Blancpain unveiled a legendary 1930s jewellery watch that belonged to Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe on October 30 at its emblematic boutique on New York’s Fifth Avenue
The display of Monroe’s stunning cocktail watch is part of an exhibition titled “Timeless Elegance” that features personal belongings and a curated selection of photographs of the beloved American actress. Noted photographer Lawrence Schiller, who regularly collaborated with Monroe, attended the inauguration of the exhibition, which was open to the public from October 31 through November 23, 2019.
Blancpain has chosen Marilyn Monroe’s cocktail watch to showcase its expertise and pioneering spirit in the world of feminine watchmaking. The Art Deco-inspired 1930s model, purchased by Blancpain at an auction, is displayed alongside several historic personal items that reveal the extraordinary existence and complex personality of the actress, including dresses, books, a director’s chair, a Screen Actors Guild membership card, stationery, and receipts from her New York experience. Additionally, there are also many of her portraits featured, including several signed by Lawrence Schiller, who graced the inauguration. These intimate objects are presented in a refined atmosphere, through a retrospective of Blancpain’s women’s timepieces both past and present.
Revealed for the very first time to the public, the Blancpain watch may have been a gift to Marilyn Monroe from her third husband, author Arthur Miller. Crafted in platinum and paved with 71 round-cut diamonds and two marquise-cut diamonds, it bears the “Blancpain” insignia on its white rectangular dial with yellow hour-markers and blue hands, as well as the mention “Rayville Watch Co. 17 Jewels” on its tiny mechanical FHF 59 movement. The slender geometry and structured setting of this precious watch embody a perfect balance between avantgarde style and elegance. The watch has an inimitable manner combining charm, ingenuity, and a unique temperament. Like Marilyn Monroe herself, the timepiece is iconic with a timeless aura.
Blancpain’s epic saga of feminine watches was written by Betty Fiechter, an equally extraordinary woman who made history, much like Marilyn Monroe. As the first woman to head a watchmaking company in 1933, her intelligence and visionary spirit paved the way for jewellery watches at Blancpain and resulted in the brand’s international reputation. Fiechter’s career trajectory was similar to Monroe’s, who became the second American woman to run her own production company.
