How did your first meeting go?
LB: I thought about which brand could be my sponsor and I thought Blancpain would be perfect. I was nervous for this appointment and three minutes after I met Marc, we agreed to work together.
I thought most of the brands wanted one shot and I wanted something more long term. I knew Blancpain would be the best one, as they were focused on true projects and they want to partner with true people. Other brands buy a cinema star to be an ambassador and, for me, that is fake. I saw what Blancpain did and their ambassadors were not well-known, like me, so I thought we could create something authentic. I was confident and I knew my project was authentic and true. My way to work is that I try to contribute to science and contribute to diving and underwater fine art. All my projects, my adventures, have these three challenges. That’s the perfect fit, because when Blancpain makes a watch, they want the content inside, and outside is a piece of art.
MH: I am very passionate about diving and underwater photography, so when I met Laurent, it was very quick to see that we had something here that was exceptional. When I saw his photos, I knew it was perfect. I always have the philosophy for Blancpain that if we work with someone, that person has to be authentic.