Daniel Montandon, founder of the eponymous brand, has two passions: watches and sailing. The former clearly runs in the family. His great-grandfather, Georges Eberhard, was none other than the founder of Eberhard & Co in 1887, and his grandfather and father also ran the company. Daniel Montandon has been involved with his other passion, sailing, since he was a child, and later earned an international reputation as a naval architect. At the beginning of the 80s, he was behind the design of the first boat made entirely out of carbon composite. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves...
An exclusive club
In the heart of the Vallée de Joux, Montandon & Co. designs and makes exclusive and rare timepieces, driven by their own innovative movements, developed in the spirit of 21st century marine chronometers, nestled in sophisticated cases with detailing inspired by nautical themes. Montandon & Co. has now opened an exclusive club that gives its clients and friends direct and exclusive access to the world of haute horlogerie, as well as the opportunity to play an active advisory role. It’s only logical that the name of the club should have a nautical connection. The name Blue Riband is familiar to sailors as the title of an illustrious distinction created in the 19th century to honour the fastest passenger liner plying the transatlantic routes between western Europe and North America.
Like all club members, members of Montandon & Co.’s Blue Riband club enjoy a number of benefits. The primary advantage is the right to buy a Blue Riband special edition watch. The company will create one for every new model, with distinctive aesthetic details and the choice of a personalised engraving. Other privileges include the right to give an opinion about future Blue Riband special editions, a preview of new Montandon & Co watches, and involvement in discussions on the development of new models.
Windward TMA01 V2 Blue Riband
The first Blue Riband special edition to be launched by Montandon & Co. is the Windward TMA01 V2. This limited series of eleven special editions of the standard model TMA01, launched in 2016 in bronze and white gold, is distinguished by its case made out of DMHP carbon composite, with a bezel and pusher guards made out of grade 5 titanium. On the strength of his experience as a naval architect, Daniel Montandon defined the technical specifications of the carbon himself, as well as designing the special baseplates to hold the 38 different case components.
The slate-coloured dial is made up of four mechanically assembled pieces of 18k gold and seven white gold inserts. The centre features a guilloché wave motif, and the single Arabic figure 12. The flying tourbillon of the manufacture calibre TMA01 V2 holds court at 6 o’clock, protected by its unique anti-magnetic iris mechanism, which provides the possibility of covering the tourbillon and showing only the small seconds register. The legend “Ruban Bleu” appears in blue lettering around the edge of the caseback, and there is a space for a customised engraving between the tourbillon and the Montandon & Co. logo.
The Windward TMA01 V2 Blue Riband comes with two straps, one in hand-stitched rolled-edge crocodile, and the second made of rubber and high-tech sail fabric. A spring bar mechanism makes it easy to switch straps.
This special series is available from CHF 146,000 including Swiss VAT, exclusively to members of the Blue Riband club.
To join the Blue Riband Club, prospective members merely have to put their name down for one of the 11 Blue Riband special editions. There is no obligation to buy any other watches.
