Montblanc's watchmaking tradition dates back to 1858, when Charles-Yvan Robert founded a watchmaking workshop in Villeret, in the Saint-Imier Valley. In 1909, Minerva began developing chronographs and quickly became one of the leading specialists in the manufacture of watches and chronometers. In 1923, he introduced his first hand-wound monopusher chronograph for wristwatches.

double celebration

A century later, Montblanc unveils a chronograph function that demonstrates that it continues in the footsteps of the Minerva legacy, as it modernizes a timepiece from the past with innovative design, style and technical expertise. In this way, the house performs a double celebration. On one hand, the 165th anniversary of the founding of the Minerva manufacture and on the other the centenary of his first wristwatch chronograph movementthe caliber 13.20.

This historic 1923 caliber was reinvented in 2003 with new materials and finishes to give it a contemporary feel, although the original design remained the same and only the reference to caliber 13.21 was changed to which, this year, a new chronograph function has been added. The new Montblanc 1858 The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva it takes the fluted bezel of the 1858 Minerva Red Arrow monopusher chronograph and transforms it into a chronograph function.

Unidirectional rotating bezel

The function is implemented with the unidirectional rotating bezelal (clockwise) to avoid any handling problems. The first click activates the chronograph; with the second, it stops and, with the third, it restarts. The bezel features 30 jumps/steps per full turn, so you can time 10 separate events in one full turn. Montblanc is one of the few watch companies to have developed this system and has filed several patent applications.

He Montblanc 1858 The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva debuts with two limited editions: one comprising 100 pieces in a steel case with an Au 750 white gold bezel, a blue dial and red accents; the other, of only 28 pieces, incorporates a lime gold case and sports a dark green dial.

Both have a diameter of 42.5 mm and feature a sunray-effect dial inspired by the chronographs Minerva popularized in the 1940s and 1960s, with luminescent hands, numerals, and indices. presents elegant subdials, tachymeter scales and colored details to facilitate reading. Both models feature an interchangeable alligator strap.

Montblanc 1858 The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva Limited Edition

Motion:

Caliber MB M13.21, manual, 239 components, 22 jewels, 60 hour march, 18,000 altH, Philips curved spring.

Function:

Monopusher chronograph with central seconds hand and 30-minute counter. Central hours and minutes and small seconds at 9 o'clock.

Box:

Steel with a polished and satin finish or lime gold depending on the version, fluted and unidirectional white gold or lime gold bezel depending on the version, 42.5 mm, steel caseback with a special engraving tribute to Minerva.

Cover:

Blue or green, depending on the version, with tachymeter and rangefinder scales, Arabic numerals and rhodium-plated indices with white or beige luminescence, depending on the version. Hour and minute hands with white or beige luminescence in a green version. Chronograph minute hand with red or green tip depending on version.

Correa:

Blue or green alligator depending on the version, triple folding steel clasp for the blue version and lime gold ardillon buckle for the green version.

Versions:

Limited edition of 100 units for the steel version and 28 units for the green version.