Montblanc carries on its fine-watching making heritage
Montblanc carries on the fine watch making legacy of its Minerva facilities with three novelties based on historical timepieces from the post-war era
INSPIRED BY HISTORICAL Minerva classic wristwatches from the 1940s and 50s, Montblanc unveils three new Heritage timepieces that combine the elegance of watchmaking past with today’s bold design codes.
Featuring fully polished 40mm and 42mm cases, curved horns with facets, domed box-shaped sapphire crystal, old-school international payphone indications of 3, 6 and 9 minutes, lacquered dials and Sfumato alligator straps of various colours from British racing-green, to grey and tobacco-brown, the new designs provide the perfect complement to the neo-dandy who appreciates attention to detail, elegance, heritage and authenticity.
HERITAGE MANUFACTURE PULSOGRAPH LIMITED EDITION 100
The highlight of the new Heritage collection is the Pulsograph Limited Edition 100, a timepiece inspired by what collectors call the “doctor’s watch” that were used by doctors in the past to check a patient’s heart rate. Following the launch of the Heritage Pulsograph Limited Edition with a salmon-coloured dial, Montblanc now unveils a new 40mm model in 18k rose gold with a distinctive smoked tobacco-brown dial and matching Sfumato alligator strap, reinforcing the trendy vintage style.
On the case back, the sapphire crystal reveals the high level of hand-finishing of the Montblanc Manufacture monopusher chronograph Calibre MB M13.21. This highend movement is composed of a large balance wheel that beats at the traditional frequency of 18,000 A/H, a column wheel and horizontal coupling, the iconic V-shaped chronograph
bridge patented in 1912, and the emblematic hand-decorated Minerva arrow.
The dial features several vintage design codes from the 1940s and 50s including a domed smoked lacquered dial with “grainé” hour ring and sunray finishes, 18k rose gold-coated luminescent Arabic numerals and dots for indexes, 18k rose gold-coated luminescent dauphine hour and minute hands, 18k rose gold baton-shaped hands for the seconds and the chronograph indications and rack minuterie.
HERITAGE MONOPUSHER CHRONOGRAPH
A 42mm stainless-steel edition with a domed salmon-coloured dial, the Heritage Monopusher Chronograph is one of the technical pillars of Minerva savoir-faire, offering an accessibly-priced model at the centre of the collection.
The latest chronograph design features black rhodium-coated Arabic numerals and dots for indexes and a blue rack minuterie, black rhodium-coated luminescent dauphine hands for the hours and minutes, and contrasting blued steel baton hands for the seconds and the chronograph indications, providing great visibility. A closer look at the minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock reveals an indicator for 3, 6 and 9 minutes ‒ a vintage touch from the days when we used coin-operated telephones and needed to track the length and cost of a call. The timepiece is completed with a matching grey Sfumato alligator strap from the Richemont Pelletteria in Florence, Italy.
HERITAGE AUTOMATIC
The new Heritage Automatic comes in 18k yellow gold with a brand-new lacquered British racing-green dial and matching Sfumato alligator strap for a vintage look. This new colour combination is enhanced by yellow gold details on the dial, including 18k yellow goldcoated curved Dauphine hands with SuperLumiNova, along with applied Arabic numerals and dots for indexes that are also in yellow gold. Providing great flair, the dial has been lacquered ‒ a technique that requires expertise and dexterity. The 40mm timepiece is powered by an automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve.