New lines added to Montblanc’s 1858 collection
This year, luxury maison Montblanc has added numerous haute horological complications to its 1858 family. These include two editions of the Iced Sea Automatic Date and a new box set, Iced Sea Automatic Date Coffret, as well as The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva and Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph
1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date
The new edition with a grey glacier pattern dial, inspired by the Mer de Glace, comes in a 41mm stainless steel case with a 3D-engraved caseback featuring an iceberg and a black scuba diver exploring the glacial waters. The glacier dials were created using the gratté-boisé technique, while the caseback engravings are realised using a laser. Diving instruments, they conform to the ISO 6425 norm and have undergone the Montblanc Laboratory Test for resistance to shock, magnetic, temperature, and water (approx. 30 bar). White Super-Luminova on the dial elements provides greater visibility, as does the unidirectional ceramic bezel with the first 15 minutes in a contrasting colour. The watch is presented on an interchangeable stainless steel bracelets that can easily be switched with the additionally provided black rubber strap. All Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date timepieces are powered by automatic movements and indicate the hours, minutes, seconds, and a date at three o’clock, and come with a recycled and 100% recyclable watch pouch.
A Boutique Edition in a 41mm stainless steel case with a green glacier dial has also been unveiled, featuring a fitted black ceramic bezel and a 3D-engraved caseback featuring a larger scuba diver in green.
1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date Coffret
The Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date collection is now available in a limited-edition box set that includes two timepieces from last year – the green and blue editions – and this year’s novelty in glacier grey. Each model features a different view of Mont-Blanc. The watches come in a chest that has a granite-like base, representing the rock of the Mont-Blanc Mountain, while the top comes in Plexiglas with the relief of the Mont-Blanc massif encased within, made of transparent resin, and shows the three timepieces. The Coffret is limited to 191 pieces.
1858 The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva Limited Editions
This new timepiece takes the fluted bezel from the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow and turns it into a chronograph function, marking it possible to activate a chronograph without a pusher. The timepiece comes in two limited editions: a 100-piece edition in a stainless steel case with an 18K white gold bezel, blue dial, and red accents. The second is a 28-piece edition housed in a Lime Gold case with a dark green dial. Both timepieces come in a 42mm size with a dial design that is inspired by Minerva chronographs from between the 1940s and 1960s with their sunray finishing; luminescent hands, numerals, and indexes; elegant sub-dials; tachymetre scales; and coloured accents for easy reading. Each model is fitted with a matching-coloured interchangeable alligator leather strap. It houses the Calibre MB M13.21 – hand-finished, manually wound movement with a 60-hour power reserve – the latest version of the historical Calibre 13.20 movement. The timepiece is completed with a caseback that tells the complete story of Minerva.
1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition
This limited edition of 88 pieces in distressed steel comes with a white gold fluted bezel inspired by Minerva’s first fluted bezel of 1927, is fitted with a black nubuck alligator strap with a distressed steel triple-folding clasp and includes a caseback featuring an engraving of the historic Minerva Manufacture. It houses a meticulously hand-finished historic hand-wound Minerva MB M16.29 movement that has been flipped over to display all the mechanical action on the dial side of the watch. Turning a movement over sounds simple, but it is a technical feat as the direction of the hands also has to be reversed. The MB M16.29 calibre was one of the only movements in Montblanc’s archive of chronographs where this could be achieved. Reversing the direction of the dial hands required the addition of 21 components, making this not only an aesthetic feature, but a truly technical one too. The sapphire crystal exhibits the detailed level of finishing on the sanded German silver movement and the beauty of the bridges and plates. The distinctive Minerva arrow and the Maison’s “V”-shaped bridge are also on display. The open-worked 30-minute chronograph counter and the small seconds display, and elegant hands and indexes have been created with Super-LumiNova for enhanced legibility.
