Overview
In 1981, Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet purchased Blancpain and paved the way for a revival that re-established the brand as a powerhouse in traditional Swiss watch-making. In response to the Quartz Crisis, Biver and Piguet famously centered their efforts around the slogan: "Since 1735 there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. And there never will be.” Much of the 11 years of their leadership was spent developing the company’s “six masterpieces”, a collection of watches that focused on discrete sizes and high complications. The move proved to be a massive success, and in 1992 Blancpain was sold to the SMH Group for nearly 3,000 times what the two had originally paid.
Shortly after the sale, Blancpain’s new leadership crafted the next evolution of its traditional watch-making with the sportier and slightly larger Léman line in 1994, as well as several limited production series in the late 1990s that sat somewhere in the middle. The headliner of that group was none other than the infamous 7002. These were 36mm ultra thin watches, primarily encased in stainless steel, with a variety of dials, and specially fitted with the company’s only C.O.S.C certified movement at the time. Much has been written by Walt Odet and others about the finishing and quality of the hand-wound caliber 64-1, which is based on the Peseux 7001.
It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 pieces of this Blancpain model were ever created. Time-only examples in black and white with Breguet-style Roman numerals seem to be the most sought after, and the market is just catching up to just how special these watches are. With a seamless blending of dress and sport, the 7002 in all its variations represents an incredible value proposition and is the perfect entry into neo-vintage Blancpain where movement quality and attention to detail were very much the center of their offerings.
Specifications
Brand:
Blancpain
Model:
Ultra-Thin Chronometer
Reference:
7002-1127-55
Year:
1990s
Case Number:
No. 873
Case Material:
Stainless steel
Diameter:
36 mm
Lug Width:
19 mm
Thickness:
7.0 mm
Lug-to-Lug:
40.8 mm
Dial:
White
Lume:
Tritium
Crystal:
Sapphire
Movement:
Hand-wound
Caliber:
Blancpain 64-1
Bracelet/Strap:
Molequin terracotta saffiano strap with Blancpain signed tang buckle
Max Wrist Size:
Hand model has a wrist size of 6.2 in
Condition
Case: The stainless steel case shows hardly any wear with only minor hairlines present. The overall impression is very clean. The lugs are thick and well-defined. The caseback is in fantastic condition with only a few faint marks. The backs of the lugs show signs of prior strap removal. The "steel", brand, and serial number engravings are sharp and legible.
Dial, Hands, & Crystal: The white dial is in pristine condition with no notable imperfections. The hands show micro signs of aging under a loupe, but remain clean overall. They are original tritium-filled units and match the hour markers. Both glow briefly glow when exposed to UV light. The front and rear sapphire crystals show micro wear to their AR coating under a loupe, but remain clear overall with no impact to visibility.
Bracelet/Strap: Both the Molequin saffiano strap and the unbranded alligator strap are in fantastic condition with virtually no signs of wear. The condition of the Blancpain signed buckle is consistent with the rest of the case. The brand engraving is crisp and detailed.
Performance
Functions: All functions including the crown winding and time setting are working as expected.
