Blancpain SA (French pronunciation: [blɑ̃pɛ̃]) is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, headquartered in Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland.

[2][3] He founded the Blancpain brand, setting up his first workshop on the upper floor of his house at Villeret, in the present-day Bernese Jura.

By replacing the crown-wheel mechanism with a cylinder escapement, Frédéric-Louis introduced a major innovation into the watchmaking world.

[citation needed] In the second half of the 19th century, as industrialization took hold, the prices of watchmaking products were falling and many workshops were fated to close down.

To face up to American competition, in 1865 Blancpain built a two-storey factory by the River Suze and made use of water power to supply the electricity needed for its production processes.

[citation needed] In 1926, the Manufacture entered into a partnership with John Harwood and started marketing the first automatic wristwatch.

The following year, the two members of the staff who had been closest to Frédéric-Emile, Betty Fiechter and André Léal, bought the business.

As there was no longer any member of the Blancpain family in control of the firm, the two associates were obliged by law as it stood at the time to change the company name.

[2] To make it possible to meet the continually growing demand, the firm became part of the SSIH, joining such brands as Omega SA, Tissot and Lemania.

[3] The company set up production at Le Brassus, in the Joux Valley, and from then on traded under the name of Blancpain SA.