Small Watch, Big Legacy

In 1956, Blancpain introduced a petite women’s mechanical watch known as the Ladybird Bullet. Equipped with the world’s smallest round movement, the model stood out in the annals of Swiss watchmaking not only for its size, but also because it was produced under the auspices of Blancpain’s then-CEO, Betty Fiechter, the first woman to lead a Swiss watchmaking house.

Even in 2026, it’s unusual to find a woman at the helm of a Swiss watch brand. Seventy years ago, it was all but unimaginable.

In honor of Fiechter’s pioneering legacy, Blancpain has unveiled the Ladybird Lady B, a miniaturized mechanical watch that arrives just in time to celebrate the collection’s 70th anniversary. Powered by the in-house caliber 615, one of the smallest contemporary automatic mechanical movements, the watch is housed in a spherical case measuring 19 mm in diameter. Available in stainless steel ($12,600) or 18k red gold ($19,200), it comes on a double-tour calf leather strap in a choice of six colors—white, light beige, dark beige, burgundy, fuchsia purple, or classic blue.

Beyond its fashion-forward styling (the vogue for teeny tiny wristwatches continues unabated), the Ladybird Lady B highlights one of Blancpain’s most interesting chapters.

Founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in the Swiss village of Villeret, the brand remained in the hands of the Blancpain family until 1932. That’s when Frédéric-Emile Blancpain, the last seventh-generation member of the Blancpain family to oversee the company, died suddenly.

“When Frédéric-Emile died in 1932, his daughter did not want to be in the business,” Jeff Kingston, a collector, watchmaking expert and independent consultant to Blancpain, tells WorldTempus. “She was delighted that Betty Fiechter was interested in taking over.”

Fiechter and commercial director Andre Leal joined forces and secured loans from several lenders to acquire the company. In 1933, Fiechter became co-owner. Without a member of the founding family in charge, Swiss law dictated that the company could no longer operate under the name “Blancpain.” 

“They were forced to change their name to Rayville, a twist on Villeret,” Kingston says, adding that Fiechter’s involvement with the company during this period—and especially after Leal’s death on the eve of World War II—was nothing short of extraordinary. “Keep in mind, at this time in most cantons, women weren’t even allowed to vote. And here she was, a significant business owner.”

In 1950, Fiechter’s nephew, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, a PhD in history, joined her; together they ran Blancpain for the next two decades.  During their tenure, the brand introduced some of its most defining timepieces, including the Fifty Fathoms in 1953 and the Ladybird in 1956.

“Betty died in 1971,” Kingston says. “She worked essentially full-time until that time. She was so revered that they put up a statue of her in the village.”

Indeed, a bust of Fiechter, who is remembered for her elegance—and signature strand of natural pearls—is perched on a hillside overlooking the historic workshop in Villeret, a reminder of the risk-taking woman who championed women’s mechanical watches long before they became de rigueur.