This coverage revisits Blancpain's "Six Masterpieces," a series of watches launched in the 1980s and early 1990s that aimed to re-establish the prestige of traditional mechanical watchmaking following the quartz crisis. The series highlights Blancpain's commitment to complex horology, culminating in the 1735 Grand Complication.
The "Six Masterpieces" series began with a complete calendar with moonphase and a thin hand-wound Villeret, progressing through an automatic perpetual calendar, minute repeater, automatic chronograph, and split-seconds chronograph, before the flying tourbillon
The Blancpain 1735 Grand Complication, released in 1991, integrated the complications from the Six Masterpieces: perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, minute repeater, and tourbillon.
The initiative was led by Jacques Piguet and Jean-Claude Biver, aiming to showcase the highest level of traditional mechanical watchmaking rather than competing on accuracy or price.
Key figures involved in this period included Jacques Piguet, Jean-Claude Biver, Edmond Capt, and the technical expertise of Frédéric Piguet.
These watches are considered significant creations of the neo-vintage era and offer compelling value for collectors.