IGNITED BY
PASSION
THE BRAND
Bianchet was founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet with a clear ambition: to create a Swiss watchmaking maison dedicated to design, advanced engineering, and the tourbillon as its central complication.
From the very beginning, the brand was envisioned as a fusion of Italian and French cultural heritage with Swiss micro-engineering excellence. Each creation is defined by proportion, innovation, and mechanical purity.
THE FAMILY
At its core, Bianchet is a united family working together on a shared project. The brand is led by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet, along with their three sons. Each family member has specific responsibilities and makes daily decisions that shape Bianchet as it exists today. Although their roles may differ, the brand's direction is always discussed collectively.
​​
The growth of Bianchet is guided by constant dialogue, reflection, and hard work. Ideas are exchanged openly, choices are debated, and a long-term vision is developed step by step. Every voice is important in defining the brand's future and determining how it will get there.
​​​
The family works with honesty, rigor, and a desire for continuous improvement, staying true to its values while advancing the brand.
Bianchet’s roots go beyond watchmaking and are anchored in a family culture shaped by design, structure, and craft.
HERITAGE
On the French side, this heritage is closely linked to architecture. Jean-Louis Girodet, an architect based in Lyon, dedicated his work to geometry, proportion, and the relationship between structure and human scale. His career developed at a time when architecture relied on drawing, research, and rigorous thinking rather than speed or effect.
He worked on major public projects, including the Gare de Lyon Part-Dieu, where clarity of structure and flow were essential. His approach earned him national recognition and led to his selection as the Grand Prix de Rome winner, followed by a multi-year residency at the Villa Medici.
During his time in Rome, he carried out extensive research on the Golden Ratio and the structural systems built around it. Proportion was not a reference in his work, but a method. He studied how balance, rhythm, and mathematical relationships shape architecture over time.
From this period remain architectural studies and drawings, including a panoramic view of Rome, reflecting a measured and coherent reading of the city.
On the Italian side, the family originates from Biella, a small town in northern Italy renowned for its textile and fabric craftsmanship. For generations, this region has fostered a culture of making, emphasizing quality through meticulous processes, patience, and a deep understanding of materials.
In this context, fabric was regarded as a structure rather than merely a surface, requiring precision, consistency, and respect for each stage of production.
Greta Gilardino's clothing work naturally evolved in this environment, rooted in a local tradition where construction, material selection, and durability were considered as important as appearance. Craftsmanship was learned through hands-on practice rather than theoretical study, with excellence being judged over time.
This Italian heritage has endowed the family with a tactile sense of creation and an innate sensitivity to materials, proportions, and the relationship between form and the body.
THE CONTINUITY
Today, Bianchet stands as an independent watchmaking maison, driven by innovation and performance, while remaining deeply connected to the values that shaped its origins. The brand moves forward with a clear sense of continuity, where past and present naturally inform one another.