Blancpain Ladybird Lady B: 70 Years of Watchmaking
In 2026, Blancpain celebrates 70 years of its Ladybird collection with a new watch that takes the original concept in an unexpected direction. The Ladybird Lady B, reference 0064 1142 B24, moves away from the traditional round wristwatch in favor of a compact, spherical case with an integrated strap. Beneath its simple appearance is an automatic mechanical movement, continuing a central idea behind the Ladybird collection since its introduction in 1956: fitting serious watchmaking into a very small package.
The original Ladybird was introduced under the leadership of Betty Fiechter, who became the first woman to lead a Swiss watchmaking house. Known as the Ladybird Bullet, the 1956 model was notable for its exceptionally small round mechanical movement. At a time when miniaturization presented significant technical challenges, Blancpain demonstrated that a small watch could still be mechanically sophisticated. The new Lady B revisits that ambition, but rather than recreating the original design, it reinterprets the idea through a completely different case shape.
The stainless steel case measures just 19 millimeters in diameter, with a rounded, almost spherical profile. Its proportions make it look more like a small sculptural object than a conventional wristwatch. The opaline dial is deliberately restrained, with gold hour markers, matching hour and minute hands, and a discreet Blancpain logo. There is no seconds hand or date display to interrupt the layout. The emphasis is on the shape of the case and the materials surrounding the dial, with polished surfaces catching the light as the watch moves on the wrist.
One of the most unusual details is how the strap attaches. Instead of conventional lugs, the double-tour calfskin strap passes directly through an opening in the case, wrapping around the wrist twice. This integrated arrangement is central to the watch's design, allowing the spherical case to remain visually uninterrupted. The strap is interchangeable and available in several colors, giving owners a way to change the watch's appearance without altering its basic character. The steel version is water-resistant to 30 meters, though its design is clearly more focused on compact proportions and jewelry-like styling than on sports-watch functionality.
Powering the Lady B is Blancpain's in-house Calibre 615, an automatic movement measuring just 15.7 millimeters in diameter and 3.9 millimeters thick. It contains 180 components and 29 jewels, with a silicon balance spring and a power reserve of 38 hours. That reserve is relatively modest compared with some larger modern movements, but the context matters: Calibre 615 is designed to fit inside a case with a diameter of only 19 millimeters. Blancpain has continued refining this movement since its introduction in 1995, incorporating technical updates while retaining its compact architecture. The caseback is solid rather than exhibition-style, keeping the movement concealed within the watch.
The Ladybird Lady B is a reminder that mechanical watchmaking is not defined only by complications or large, elaborate movements. Here, the challenge lies in the scale, the construction of the spherical case, and the way the strap integrates into the design. Seventy years after the original Ladybird, Blancpain is still exploring how much mechanical watchmaking can fit into a small watch, while giving the collection a new identity of its own.
