LITTLE MOVEMENTS THAT GO A LONG WAY

Often, when jewellery or smaller-cased watches are discussed, the conversation turns to mechanical or quartz movements. Purists will highlight Calibre 101 of Jaeger-LeCoultre (and more recently Bvlgari) as demonstrations that tiny mechanical movements are feasible. But the first to really commercialise this idea was Blancpain. In the early 20th century, Blancpain created shaped calibres meant for women’s timepieces. Their popularity enabled then-CEO Betty Fiechter to grow its business by selling partially cased movements to various markets to be completed into gem-set timepieces. One of the most renowned examples would be Marilyn Monroe’s cocktail watch by Blancpain, which had hand-engraved details and diamonds set into the case and bracelet links. The shaped movements would become a platform for innovation as wristwatches grew in popularity. By 1930, Blancpain created a self-winding rectangular…