The watchmaking world has always been male-dominated, but Swiss watchmaker Blancpain has proven to be the one historic exception. Before Frédéric-Emile Blancpain died in 1932, he left the company to his long-term assistant, Betty Fiechter - making her the first female CEO of a leading watchmaking company.
Fiechter wasn't one to rest on her laurels. She would go on to create icons like the Fifty Fathoms (one of the first modern divers watches) and a mechanical watch for women that had one of the smallest round movements of the time: The Ladybird.
Like Fiechter, Blancpain was convinced that fine watchmaking shouldn't be an old boys club, and that women, too, were worthy of unique horological pieces. Today, Blancpain carries on Fiechter's legacy with seven new variations on the classic Ladybird watch.
The Ladybird Colors is a true jewellery watch; the first thing you'll notice is the crown set with 59 diamonds totalling over 2 carats. A white mother-of-pearl dial sets the stage, while an asymmetric hour circle - with its slightly rounded gold Arabic numerals - lends a bit of unexpected edge to the watch's sophisticated veneer.
The hours and minutes hands are shaped like hollowed-out sage leaves, a signature Blancpain motif and a delightful little detail. The watch comes in two different case colours - red gold and white gold - and a range of vibrant alligator leather straps.
The Ladybird Colors isn't just all style and no substance, either. Each watch comes equipped with Blancpain's in-house Calibre 1150, a movement renowned for its slenderness and its very generous four-day power reserve. It's finished off with chamfered, satin-brushed bridges and the iconic Côtes de Genève motif - the elegant wave-like pattern that's the hallmark of so many fine Swiss watches.
To offer the clearest possible view of these details, Blancpain has created a open-worked oscillating weight in gold, one that echoes the watch face's circular patterns. Each wristband is fitted with either a gold pin buckle, or a folding, diamond-set clasp.
Fiechter was remembered as a "dominant figure in terms of temperament and physical stature" - but she was also loved for her humbleness and gentle manner. It is that duality, that sense of both audacity and refinement, that Blancpain pays homage to in the Ladybird Colors collection.
