Betty Fiechter

Early life and career beginnings

Fietcher was born to Jacob and Mary Fietcher in Villeret, Switzerland on April 29, 1896. Her father owned a watch movement company, which sparked Fietcher's interest in watches. Fiechter first joined Blancpain as an apprentice in 1912 as part of her trade school curriculum. Two years later, Blancpain purchased her father's company and Fiechter joined full-time. The company had been owned by the same family since its founding in 1735 and Fiechter grew close to the owner, Frédéric-Emile Blancpain.

During World War I, Fiechter volunteered as a nurse in Saint-Imier, where she met Andre Léal. Léal would go on to work at Blancpain as a salesman. She continued to work at Blancpain during this time and became assistant to the company's owner in 1915, who personally trained her to lead the company's workshops.

Personal life and death

Fiechter did not marry but had a partner who was killed in an accident in the early stages of her time as director. She was close to her nieces and nephews, eventually partnering with her nephew Jean-Jacques to run the company when she became ill. Fiechter died in Bienne, Switzerland on September 14, 1971. A marble bust of Fiechter, commissioned by two of her nephews, was erected in her hometown of Villeret in 1996. A second monument was created in 2021 by Swiss artist Helena von Beust and consists of a life-size statue of Fiechter and an accompanying biographical video. The monument stands in Villeret's town square.