Hear the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie (Video Inside) and Revisit 2025’s Best Chiming Watches
News

Hear the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie (Video Inside) and Revisit 2025’s Best Chiming Watches

By Andre Frois · November 28, 2025
Up Close: Blancpain Introduces 16 New Villeret Golden Hour References
News

Up Close: Blancpain Introduces 16 New Villeret Golden Hour References

By Andre Frois · October 20, 2025
Blancpain’s New Air Command Is A Beauty In Blue
News

Blancpain’s New Air Command Is A Beauty In Blue

By Martin Green · November 9, 2021
Blancpain Dives Deeper With New Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe In Titanium
News

Blancpain Dives Deeper With New Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe In Titanium

By Martin Green · November 4, 2021
All 169 Blancpain Stories

Milestones

1735
Jehan-Jacques Blancpain registers his workshop in Villeret - the first entry of a watchmaking brand in the record.
1953
The Fifty Fathoms defines the modern dive watch and is adopted by combat swimmers.
1956
The Ladybird carries the smallest round movement in the world at the time.
1983
Blancpain relaunches with a commitment to mechanical watchmaking only - no quartz, ever.

Timely FAQs

Is Blancpain really the oldest watch brand?
It is the oldest registered one. Jehan-Jacques Blancpain's workshop appears in the Villeret records in 1735, which is the earliest documented registration of a watchmaking business that still trades under the same name.
Why does the Fifty Fathoms matter?
Because it set the specification. Released in 1953 for military combat divers, it combined a locking rotating bezel, serious water resistance, high-contrast luminous markers and antimagnetic shielding - the feature set every dive watch since has copied.
Has Blancpain ever made a quartz watch?
No. When the brand was relaunched in 1983 it committed publicly to mechanical movements only, and it has kept to that through the entire quartz era.
Where can I read Blancpain reviews from a watch publication?
Haute Time has published around 80 Blancpain stories, covering Fifty Fathoms anniversaries, Villeret complications and the brand's ocean conservation work.
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