1990s Blancpain Villeret Moonphase Tiffany & Co 18ct Gold
Ref: 6595-1418
Specification
Lugs :Â 19mm
Condition : Pre-OwnedÂ
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original Blancpain box or paperwork. It is paired with its sculpted 19mm Blancpain 18ct Yellow Gold Gay Frères bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp, which will fit up to a 7-inch wrist, plus a worn Blancpain 19mm leather strap and 18ct yellow gold Blancpain pin buckle. The watch is from the Circa 1990s and is sold in worn condition, but overall, it is in very fair condition; as you can see from the photos, the hallmarks are still strong and visible. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gIn0dNovqbbEpFsdQZso-X_QAXQnHX0u?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 17:38 - https://youtu.be/H0qu8YovsI0
The Watch
Here we have a beautiful 1990s Blancpain Villeret Moonphase Tiffany & Co 18ct Gold 34mm round case that sits comfortably on your wrist with soft, rounded drilled lugs. The Villeret collection was named after Blancpain's birthplace and incorporated elements from their long and illustrious history, and this desirable timepiece was retailed by Tiffany & Co. A lug-to-lug length of 37mm and a case thickness of just 8mm makes for a perfect under-the-cuff fit. On the right side, we have the recessed pusher to adjust the month, a domed coin-edged crown and a recessed pusher for the date; on the left side, you will find the recessed pushers for the day and moonphase. An attractive stepped bezel holds a sapphire crystal above a dynamic white sector-style dial, raised gold Roman numerals to mark the hours and glint in the light as you rotate your wrist, a date chapter ring has a practical crescent indicator hand; at 12 o’clock, we have the day and month framed windows; at 6 o’clock, a moonphase in the dark blue and gold moon and stars with the lunar cycle printed above, Blancpain motif “Automatic” printed underneath and signed Tiffany & Co motif printed under the moonphase, elegant leaf hands complete this stunning triple date moonphase double signed timepiece. On the reverse, an 18ct yellow gold snap-off case back with the details of the watch engraved and the Swiss hallmarks inside a high-quality automatic Blancpain Cal. 95, 19 jewels movement. It is paired with its sculpted 19mm Blancpain 18ct Yellow Gold Gay Frères bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp, which will fit up to a 7-inch wrist, plus a Blancpain 19mm leather strap and 18ct yellow gold pin buckle.
Personal Note
It is far from every day that a full gold, triple calendar, moonphase Blancpain comes across your desk, then add the fact it has its rare and beautifully crafted Gay Frères bracelet too. But we don't stop there, as you look closer you'll see the ever alluring words "Tiffany & Co" signed at 6o'clock! I have only seen these examples in two-tone and never in full gold, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a truly rare example. I would not hesitate to book an appointment and come see this gem in person, but be warned, you will likely walk out with it on your wrist!
The Brand
Jehan-Jacques Blancpain founded his watch business in 1735, utilising the upper floor of his farmhouse as a workshop in Villeret, Switzerland. His son, David-Louis Blancpain (1765-1816), was committed to growing his father's business by often travelling through Europe, particularly to France and Germany, selling and delivering Blancpain watches. Frédéric-Louis handed the company to his son, Frédéric-Emile, when he was just 19 years old due to his bad health. The company became known as 'E. Blancpain’. Emile achieved remarkable success, building the business into the largest and most effective enterprise in Villeret. Frédéric-Emile, the grandson, continued heading the company until 1932. During his later years, he was joined in 1915 by Betty Fiechter, who assisted him in running the business. She joined the company as an apprentice when she was just 16, and quickly, her responsibilities at Blancpain grew to become head of manufacturing and commercial development. Frédéric-Emile was so confident in her skills and talent that he started training her to take on responsibility for production and become the director of the company, which was an incredible achievement for a woman during that time period. In 1926, the company entered into a partnership with John Harwood, a British watchmaker who had produced the first self-winding wristwatch, obtaining a Swiss patent in 1924. With Betty Fiechter as the director, Blancpain had to survive the Great Depression of the 1930s. One such way was to open their movement supply to other brands. In this period, Blancpain became a supplier of Gruen, Elgin and Hamilton, among many others. She was joined in 1950 by her nephew Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who had a key role in the development of the Fifty Fathoms, the world’s first modern diving watch, which debuted in 1953. Collaborating with the French combat divers, Jean-Jacques promoted its widespread adoption by many navies around the world, and it was also used by the famous explorer Jacques Cousteau and his team. In 1961, the company merged into the largest Swiss watch group, the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère (SSIH), where they joined Omega, Tissot and Lemania. Inside this Group, they saw huge growth, even building new facilities and production soaring to more than 220,000 pieces by 1971. This growth was not to last, as a combination of events hit at once. First, we saw the fall of the dollar against the Swiss franc, which reduced their transatlantic exports. Second, a serious oil crisis triggered a worldwide recession. To top it all off, the entire Swiss watchmaking industry was severely hit by the huge growth in imports of quartz watches from Japan, referred to as "the quartz crisis.” The Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) seriously needed a new strategy, so it decided to build its own quartz watches rather than mechanical ones. In 1993, it sold the Rayville-Blancpain name to Frédéric Piguet, a partnership between Jacques Piguet and Jean-Claude Biver, who was then an employee of SSIH. The new company traded under the name of Blancpain SA and set up production in an old building belonging to the Piguet family at Le Brassus, in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. In 1991, Blancpain presented the most complicated wristwatch in the world at the time: the 1735 Grande Complication. This incredible timepiece featured a one-minute tourbillon regulator, a perpetual calendar with moon phases and moon age, a co-axial split-seconds chronograph and a minute repeater activated by the slide on the band. A watchmaker master worked over ten months on the Blancpain 1735 Grande Complication, which had a production run of just 30 pieces from 1991 to 2009. In 1992, the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) bought Blancpain SA back for 60 million Swiss Francs (more than 1000 times the amount paid for the brand in 1983). During this time, SSIH and ASUAG—the two largest Swiss watch groups—merged into the Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking Industries Ltd. (SMH). SMH was later renamed The Swatch Group in 1998. Jean-Claude Biver remained CEO of the company until 2003.