Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Watch

Posted by George E. Webster on June 22nd, 2019

The Montblanc 1858 New York minute timer limited-edition watch that premiered at SIHH 2019 finally hits the market these days. Production of this handsome new watch are restricted to merely a hundred items. after I commenced in watchmaking, I had a soft spot for Montblanc. That had pale till Minerva-inspired timepieces started crawling onto the market. Any reference, either esthetically or automatically, to it honored manufacture gets my heart athletics. And in lightweight of this piece’s strict limitation, I notice myself wailful there'll be therefore few of those enticing throwbacks getting into the market.

In order to know the rhetorical of this watch, we want to dive into the history of the Minerva watch company and take however that revered manufacture is coupled to the trendy day complete that's Montblanc.

Minerva’s journey began in 1858 in Villeret, Switzerland, once 2 brothers, Charles and Hyppolite Henry Martyn Robert, founded H. & C. Robert. the corporate would bear many name modifications (and some familial shuffling at the highest table) over following seventy years before the complete company was renamed Minerva (originally one in every of several subsidiary brands created by the corporate that was, for many of that point, called Henry Martyn Robert Frères Villeret) in 1929. 

The Minerva manufacture enjoyed nice success throughout the twentieth century. in operation within the same location in Villeret from 1902 till the company’s acquisition by Richemont in 2006 (and right up till the current day) was quite an exceptional stretch of consistency given the turbulent times Janus-faced by the business. Minerva was to blame for some wonderful movements — particularly chronographs — throughout its freelance years.

THE CASE

The bronze case could be a chunky 44mm-wide and fourteen.5mm-tall, though it will pack quite an ton of practicality into the package at that size. The scratch-resistant rounded sapphire is coated not solely with associate degreeti-reflective material however conjointly an anti-magnetic layer to guard the skinny hands from being full of magnetic fields. The caseback, as is usually the manner with bronze-cased sports watches, is formed from a special material. This time, Montblanc has opted for atomic number 22. though I ne'er just like the visual of those contrastive materials off the carpus, it will create heaps of sense from the attitude of oxidation (which would occur heavily on a caseback, because of its being in constant contact together with your skin), and in terms of comfort, atomic number 22 could be a nice alternative due to its conduction (which leads to immediate heat to the touch).

The monopusher crown is formed from bronze and embellished with the Montblanc emblem. the one user at two o’clock is needed to work the split-second timer operate.

THE DIAL

The dial, whereas still extremely decipherable (and improbably enticing because of its heat, vintage colorway) is maybe not as like a shot legible because the original upon that it's primarily based. this can be possible because of the starker distinction on the Minerva dial. notwithstanding, the black-lacquered dial with giant beige Arabic numerals coated with Super-LumiNova provides an excellent backcloth. The light hour and minute hands ar plated with 18k red gold. The central timer hand is additionally red gold plated, as ar the 2 sub-dial hands, whereas the New York minute hand stands out, coloured a stark white.

Around the fringe of the dial runs a scientific instrument scale. this can be my specific favorite scale for a timer to feature (because i believe it’s the foremost possible one to be employed in real life). A scientific instrument allows the user to determine their distance from a development that's each visible and hearable (for example, lightning). The user starts the timer (in this instance by depressing the monopusher at three o’clock) once the development is seen, and stopping it once the associated sound is detected. the size works on the premise that sound travels at concerning 340 meters per second.

THE MOVEMENT

Combined with these 2 scales could be a complicated “rattrapante” (split second) complication, that has been developed in-house. This operate allows the mensuration of intermediate times while not interrupting the continued mensuration of the most timer counter.

The movement that powers the new Montblanc 1858 New York minute timer edition watch is that the timer caliber MB M16.31, that is predicated on the first Minerva caliber seventeen.29, 1st discharged within the Thirties. Twin column wheels act because the management elements of the timer and rattrapante mechanisms, whereas an oversized, slow (18,000vph) screw balance pushes the facility reserve of this rather high-drain movement to a comfortable fifty hours.

CONCLUSION

Minerva was a revered manufacture. The movements were elegant, and also the watches that bore the name ar unaltered  classics. to envision them born-again beneath the Montblanc banner is moving. though such a venture may have gone awry if treated with an important hand, the result's fairly often therefore enticing, then pleasingly devoted to the golden era of Minerva watchmaking, i believe Montblanc quite gets away with this (and ought to, in fact, be lauded for his or her efforts to preserve the heritage of the jewel in their watchmaking crown).