Year on year, Montblanc’s watchmaking makes more of a statement. This year there are some handsome new additions to the Iced Sea range of sports watches, as well as new iterations of the 0 Oxygen innovation from last year, where all of the oxygen is removed from the case of the watch in honour of ambassador and mountaineer Reinhold Messner who was one of the first two people to climb Mount Everest without oxygen back in 1978.
However, watch enthusiasts are always particularly keen to see Montblanc’s latest chronographs that draw inspiration from the Villeret manufacture Minerva, now owned by Montblanc.
In addition to some beautiful vintage-style pieces, this year also sees a very modern chrono unveiled in the shape of the Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva. Marking 165 years of Minerva and 100 years since the first wristwatch chronograph calibre, the new timepiece has chrono functions that are operated entirely via the bezel.
Based on a movement from 1923, this watch – while clean and contemporary in design – has a slightly offbeat silhouette for a chronograph, as there are no pushers. Instead, the timing action is activated via the fluted gold bezel (the groves denoting that this is a watch made in Villeret). By clicking once, the chronograph hand is started, a second click stops the hand, and a third resets it. As there are 30 clicks to the bezel, the chronograph can measure 10 separate events in one turn.
Minerva’s watchmaking tradition began in 1858 and from the 1880s, the manufacture in Villeret began to gain international recognition, quickly becoming a leading specialist in professional timekeepers. While this year marks the centenary of the Calibre 13.20, tweaks to the original movement have resulted in the reference being renamed Calibre 13.21.
The Montblanc Unveiled Timekeeper has been launched in two limited-edition 42mm models. One has a stainless-steel case with white-gold bezel, blue dial, and red accents. The second is housed in a case made from Montblanc’s proprietary Lime Gold and comes with a green dial. The caseback of both watches is engraved with. Key dates of the manufacture, including:
- 1887 – Minerva brand and arrow symbol registered on July 30th.
- 1908 – Development of the first manufacture chronograph movement (19/9CH) for pocket watches.
- 1912 – The Minerva V-shaped chronograph bridge is patented on April 10th.
- 1920 – Development of the manufacture chronograph Calibre 13.20 for wristwatches.
- 1927 – Production of Minerva’s first fluted bezel and internal countdown rotating bezel.
- 1929 – Development of the manufacture chronograph Calibre 17.29 (evolution of the Calibre 19/9CH).
- 1948 – Development of the Pythagore manufacture Calibre 48 using the Golden Section (f = 1.618).
- 2003 – Development of the manufacture chronograph Calibres MB M13.21 and MB M16.29, respectively, inspired by the historical Calibres 13.20 and 17.29.
- 2023 – Launch of the chronograph function through the bezel.
