First Look: Blancpain Lady B — a 19 mm spherical mechanical watch inspired by the 1956 Ladybird

# What the Lady B is Lady B is a modern reinterpretation of the brand's mid‑20th century Ladybird watches. It adopts a small, spherical case that measures 19 mm in diameter (2.9 cm³ volume) and revives the visual and mechanical ambition of the 1956 Ladybird Bullet, which Blancpain advertised as the "smallest round watch in the world." Blancpain names this new model the Lady B — B for Betty — after Betty Fiechter, the woman who led Blancpain during the brand's early push into women's mechanical watches.

# Design and construction The case is a two‑part construction with the strap threaded through a slot machined into the back of the case. That absence of lugs gives the watch a compact, jewel‑like profile and allows the strap to be changed quickly by passing it through the opening. The dial is opaline with applied polished stick indexes and simple hour and minute hands finished to match the case (grey gold for steel, red gold for the gold model).

The Lady B comes in polished stainless steel or 18k red gold. Case dimensions provided include a thickness of 13.20 mm and a stated water resistance of 30 metres. The double‑tour strap is 10 mm wide and offered in seven colours: white, beige, mocha, burgundy, blue, coral and purple. A pin buckle matches the case material.

# Movement and technical details

# Wearability and intent The Lady B is intended as a small, mechanical alternative to contemporary women's watches, following Blancpain's long stance against producing quartz movements. Its spherical shape and strap‑through‑caseback design prioritise a compact, decorative look while retaining automatic winding. The interchangeable double‑tour strap and seven colour options aim to give the piece versatility despite its jewellery‑like scale.

# Pricing and availability Blancpain lists the Lady B as part of its permanent collection. Retail prices are CHF 9,500 for the stainless steel version and CHF 14,500 for the 18k red gold version. Blancpain's website is cited for further details.

# How this connects to Blancpain's history Blancpain in the mid‑20th century. The original Ladybird and its Bullet variant were notable for aggressive miniaturisation of mechanical calibres for women's watches. The new Lady B follows that lineage by combining a small, round case with a contemporary automatic calibre.