Blancpain expands its circle of Michelin-starred friends with Swiss chefs Sato and Toffolon

The Manufacture of Le Brassus is proud to announce the arrival of Swiss twins Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon among the Brand’s friends. Awarded a second Michelin star in 2023, the Chefs embody the shared values that unite gastronomy and Blancpain: the quest for excellence, savoir-faire, precision, and passion.

As a global partner of the Michelin Guide, the Bocuse d’Or Switzerland culinary competition and Relais & Châteaux hotels, Blancpain has been gracing the wrists of the world’s greatest chefs for almost four decades. Guided by passion, authenticity, tradition and savoir-faire, the Brand and gastronomy share deep-rooted values, which testify to the love and dexterity of their craftsmen. Committed to sustainable cuisine using local produce, the Brand’s friends remain faithful to the terroir while demonstrating great innovation and creativity.

Today, Blancpain is delighted to welcome double Michelin-starred Swiss chefs Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon, to whom the Brand presented the Young Chef Award at the 2023 Swiss Michelin Guide star ceremony. Awarded to the most promising chef(s) under the age of 35, this distinction aims to inspire and encourage young chefs to perpetuate the culinary art. It is the junior counterpart to the Mentor Chef Award, also presented by the Manufacture, which recognizes chefs committed to training young cooks and passing on their knowledge. To mark this delightful collaboration, the two brothers now wear Blancpain watches on their wrists: a Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback and a Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet. Made of black ceramic, a material characterised by its high scratch resistance and hypoallergenic qualities, these timepieces are perfect for use behind the stove.

Chefs Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon

Born in 1989, Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon hail from Schaffhausen (CH). In the course of their rich careers, they have worked in Switzerland and abroad. In 2023, the twin brothers took over the kitchens of The Japanese Restaurant and The Japanese by The Chedi at Gütsch, at the five-star Chedi Andermatt hotel in the Swiss Alps. The duo gave the first restaurant its second Michelin star in 2023, while they worked to ensure the second restaurant, housed at an impressive altitude of almost 2,400 metres, to retain its star. Drawing on first-rate ingredients, these gastronomic meccas blend Japanese cuisine with classic European influences.

The Sato and Toffolon brothers were also named ‘Promoters of the Year’ by the GaultMillau Guide 2025, thanks to their 18 points. They are now aiming for a third star.

Blancpain and the Art of Living

The meeting between the world of Haute Horlogerie and Haute Gastronomie, between Blancpain and the Art of Living, is an obvious one, both in terms of their shared attachment to craftsmanship and the importance attached to product quality, respect for the terroir, and traditions. Both share an unwavering pursuit of excellence, mastery, precision, and passion—values that unite them in their commitment to the finest artistry.

The Brand has a special relationship with the world’s greatest Michelin-starred chefs, with more than 100 stars among its past and present friends. It all began in 1986, long before the current craze for Haute Gastronomy, when Blancpain presented its friend Frédy Girardet with a specially engraved watch when he won the ‘World’s Best Chef’ award. Three years later, the Manufacture repeated its commitment when Frédy Girardet, Paul Bocuse and Joël Robuchon were named ‘Chefs of the Century’, and honoured them with an engraved timepiece to commemorate the occasion. Since then, the Brand’s circle of friends has continued to grow, with new big names in international gastronomy interested in its world and values, and wishing to wear a Blancpain watch on their wrist.

In 2020, Blancpain materialised its links with the famous Michelin gastronomic guide by initiating a worldwide partnership. Through this collaboration, the Manufacture and the guide intend to work together to promote the excellence, passion and expertise that characterise them. The Brand is also a partner of culinary competitions, such as the Bocuse d’Or Switzerland since 2005.

Blancpain also collaborates with prestigious hotel establishments, such as Relais & Châteaux since 2014. ‘Both [Haute Horlogerie and Haute Hospitalité are driven by the same quest for perfection, harmony and aesthetics. Precise gestures, the quest for harmony and the demand for quality are shared in the kitchen as they are in a manufactory. Assembling hundreds of sometimes microscopic pieces is like weighing them to the nearest gram […]. Together, we understand the human richness of our teams’ patient and passionate apprenticeship”, Laurent Gardinier, Chairman of Relais & Châteaux stated.