Montblanc 1858 Collection – Montblanc takes us up to the mountains
At SIHH watch fair 2018 Montblanc has introduced a whole new range of exciting watches from their 1858 collection celebrating 160 years of the Minerva Manufacture – and dedicated them to the Mountain Explorations from the 1920s and 1930s. Last year Montblanc’s 1858 collection was reissued. This year these watches are re-launched with a little upgrade. More interesting to talk about are the new 1858 Geosphere, the 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition 100 and the 1858 Pocket Watch Limited Edition 100 within this collection.
The novelties of the Montblanc 1858 collection
Since Montblanc acquired Minerva in 2007, the watch collections have been strongly inspired by the heritage of the Manufacture’s long history. And 2018 is a very important year as Minerva was founded 160 years ago in Villeret. A good reason for Montblanc to take another journey to the roots of Minerva and revive some exciting watches from past times.
The historical timepieces of Minerva
For us, a highlight is certainly the new 1858 Geosphere, which features a brand new manufacture worldtime complication calibre (MB29.25). In our point of view it is a very successful symbiosis between a rough vintage look and a modern design. Watch enthusiasts know and appreciate Minerva’s accurate and reliable timepieces. In the early 20th century they produced a range of the best Chronograph stop watches, pilot watches and also Monopusher Chronographs – the latter we will come back to later.
The highlight of the new collection – the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere
Firstly, we look at the 1858 Geosphere. This time, Montblanc dared a journey back to the time of mountain explorations from the early 1920th. The Geosphere is dedicated to the Seven Summit mountaineering challenge – it’s that crazy challenge where climbers set out to ascend the highest mountains from seven continents.
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere is dedicated to the Seven Summit challenge
Of course, this watch does not have an altimeter, compass or other gimmicks, but besides some vintage design elements from the original watch it is equipped with a worldtime complication with two turning hemisphere globes, which modern adventurists are probably more likely to appreciate. They are surrounded by a scale with the 24 time zones and a day/night indication in contrasting colours. You’ll also find a second time zone display at 9 o’clock. But the actual link to mountain exploration is hidden on the two small turning globes. Montblanc has marked the world’s Seven Summits with tiny red dots. See if you can find them on our pictures! The 1858 Geosphere comes in two versions, with a steel case or a limited edition bronze case (1858 pieces).
The world’s Seven Summits are market with red dots on the two turning hemisphere globes
Another novelty brings us back to Minerva’s early Monopusher Chronographs. They were developed in the early 1920th with only one push for the chronograph function. So the crown’s function was also to start, stop and reset the chronograph. To enhance the vintage look, the new Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition 100 has an original smoked green dial with matching alligator strap. A very flashy colour for Montblanc’s rather conservative colour range.
The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph is limited to 100 pieces
For enthusiasts who like it even more nostalgically Montblanc also introduced a pocket watch. The Montblanc 1858 Pocket Watch Limited Edition 100 has an in-built compass and can be transformed into a wristwatch. You just need to attach a brown Sfumato aged calfskin strap with two pin buckles. The dial is crafted from Dumortierite stone, which is a natural mineral and creates a very distinctive blue shining.
The Montblanc 1858 pocket watch is equipped with a compass
All the novelties come with a vintage aged calf leather strap, and/or a Sfumato aged calf leather Bund strap and/or a woven NATO strap, which are handcrafted in France at traditional weaving manufacture with a history of 150 years. All watches are also certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500.
In the past years we have noticed a growing impact of smartwatch technologies amongst the traditional mechanical watch brands. It actually all started with smart electronic technology from commercial brands, but with this trend the traditional brands have been under pressure to deliver new innovative systems paired with their traditional way of watchmaking. A small…
Shortly after the watch community started to calm down again, BREITLING CEO Georges Kern comes up with the next surprise. A collection that at first sight doesn’t seem to fit to the usual look of BREITLING watches, as the ‘Premier’ line is simple and elegant. No slide ruler, no oversized bezel as we know them…
Since Georges Kern took the helm at Breitling almost three years ago, realigning collections and the brand’s strategy, annual sales have increased significantly. Kern recently revealed just how the brand will stay on the path to success with an intriguing, forward-looking perspective. A key theme is how we will consume in the future and the…
A well-trained opera singer is able to cause a tuning fork to vibrate simply by the power of their voice. The tuning fork absorbs the energy, and strives to vibrate at the same frequency. Should the tuning fork be interrupted by an external factor, it always tries to get back in line with its counterpart.…
A childhood dream has come true. Thanks to Mercedes-AMG and IWC Schaffhausen who teamed up at the Nürburgring 24-hours race to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the performance sports car brand of Mercedes-Benz, which took it’s name from the initials of the founders Hans Werner Aufrecht, Erhard Melcher and the town where it all began,…
For quite some time, Dior watches have predominantly been considered ‘fashion watches’ by the majority of the watch community. Recently however, the brand launched five new watches to add to its Chiffre Rouge range, a line-up which was first unveiled back in 2004 under heavy influence from Hedi Slimane, the then designer for Dior Homme. Introduced in…
Piaget is one of those unusual brands that doesn’t only specialise in producing some of the highest quality watches available on the market, but also some of the finest jewellery. What’s more, the two areas of craftsmanship often unite, leading to Piaget’s reputation for producing some of the most interesting and creative luxury timepieces in…
It is a touching tribute to his father: as Philippe Stern turns 85 on 10 November, his son, Thierry Stern, will introduce the world to the Reference 1938P-001, limited to a mere 30 pieces. Thus, the current President will pay homage to the Honorary President of the manufacture, while its employees likewise honour the man who…
When Patek Philippe created a pilot's watch with the Reference 5524G back in 2015, the watch world was in for a surprise. For such a classic manufacture, such a striking watch seemed somewhat unusual. But the surprising new piece did not appear by chance. Patek Philippe had already developed hour-angle watches for the military back…
Swisswatches recently headed over to Hamburg in order to see and celebrate the official launch of Tudor’s second ever mono-brand boutique. Our editor Catherine Bishop reports back on what the space has to offer Tudor clients from far and wide. When one hears Tudor, one thinks of David Beckham, the All Blacks, and of course…
Vacheron Constantin makes no secret of the significance of its Patrimony collection for the maison. The name itself, ‘Patrimony’, speaks to the brand’s heritage, evoking a deep legacy of history, emotion, responsibility, and a commitment to carry that legacy forward. When the horology house from Geneva first decided to launch the collection twenty years ago,…
When we published our extensive story on the Piaget Polo almost exactly a year ago, we wondered what the future might hold for this classic watch. Would the horology house ever return to the original design, which differs so very significantly from the modern Polo? https://youtu.be/z-VoHHneJWA?si=LHeCaqr6zRcI1SD_ The article was published under the title 'The Evolution…
To name a brand after a ‘long meadow’ sounds just as fairytale-like as the history of the watch brand Longines. The brand from the idyllic village ‘Les Longines’ in Saint-Imier literally means ‘long meadow’. Established in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz, the brand has headed skywards just as consistently as the long meadow-grass of the lush…