To celebrate both important milestones, Montblanc has decided to pay tribute to both events with the creation of the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Only Watch’21 Unique Piece that will be auctioned together with a wooden replica of the historical chronograph from 1821, and an exclusive immersive high watchmaking experience, all in support of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.
Montblanc & Only Watch Charity Auction 9th Edition
Since 2009, Montblanc has supported the Only Watch Charity Auction held by Luc Pettavino, President of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and the founder of Only Watch that has raised over 70 million Euros to date. The auction is under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and is organized in partnership with Christie’s. This 9th edition will unite 53 watchmakers from both the large groups and small independents who all express their creativity and generosity through exceptional timepieces crafted from the heart. The luxury watches will embark on a world tour starting on September 22nd, 2021 at the Monaco Yacht Show in the charity’s hometown. This year, the event will be extraordinary as we celebrate the 9th Edition of Only Watch along with the bicentenary of the first inking chronograph invented by the French watchmaker, Nicolas Rieussec. Over the last few years, Montblanc watches have been successful at auctions, with prices increasing significantly, as they are synonymous with high quality, great value, expertise, and craftsmanship.
The success story will continue as Montblanc is honoured to donate a one-of-a-kind Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Only Watch’21 Unique Piece and a replica of Nicolas Rieussec’s 1821 historical inking chronograph, as well as an immersive high watchmaking experience.
The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Only Watch’21 Unique Piece The Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Only Watch’21 Unique Piece features the two recognisable, rotating, horizontally-aligned, chronograph discs with fixed double index, combined with a gold coloured dial inspired by the original chronograph device from 1821.
The 200th Anniversary of the Rieussec Inking Chronograph Invention For history lovers, Nicolas Rieussec (1781 – 1866) was the sixth royal watchmaker to the King of France. On September 1st, 1821, he went to the Champ-de-Mars Arrondissement de la Seine horse race in Paris to test out one of his latest inventions, a chronometer designed to consistently measure the time horses take to travel the race distance. The beauty of his innovative mechanism was that not only did it time the winning horse, but also all the horses that crossed the line.
It worked using a fixed double index that would place a black mark on two rotating counters the moment each horse crossed the finish line. A few weeks later, he presented his new invention to the country’s Academy of Sciences in Paris who were fascinated by Rieussec’s device and named it a “chronograph”, taken from the Greek “chronos” for time and “graphein” to write. The word chronograph was born and Nicolas Rieussec became the inventor of the world’s first inking chronograph, marking the history of fine watchmaking. The principle of the rotating counters was the inspiration for the design and the movement of the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Only Watch’21 Unique Piece, giving the watch its unmistakable appearance.
