Blancpain
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Swiss luxury watchmaker known for the Fifty Fathoms diving watch.
Blancpain makes its luxury mechanical watches in its own factories in Switzerland, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It shows where its movements, cases and parts come from.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 6 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 6 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Switzerland are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneEarlier stages shown
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Blancpain's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for jewellery and watches: conflict-free diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough).
- Owns or runs its own production
- Uses high-risk raw materials such as tanned leather, mica or artisanal gold.
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems found
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
Research notes Blancpain makes its movements and components in its own workshops in Le Sentier and assembles complications in Le Brassus, both in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, with a finishing unit in Delémont run with Simon et Membrez since 2022. Swatch Group says primary gold comes only from certified industrial mines (all from Australia in 2023 to 2025, certified by PwC), and its gold foundry Nivarox-FAR is RJC certified. Its supplier code bans child labour and requires independent sourcing audits of supplier sites every two years, but it publishes no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | WWF's 2023 watch and jewellery rating placed Swatch Group brands, including Blancpain, in the 'upper midfield' for environmental and social practices. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse allegations involving Blancpain's factories or suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Jewelry and Watch Brands Must Be More Transparent, Says WWF (Rapaport, 2023) · search the archive · WWF 2023 rating placed Swatch Group brands in the upper midfield.
- A visit to the Blancpain manufacture (Swisswatches Magazine) · search the archive · Every movement part made in-house at Le Sentier; complications assembled in Le Brassus; over 700 employees; Swatch Group since 1992.
- Swatch Group - Sourcing of materials · search the archive · Primary gold all from Australian industrial mines 2023-25 (PwC certified); Nivarox-FAR RJC certified; supplier sites audited every two years.
- The New Watches of Switzerland Perth is Open · search the archive · Watches of Switzerland in Perth stocks a selection of Blancpain.
- Blancpain Client Advisor | Sydney (Swatch Group careers) · search the archive · Blancpain plans its first Sydney boutique, expected to open November 2026.
- Swatch Group acquires Simon Et Membrez SA · search the archive · Delémont case maker with a long-standing business relationship with Swatch brands including Breguet and Blancpain.
Company details
- Owned by
- The Swatch Group
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Employees
- About 700
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Blancpain ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/blancpain, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Blancpain.