Montblanc, the renowned producer of luxury fountain pencils since 1906, joined the arena of the watchmaker-arena in 1997. Mass to improve its horological references, Montblanc acquired the famous Minerva 2006. During the vintage-in-inspired inspiration of the brand. Equipped with Minerva movements, an award reserved for first-class chronographs. The latest start mixes vintage elements of the 1858 collection with the 0 oxygen technology from Montblanc and a contemporary automatic movement.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Minerva specialized in the production of military and pilot chronograph. Many of their design attributes were taken over by the 1858 collection, including the large cathedral hands with their Cloisonné design and beige Luminescence, Arabic numerals, large onion crowns and classic railway lines. The family from 1858 is a satisfactory mix of old and new and is now geared towards modern explorers, mountaineers and even divers.
The oxygen from 1858 automatic date 0 is in a 41 -mm bronze case with a thickness of 11.3 mm and slim, curved lugs. This combination of aluminum and copper from a alloy, which is known as a Cupro aluminum, which is more resistant than bronze and corrosion and rust, still creates an attractive patina over time. The large, corrugated onion crown is crowned with Montblanc's star symbol in relief, and the solid bezel has a polished brown ceramic insert with beige luminescent cardinal points. A nice detail is how the slim ceramic insert between the bronze bezel is trapped for additional contrast. The bronze housing is decorated with brushed surfaces and a polished cone that flies down the sides and is waterproof at 100 meters.
In contrast to the warm, old look of the bronze case, Montblanc has applied its contemporary “zero oxygen” technology into the ensemble by inserting a blue seal between the sapphire crystal and the housing for removing oxygen. In 2002 on board the Montblanc 1858 -Geosphere chronograph, the idea that by removing oxygen, the fogging, which can occur with extreme temperature fluctuations in height, does not build up in the case, and the risk of oxidation and the subsequent damage to the components is eliminated.
In line with the latest trends in the clockwork, the Montblanc 1858 drill a brown gradient or a Sfumato style with a granular surface. The structured dial transfers from a light brown color in the middle to a more intense tone of the circumference and works well with the bronze case. The different tonalities of Brown are complemented by pink gold elements and create a rich, warm dial. The pink Arabic digits are applied to the dial and filled with beige Super-Luminova (white emission), which corresponds to the cathedral and tiny hands. The peripheral railway line is beige, and the date window at 3 a.m. has a rose gold frame and a white background. The dial marks its vintage spirit and is protected by a curved sapphire glass box crystal.
A strange detail of this model is that it does not contain the historical Mont -Blanc logo, which is separated by a silhouette of the mountain (used for all other 1858 models) and instead the contemporary Montblanc inscription. The steel case has a Cupro PVD treatment and a engraving from Mont Blanc with compass and two crossed ice pinging axes. Below is the MB 24.17-caliber, an automatic Sellita SW200-1 base with a relatively limited electricity reserve of 38 hours.
With the dial, the Cupro aluminum from Montblanc 1858 is located on an interchangeable gradient calf leather belt with beige seams on the sticks and a double steel made of stainless steel with a fine setting system and a Cupro PVD treatment. The price is CHF 3.420Present 3,900 EUR or USD 3,695. Further information at montblanc.com.
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