![]() Bulova perfects a new concept in the watch industry with total standardization of parts. In 1923 the name Bulova Watch Company, Inc. Bulova sets up its first plant in 1912 dedicated to the production of watch components and their assembly into jeweled movements in Bienne, Switzerland.ĭuring World War I, the convenience of wristwatches (as opposed to pocket watches) is discovered and Bulova introduces the first full line of men's jeweled wristwatches. These pieces are sold in unprecedented numbers. By 1911 Bulova begins manufacturing and selling boudoir and table clocks as well as fine pocket watches. In 1875 Joseph Bulova, a 23-year-old Czech immigrant, opens a small jewelry shop on Maiden Lane in New York City. It is also a fitting tribute to the company's founder, and an equally appropriate symbol of the company's ongoing mission - to create the very finest timepieces for discriminating collectors. ![]() The "1735" is an automatic chronograph with split-second chronograph, tourbillon, perpetual calendar with phases of the moon, and minute repeater - a masterpiece that took more than six years to design and build. 1106, a manual wind wristwatch with 100 hour winding reserve the Fifty Fathoms, a contemporary version of the company's classic diving watch an 18K "Half Hunter" wristwatch featuring a hinged sapphire crystal back and the "1735" which combines the six complications offered by the company into one watch. Among the company's most recognizable products are Ref. These are not "trendy" watches, but rather, classical in their styling and timeless in their elegance. Since the company's rebirth, only mechanical watches, in round watchcases, are produced. Where the company distinguishes itself the most, however, is in its adamant devotion to the mechanical wristwatch. Since Piguet and Blancpain share the same building, it might be said that a Blancpain watch features an in-house movement. As for the movements, they are designed and crafted completely in-house, and based exclusively on high-quality ebauches that are provided by their sister company, Frederic Piguet. Boxes, straps and buckles are of the highest possible quality, in keeping with the company's strict emphasis on quality. Needless to say, each watch is individually numbered and recorded in the company's archives. Production is extremely limited, with fewer than 10,000 watches per year being produced. In keeping with tradition, watchmakers employed by Blancpain do not work in assembly line fashion rather, each watchmaker will personally build "their" watch from beginning to end. Graduates from the finest Swiss watchmaking schools are recruited into the ranks of the House following their apprenticeship to a Master Watchmaker. Today, the Blancpain workshop and headquarters retains the charm of a tranquil farmhouse, yet within this unassuming factory are created some of the world's most complicated, desired and expensive watches. Biver's strategy was elegantly simple: a return to the production of classic mechanical watches in limited numbers, and an emphasis on creating innovative, and oftentimes highly complicated timepieces.īiver's strategy was a success. It was only thanks to the intervention of Jean-Claude Biver, an Omega executive with a love of fine timepieces, that the company was reborn in 1983 and put on the path to recovery. And there never will be." This bold statement, however, is more than just a slogan it is a guiding principle of this unique company…a sincere dedication to excellence, which has earned Blancpain numerous accolades over the years.Īlthough successive generations of the Blancpain family were able to transform what had been a tiny manufacturer into one of the most respected watch companies in the world - witness the company's famous "Fifty Fathoms" model, circa 1953, which featured prominently in Jacques Cousteau's award-winning film, The World of Silence - the influx of inexpensive quartz watches from Japan and China during the early 1970's nearly doomed the company to extinction. Naturally we strive for accuracy and invite you to contact us for any comment you wish to make.Ĭlick a logo below to move to the specific watch history:įounded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, this House boasts a famous and oft-repeated slogan: "Since 1735, there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. For your enjoyment and reference, we have compiled the history of some of the fine watchmakers of our time.
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