Pre-owned Blancpain Watches

Buy Blancpain's Pre-Owned Watches

The oldest name in horology in operation today, Blancpain has a great history of manufacturing some of the best watches ever made. Responsible for early innovations in manufacturing, bringing the first commercial dive watch to the market, and largely responsible for bringing complicated mechanical watchmaking into the mind of modern collectors, Blancpain has many feats to bolster the brand.
With such a storied history, Blancpain has a deep back catalog of historic and contemporary models on the pre-owned market. The market of used Blancpain watches for sale includes everything from original Fifty-Fathoms models to contemporary grand complications. Some special editions and popular models command high prices, while others are enthusiast-oriented and value-packed.
An original Fifty-Fathoms from the 1950s is now a highly sought-after collectors item. Recently, there have been special limited editions that are referential to those models, and those have become sought after as well. However, if you are searching for complications, models from the Villeret and LeMans collection have perpetual calendars, flyback chronographs, and even minute repeaters, and can be had for a relative bargain compared to comparable models from other brands.
No matter which pre-owned Blancpain you are searching for, the watches are undoubtedly high quality. By working with a reputable used Blancpain dealer like Exquisite Timepieces, you can ensure that you are finding the best second hand Blancpain watch within your budget and guaranteed to be authentic.

Why You Should Buy Pre-Owned Blancpain Watches

When buying any pre-owned watch, buying pre-owned has a number of benefits. When it comes to used Blancpain watches, many pre-owned models sell for well below their original retail price. For the consumer, this is great, as it allows buyers to find their dream second-hand Blancpain watch at a more affordable price.
For models that have developed a more dedicated following, they have settled into their pricing. While some models are more popular than others, used Mens Blancpain watches have never been as susceptible to large market swings. While some models are selling for over their original retail price, they have largely settled into a steady price range, meaning that should you decide to pursue one of these watches, you will likely be paying fair market value.
There are also a number of women's Blancpain watches and traditionally sized pre-owned Men's Blancpain watches with complications that offer a large amount of horological value for those who prefer a smaller-sized watch.

Best Place to Buy Used Blancpain Watches

With years of experience selling both new and used Blancpain watches, Exquisite Timepieces is a great place to buy a used Blancpain watch. As a used Blancpain dealer, pieces purchased from Exquisite Timepieces are authenticated and presented in working order.
Should a problem arise with your second-hand Blancpain watch, Exquisite Timepieces is able to assist in any servicing needs, either in-house or by facilitating sending the watch back to Blancpain to complete any required servicing. You can be assured that Exquisite Timepieces will do everything they can to make your pre-owned Blancpain watch buying experience as pleasant as possible.
Outside of dedicated used Blancpain dealers, there are other platforms available to find used Blancpain for sale. There are platforms that allow collectors to post their watches for sales, along with forums and enthusiast communities online. These platforms are more dedicated to peer-to-peer sales. While they may offer better deals or direct trades for watches, there is often no ability for recourse should something go wrong. These platforms can often be positive environments for collectors, but there are no guarantees.

How Much is a Used Blancpain Worth?

Used Blancpain watches can be had for as little as $3,000 for small, time-only dress watches in stainless steel. On the other end, highly complicated models can still sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Despite the broad range, many of these models have settled into consistent pricing on the secondary market, meaning it is easy to determine a fair price for many models. Used mens Blancpain watches are usually priced higher, while women's models often have a considerable discount when compared to new ones.
Most used Blancpain watches sell for between $10,000 and $50,000, depending on materials and complications. Desirable Fifty-Fathoms watches in steel will often be in the mid-$10,000, while complicated models in precious metals can be closer to $50,000 and more, depending on the complication. Value on the secondary market for pre-owned Blancpain mens watches is weighted heavily in favor of the complicated and precious metal models. Stainless steel Fifty-Fathoms are often where the attention of broader enthusiasm lies, meaning the greatest value compared to the original retail price is less. Outside of popular limited editions, there is still a considerable price difference between new and used standard Fifty-Fathoms models.

Blancpain Pre-Owned Prices & Values

Value of used Blancpain watches has been relatively steady. As it is a more enthusiast oriented brand, most purchases are done by knowledgeable dedicated collectors, who have a good understanding of what market values are.
WatchCharts is a website that can be used as a tool to reference recent sale prices of watches and to track the general trajectory of values of models and a brand as a whole. The website tracks completed sales on a number of platforms, providing a number of data points and a pretty good overview of what watches are trading for.
Referencing WatchCharts, the recent performance of Blancpain market values does not look great, but that is largely because, as of March 2024, watch values across the board have been falling. Zooming out to a 5-year window, the values of pre-owned Blancpain watches are about where they were in 2022.
From 2021 to 2022, there appears to be a more steady increase in values, and current market values are more in line with that trajectory. There is a clear focus on used men's Blancpain watches, indicating that there is not much movement of women's Blancpain watches on the secondary market.

Does Blancpain Hold Resale Value?

As seen by the table above, many Blancpain watches drop in price from their original retail price. Some models do appreciate in value, but many do not. This is largely because Blancpain does not have the mainstream popularity of other brands. Blancpain has made its name by dedicating itself to producing some of the best watches available and dedicating itself to enthusiastic collectors. While this may not resonate with a broad public audience, there are many dedicated collectors of Blancpain watches that often have many in their collections.
This discrepancy is why the limited Fifty-Fathoms sell for over retail and precious metal complicated watches do not. A 40mm stainless steel sports watch has a broader appeal than a complicated precious metal watch.
Even though there is often a large difference between new and used prices, most used Blancpain watches maintain their value once on the secondary market. While there are some advantages to buying new, if you are pursuing the most value for your dollar, buying pre-owned is definitely the way to go when it comes to a Blancpain timepiece.

About Blancpain

Blancpain was started by the brand namesake Jehan-Jaques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland. Starting in 1735, Blancpain is the oldest brand still in operation today. When Frederic-Louis Blancpain, Jehan's grandson, took over the company in 1815, he modernized production methods, increasing Blancpain's output and profitability.
Frederic-Louis Blancpain was responsible for replacing the crown-wheel mechanism with a cylinder escape, which proved to be a major development in watchmaking. In the 19th century, industrialization threatened many watch brands, but Blancpain managed to survive by modernizing its factory and focusing on high-end products, differentiating the brand from other watch manufactures.
In 1926, Blancpain partnered with John Harwood and started to market their first automatic wristwatch. Upon the death of Frederic-Emile Blancpain in 1932, the brand was purchased by employees Betty Fiechter and Andre Leal, renaming the brand to Rayville-Blancpain. In 1950, Betty's nephew joined the leadership, and they joined the SSIH, along with Omega, Tissot, and Lemania. This partnership was done to meet the ever-increasing demand for mechanical watches at the time.
During the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s, SSIH started to sell off brands due to dwindling demand for mechanical watches. In 1983, Jacques Piguet (son of Frederic Piguet) and Jean-Claude Biver purchased the brand. During this time, they created some of the smallest complicated watches, competing with other haute-horlogerie brands. SSIH repurchased Blancpain in 1992. The SSIH became the Swatch Group, and Nicolas Hayek took over the brand management role from Jean Claude-Biver. Blancpain continues to operate under the control of the Swatch Group to this day.