If you’ve never heard of Bianchet, you’re not alone. Their website appears to be a few pages deep — with no About page — and there does not even appear to be an active Instagram account.

We found this description on their Facebook page, ” Bianchet creates contemporary fine timepieces, entirely crafted and hand-finished in Switzerland.” Beyond that, there’s very little information on the company, which is often the case when a startup enters the entrenched watch market, saturated with brands with histories dating back as far as the 18th century. Perhaps they are still getting up and running, or maybe they realize to compete — making exaggerated claims about historic relevance or innovations are not effective strategies.

Either way, Bianchet created a timepiece housed in a tonneau-shaped case, a la Richard Mille, that measures 43 mm x 13 mm (50 mm lug-to-lug). It’s far cheaper than anything from Richard Mille, and has a tourbillon to boot.

Much like Zenith and other brands are producing watches that fall under the price points of the leaders, such as with the Zenith Chronomaster, which is similar to a Rolex Daytona, but that undercuts it in price. I’d wager that part of the strategy is to offer a Richard Mille look (not a knockoff), that appeals to those that like the aesthetic — but at a more accessible price point, and actually available to purchase. Richard Mille and Rolex sports models are not typically available to new customers to just walk in and purchase.

The Bianchet Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork in Carbon or Titanium retails for approximately $45,000.

 

Photos by Bianchet.