Blanchet (watch)
Encyclopedia
Blanchet is an historic watch brand stated in Switzerland in 1819 by Jean Blanchet. The current owner of Blanchet is the D Group, that in 2010 relaunched the brand.
was a swiss watchmaker who grew up in France (Lyon) where his father Pierre Blanchet owned a small watch dial factory. Since youth, Jean Blanchet was fascinated by the French and Swiss watches tradition. He launch his own watch manufacturing in 1789. From the first steps his company had a cross-border success all over the old continent.
In 1828 Jean Blanchet married Laura Wilson, the daughter of an English ambassador. One year later she gave birth to their son Yves Blanchet.
In the age of 20 he decided to go to the Royal School of watchmaking (Ecole Royale de l'Horlogerie de Cluses
).
Yves took over the company in 1852, when Jean died during an accident. Four years later he moved close to the Lake of Geneva, in Coppet, to perfection his watchmaking technique and start his own business "Manufacture d'Horologerie Blanchet & Cie".
Jean Blanchet owned some vineyards in Hight Savoye (Haute Savoie) near Geneva
.
He usually used to say "...designing and create a watch is similar to cultivate a vineyard..."
Napoleon III commissioned some models as present for French Army officers.
British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone
showed his Blanchet timepiece to Camillo Benso, count of Cavour, the leading figure in the movement toward Italian unification.
History
Jean BlanchetJean Blanchet (watchmaker)
Jean Blanchet was a Swiss watchmaker who grew up at Lyon in France where his father Pierre Blanchet owned a small watch dial factory.Since youth, Jean Blanchet was fascinated by the French and Swiss watch tradition. He launched his own watch manufacturing in 1789. From the first steps his company...
was a swiss watchmaker who grew up in France (Lyon) where his father Pierre Blanchet owned a small watch dial factory. Since youth, Jean Blanchet was fascinated by the French and Swiss watches tradition. He launch his own watch manufacturing in 1789. From the first steps his company had a cross-border success all over the old continent.
In 1828 Jean Blanchet married Laura Wilson, the daughter of an English ambassador. One year later she gave birth to their son Yves Blanchet.
In the age of 20 he decided to go to the Royal School of watchmaking (Ecole Royale de l'Horlogerie de Cluses
Cluses
Cluses is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Citizens are known as Clusiens. The commune is situated in the Arve Valley, on the river which bears the same name...
).
Yves took over the company in 1852, when Jean died during an accident. Four years later he moved close to the Lake of Geneva, in Coppet, to perfection his watchmaking technique and start his own business "Manufacture d'Horologerie Blanchet & Cie".
Jean Blanchet owned some vineyards in Hight Savoye (Haute Savoie) near Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
He usually used to say "...designing and create a watch is similar to cultivate a vineyard..."
Famous Blanchet owners
Among the admirers of Blanchet watches there were some important historical figures.Napoleon III commissioned some models as present for French Army officers.
British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
showed his Blanchet timepiece to Camillo Benso, count of Cavour, the leading figure in the movement toward Italian unification.