Montblanc's high-altitude zero-oxygen chronograph designed for extreme conditions reaches the South Pole. And adventure and exploration are part of the spirit of Montblanc. A traveling soul who takes one of his most extreme watches to the most inhospitable corner. The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere collection explores the limits of glacial nature with the new limited boutique edition Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration.

This new watch is a tribute to Mark Maker from Montblanc Reinhold Messner, which made history in 1990 when he and explorer Arved Fuchs were the first to cross Antarctica on foot. Furthermore, without the help of animals or motorized means. They traveled 2,800 km, gradually ascending more than 3,000 m. They did it with only a sled weighing more than 100 kg, a compass and a few other instruments. And this journey has been the inspiration for the new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition 1990.

Homenaje a Reinhold Messner

Now it is Messner's son who accompanies the German firm on its journey to one of the most beautiful and inhospitable corners. On December 13, 2023, Montblanc will accompany Simon Messner in the Antarctic Ice Marathon, which will run in this implacable glacial landscape. Simon was born in 1990, the year his father (mountain climber Reinhold Messner) crossed Antarctica through the South Pole. The young man will face this demanding test wearing a Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition on the wrist.

The starting point is at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains, a few hundred kilometers from the South Pole and at an altitude of 700 meters. The conditions that await you will be snow and ice, with temperatures of around -20 °C. And, if that wasn't already a challenge, this area is also famous for strong katabatic winds.

Glacier effect

This extreme area of ​​the planet has blue glacial ice. And this color is due to age, density and weight, since it has eliminated all the air bubbles inside. The blue color is refracted thanks to this absence of oxygen. For this reason, the blue tone is the protagonist on the watch face. Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition. He bidirectional aluminum bezel color anodized glacial bluer with a luminescent cardinal point is combined with a dial colored to match Montblanc's special glacier motif.

The glacier effect is achieved thanks to a print with a volume effect to create the icy pattern and the use of the technique scraped wooded. Each layer is stamped, lacquered and polished, and allowed to dry overnight before the next layer is applied. This lengthy process takes four times as long as a standard cover and consists of more than 30 steps.

Accompanying the icy sensation is a 42mm ultra-light titanium case and an interchangeable bracelet that incorporates a precision adjustment system with a new fully satin finish. Additionally, this watch comes with a gray textile strap with a rope pattern.

Oxygen free

Not only glacial ice is devoid of air. He Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition 1990 It is part of Montblanc's “zero oxygen” series of watches, which offer several advantages. Among them, the absence of oxygen inside the case not only prevents fogging, which can occur due to drastic temperature changes at these altitudes, but also prevents oxidation. Without oxygen, all components are much more durable and offer consistent precision over time.

This watch incorporates the calibre MB 29.25, an automatic movement. The northern and southern hemispheres are represented by two three-dimensional globes that rotate, respectively, counterclockwise and clockwise. Additionally, they include a day and night indication, which allows you to see what time it is in all parts of the planet at a glance. But there is something else in this model, a nod to Messner's route when he crossed Antarctica via the South Pole. In addition, it incorporates the date at 3 o'clock and a dual time zone indication at the hours.

Aurora austral

The finishing touch is the bottom of the box. Montblanc has added a engraving of the aurora australis over Paradise Bay in Antarctica, famous for emperor penguins and whale watching spots, as well as being one of the coldest and windiest places on the planet. In addition, the aurora australis, known as the “southern lights,” is a spectacle of colorful luminescence in the striking night sky. These aurora australis can also be seen on the dial at night: blue luminescence illuminates the continents and the dual time zone hand, while green luminescence highlights the hour and minute hands, numerals, indices and Cardinal points.

Three-dimensional landscape

Montblanc makes the polar landscape on the reverse come to life. He does it thanks to a technique that allows it to be truly represented in 3D to give it depth and realism. For this, an expert has to follow the following steps: first the titanium metal must be structured, which implies that the decoration will be laser engraved taking into account the relief of the drawing. Then the desired finish (matte or glossy) is also applied with a laser. The last phase is coloring. The colors are created through laser-generated oxidation.

He Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration It is a limited edition 1990 units. It features a titanium bracelet and a textile strap, which can be easily interchanged, and is available in Montblanc stores worldwide.

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition

Motion:

MB caliber 29.25, automatic, 26 jewels, 42 hour movement, 28,800 rpm

Function:

Rotating globes of the northern and southern hemispheres at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, 24-hour scale, day and night indication, hours and minutes from center, date indication at 3 o'clock, second time zone at 9 o'clock

Box:

42 mm, oxygen-free titanium with fine curved horns with a polished and satin finish, bidirectional blue anodized aluminum bezel, knurled finish and cardinal points engraved and coated with green luminescence Super-LumiNova®. Reverse of the titanium case with 3D laser engraving of the Antarctic landscape and the southern author in color. Submersible 100 meters.

Cover:

Icy blue glacial pattern with Sfumato effect, rhodium-plated Arabic numerals and indices with white luminescence, rhodium-plated cathedral-style hour and minute hands, dual-time-zone hand, globes of the northern and southern hemispheres with oceans in various shades of blue and expedition to the Antarctic Pole, with historic Montblanc logo at 3 o'clock. Green luminescence on the hour and minute hands, numerals and indices. Blue luminescence on the continents and the dual time zone hand.

Correa:

Interchangeable tapering titanium bracelet and gray textile strap with rope pattern, titanium and stainless steel triple folding clasp, both with precision fit system

Versions:

Limited edition of 1,990 units.