Welcome to Issue 12

Art de vivre is a core element of Blancpain’s DNA. The pleasures of the table and the satisfaction of wearing an exquisite timepiece go hand in hand. For this reason we have always featured one of the world’s great restaurants in every Issue of Lettres du Brassus. In this Issue we have given a different twist to our customary gastronomic article. Rather than introduce you to a new restaurant, we have revisited three that have been featured before, the Hotel de Ville in Crissier, Switzerland; Lameloise in Chagny, France; and Le Pont de Brent in Montreux, Switzerland. Each of these longtime favorites has seen the retirement of its chef, so it is time update our readership on what has transpired as the toque has been passed to a new generation. The result is a “triple play” as instead of writing about one restaurant we take you to three.

Our leading watch article in this Issue spotlights an horological world first: the first wristwatch offering a combination of a traditional Chinese calendar and a classic Gregorian calendar/moon phase. More than five years of intensive development and research were poured into the creation of this groundbreaking complicated timepiece.

I have written before about our partnership with the National Geographic Society and the Pristine Seas Expeditions. I am proud that this issue features a story written by Dr. Enric Sala on the Pitcairn expedition sponsored by Blancpain.

Enjoy Issue 12!

Marc A. Hayek
President and CEO Blancpain