Blancpain offers reward for stolen tourbillons

By JCK Online Staff

Posted on July 29, 2005

Blancpain, a Swiss luxury watch brand owned by the Swatch Group, is offering 60,000 Euros (about $73,000) for the return of four tourbillon watches worth approximately $361,800, which were stolen in Paris.

The four Blancpain tourbillons (part of a limited edition of 50) were stolen mid-afternoon on July 22 from the Blancpain boutique at 8 Rue de la Paix, Paris, says a July 28 letter sent to the brand’s U.S. dealers by Marc Junod, president of Blancpain U.S. According to his letter, a man visited the boutique the day before “and browsed around.” On July 22, he returned and asked to see the four tourbillons. “He quickly swept them up and ran for the door and into a waiting car that sped away,” said Junod.

Blancpain chief executive officer Marc A. Hayek, grandson of Swatch Group chairman Nicolas Hayek, immediately placed a full-page ad in Le Figaro, one of Paris’ most widely-read papers. It showed the four watches and read (in Hayek’s own handwriting and signed by him): “I am searching for these four exceptional watches, stolen … from our Blancpain boutique. A reward is offered for anyone who returns the watches.

“If these watches come in for servicing, kindly let us know,” says Junod in his letter.

Anyone with information about the watches should contact the Blancpain Boutique, 781 Madison Ave., N.Y., N.Y. 10021. (212) 396 1735. e-mail: blancpain.boutiquenyc@swatchgroup.com or the Blancpain SA headquarters, Chemin de l'étang 6, CH - 1094 Paudex, Switzerland. (011) 41 21 796 36 36. e-mail: info@blancpain.com.