Produced by Panoteck in conjunction with Blancpain, this fantastic little film shows a surprisingly broad glimpse into the movers and doers behind the scenes of high level watchmaking, as well as the incredible work they do. Viewing this, I found myself enjoying a moment of almost meditational serenity, and gaining an even deeper appreciation of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe on my wrist, a watch I already cherish greatly. Among the many things you’ll enjoy in the video include the microscopic levels of finishing details and adjustments of tourbillons, minute repeaters and other grandes complications, the traditional finishing methods of Blancpain craftsmen and women (carried out with traditional tools, steady hands, and a perfectionistic eye), painstaking traditional arts such as miniature enamel painting on dials, vintage watch restoration, movement decoration at a truly high level, and meticulous casing and assembling as well as testing of complete watches
Manufacturers such as Blancpain are the elite of the watchmaking craft, and produce an extremely small output of watches that demand the best in traditional, artisanal skills–the sort that demand a tremendous amount of time to cultivate, and are ever a threatened species in terms of future generations taking their respective place at the bench. I find learning about pieces such as these really reignites my fire for the fascination that watches have long held in my heart. I guess it comes down to this, for me: even though high horology may seem obsolete in a world of mobile phones and modern tech, traditional watchmaking is really all about the people, the art, and the humanity behind it all. Horologically happy? Oh yes! 🙂
(All courtesy to Panoteck and Blancpain, who produced this wonderful video for our collective enjoyment. Thank you!)