Jean Blanchet was a Swiss
watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their par ...
who grew up at
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
s in France where his father Pierre Blanchet owned a small watch dial factory.
Life and career
Since his youth, Jean Blanchet was fascinated by the French and Swiss watch tradition. He launched his own watch manufacturing firm in 1789. From the beginning, his company was successful throughout Europe. He eventually created his own eponymous line of Swiss watches,
Blanchet.
In 1828 Jean Blanchet married Laura Wilson, the daughter of an English ambassador. One year later she gave birth to their son Yves Blanchet. In the age of 20 Yves decided to go to the Royal School of Watchmaking (École Royale de l'Horlogerie de Cluses).
Yves took over the company in 1852, when Jean died during an accident. Four years later he moved close to the
Lake of Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
, in
Coppet
Coppet is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.
History
Coppet is first mentioned in 1294 as ''Copetum''. In 1347 it was mentioned as ''Copet''.
Geography
Coppet has an area (), of . Of this area, o ...
, to perfect his watchmaking technique and start his own business " Manufacture d'Horologerie Blanchet & Cie".
External links
Blanchet Watches website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanchet, Jean
Swiss expatriates in France
Swiss watchmakers (people)
1852 deaths
Accidental deaths in Switzerland