The maison showcases a new blue and icy white aesthetic in the collection as a nod to glaciers and snowy-mountains
This year’s 1858 collection is inspired by the trend of reconnecting to nature and Montblanc’s own heritage. As such, the design codes of this collection are directly rooted in the spirit of mountain exploration with distinctive elements that are reminiscent of the original Minerva chronographs from the 1920s and 1930s.
On that note, Montblanc showcases a new blue and icy white aesthetic combined with a mix of materials such as titanium and ceramic in the new models, completing the existing 1858 line .
The core collection comes in two blue executions with a new aesthetic that includes a fluted stainless-steel bezel, which is highlighted with a blue ceramic inlay and engraved cardinal points coated with Super-LumiNova.
Meanwhile, as one of the key icons of the 1858 line, the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere is dedicated to the world’s Seven Summits mountaineering challenge, with the actual summits marked alongside the actual Mont Blanc on the turning globes with blue dots. This time, the watch is presented in grade 5 titanium combined with its two distinctive domed turning hemisphere globes and world-time complication.
Moving on to the dial upfront, the watch also comes with cathedral-shaped hands bearing a cloisonné design, railway minute tracks as well as the original Montblanc logo from the 1930s with its historical font and the emblem of the Mont Blanc Mountain.
Interestingly, in order to create a new look, the watch is presented with a choice of a new blue Sfumato calf leather strap with white stitching, or with a new vintage bi-material technical bracelet made of matt, satin-finished titanium and polished stainless steel.
As a final touch, the watch also unveils a unique picture of the mountain that has been engraved on the case back—along with a compass and two crossed ice pick-axes—which further reinforce the spirit of mountain exploration and the iconic peak which inspired the founders of the maison.
Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100
Aside to the 1858 collection with the new blue theme, Montblanc also reinterpreted a 44mm historical Minerva military monopusher chronograph from the 1930s with a very distinctive dial comprising a snail shaped tachymeter scale in the center and a telemeter scale on the internal flange for its latest new watch. Titled the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100, the watch is framed in a 44mm full satin-finished and grade 5 titanium case, as well as a matching blue Sfumato alligator strap that has been hand-crafted by the Pelletteria in Florence, Italy.
As the name suggests, the watch comes with a complex rattrapante (split seconds chronograph complication)—developed by the Montblanc engineers—that enables the wearer to measure intermediate times without interrupting the ongoing measurement of a longer elapsing time. Powered by the Manufacture monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.31, an evolution of the MB M16.29 movement which takes its inspiration from the original Minerva calibre 17.29 developed in the 1930s, it boasts a power reserve of 50 hours.
Up front, we can see that special attention has been paid to the dial which is crafted from solid gold and is adorned with a gradated blue grand feu enamel—one of the oldest and most precious crafts in watchmaking—allowing an authentic shiny aesthetic and a subtle, yet magical depth. Interestingly, the blue colored background is also paired with orange and white elements that accentuate the vintage style, while also providing excellent readability of the complications both at day and night.
Furthermore, as mentioned before, the watch has a white telemeter scale that runs around the dial just like the original timepiece. The telemeter was a common feature on the legendary Minerva chronographs and adds both functionality and a vintage touch to this new timepiece.
More importantly, for a better legibility, the chronograph indications are displayed via a beige central chronograph second hand, an orange split second hand to measure a second time interval and a chronograph minute counter at three o’clock. Finally, it also has a tachymeter at the center of the dial in a snail shape, which lets the wearer measure a length of time of up to three minutes instead of one minute as is the case in a traditional chronograph scale around the dial.
All in all, with both a very cold and modern tool-watch look in the colors of glaciers and ice that can range from the purest white to the deepest shades of blue, Montblanc successfully combined the past and the present through design, style and technical innovation in its latest 1858 collection.
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