Luxury maison Montblanc unveiled its latest novelties at Watches and Wonders. This year’s presentations include new editions of Iced Sea and 0 Oxygen, in addition to new collections such as the Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Secret and the Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Timekeeper. “Day & Night” magazine sits down with Laurent Lecamp, Managing Director Watch Division of Montblanc, for a chat…
Can you tell us something about the latest Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Timekeeper?
One major feature is that there is no oil in the bezel system, which is usually used to facilitate the movement of the bezel. Oil is needed for the lubrication of the moving bezel; there is oil inside the movement and that is different. We also need lubrication in the bezel as we utilise the numerous functions of the bezel; if we have no lubrication, it can get stuck after some time. We have developed a new lubrication system that does not require oil.
Now, we can actually start the chronograph function by turning the bezel so, in a way, you have replaced the chrono monopusher with this new technique?
Yes, it is a chronograph monopusher, but we do not have the monopusher or pushers and everything is integrated in the bezel.
How long did that take to conceive and produce – in terms of R&D?
We started with this idea two years ago; when I joined the company, I had already developed the flat bezel. I wanted to push this further and develop functions by the bezel. We started work on this and we are introducing them in Watches and Wonders this year and will be delivering them until December and January.
The timepiece is a dark yet vibrant blue in colour; why did Montblanc choose this colour?
We were looking for a specific shade of blue; Montblanc had introduced the colour blue in its Iced Sea, and it is our bestseller. Blue is a colour that is also present in the glacier Mont Blanc and it is also connected to the maison Montblanc. It is an unofficial colour of Montblanc; the official colours are black, white and gold. Blue is one of the glacier colours and many of our collectors are asking for this blue; many others are buying the Iced Sea and the new 1858 GMT mainly for the blue colour. We realised that they love the colour and we decided to have another watch in blue, but a specific shade of blue. We conducted many tests to determine the shade of blue, and we finally created this shade of blue, which will be unique to Minerva.
Regarding your new collection the Montblanc 1858 0 Oxygen The 8000 series – why the number 8000?
The 8000 comes from the 14 mountain peaks that are more than 8,000 metres high in the world. The collection is dedicated to the 14 highest peaks because Messner was the first man to climb all the 14 peaks higher than 8,000 metres.
One of Montblanc’s new colours is the sea grey dial, which is unique; even the 0 Oxygen comes in that shade of grey; why did you choose that colour?
We chose the grey because when you climb over 8,000 metres, the stone there is not black but a mix of grey. This is the result of the stone combined with the ice and the snow; after thousands of years, the stone here has a specific shade of grey and we are using this colour for the dial. The pattern on the dial is the pattern of the glacier on Mont Blanc, as that is our signature. The colour is from the 8,000 metres, but the pattern and the signature are from the Mont Blanc glacier. We took a picture on the glacier, and we are using the same patterns and designs.
Why was the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition presented in titanium?
Titanium is super-light, super-strong, and twice as strong and twice as light as steel. When you are climbing mountains, both Messner and Purja told us that every gram makes a difference. That is why we chose to use titanium for that edition.
Montblanc has placed emphasis on the packaging of the new Minerva watches; can you explain the special presentation boxes?
The special boxes are made of walnut wood that comes from Switzerland and is hand-worked by a carpenter. Once a person learns the trick of opening it and opens it, they can savour the sweet smell of the box, which adds an emotional element. The boxes are unusual in that you cannot open the box unless you understand the technique of opening it. Once a person buys a Minerva watch, we explain to them how to open the box. If you are given a box without instructions on how to open it, it will take you a long time to do it. There are two elements here: one is that it is 100 % Swiss Made in accordance with our philosophy; two, it adds a fun factor to the watch. The collector at home can have it on his table and challenge his friends to open it.
Where did you get the idea for this kind of a box?
These kind of puzzle boxes come originally from Japan; I discovered this box when travelling in Japan and was amazed. There was only one craftsman in Tokyo who was creating these boxes and I needed 45 minutes to open it. I was very intrigued, as the outside is full of marquetry work and provides no clue as there are no visible lines. From April 1, 2023, all Minerva watches will be presented in such a box.
