Honouring one of the unforgettable icons of cinema and pop culture, Marilyn Monroe, Blancpain has unveiled the dazzling new Ladybird Tribute collection of seven unique high-jewellery watches created to mark what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday on June 1, 2026. The collection is directly inspired by the vintage Blancpain jewellery watch once owned by the Hollywood icon – a piece that remained largely unknown until it resurfaced at auction in 2016 and was subsequently acquired by the manufacture.

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Monroe’s original watch, likely produced in the late 1940s or early 1950s, remained hidden within her estate for decades before emerging through a Julien’s Auctions sale linked to the estate of legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg. Blancpain acquired the watch and later displayed it publicly for the first time at its New York "Timeless Elegance" exhibition, where it captivated collectors and historians alike.

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The original platinum watch featured 71 brilliant-cut diamonds and two marquise diamonds, an opaline dial with applied yellow-gold markers, and a miniature FHF 59 baguette movement signed both "Blancpain" and "Rayville Watch Co." – a reference to the period when the manufacture operated under the Rayville-Blancpain name under the leadership of Betty Fiechter, the first woman to head a major Swiss watchmaking house. While the identity of the person who gifted the watch to Monroe remains unknown, its existence confirms that one of Hollywood’s most enduring style icons wore a Blancpain.

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The new Ladybird Tribute reinterprets the original’s Art Deco elegance. The elongated rectangular case, inspired by the soaring architectural lines of landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the Chrysler Building, remains central to the design. Crafted in 18K white gold and measuring 35 mm x 16 mm, each watch is beautifully set with 85 diamonds totalling 1.36 carats, including brilliant-cut and marquise-cut stones that flow seamlessly across the case, attachments, and buckle. The opaline dial retains the vintage model’s aesthetic, featuring yellow-gold hour markers and elegant conical hands that echo the glamour of Monroe’s era.

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The seven timepieces in the collection each represent a letter of Marilyn’s first name – M, A, R, I, L, Y, and N. Each letter is individually engraved on the caseback, transforming every piece into a personal tribute. Complementing the watches are double-wrap calfskin straps available in seven exclusive Pantone-developed colours inspired by Monroe’s visual universe – a soft rose-toned peach, an intense Hollywood red, deep black, satin white, hot pink, golden champagne, and blush pink with a satin shimmer.

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Also Read: Blancpain expands Fifty Fathoms with new 38mm models

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Beating at the heart of the collection is Blancpain’s ultra-thin in-house Calibre 510, a manually wound movement measuring just 2.6 mm thick. The movement was introduced in 2020, comprises 128 components, and delivers a 52-hour power reserve while operating at a frequency of 3 Hz. Its compact dimensions allow the watch to preserve the elegant proportions that defined Monroe’s original timepiece.

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Each model in the Blancpain Ladybird Tribute collection is marked at INR 45,55,000.

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Photo: Courtesy Blancpain

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