Born in 1944 in South Tyrol, a mountainous region of Northern Italy, Reinhold Messner is largely considered one of the greatest high-altitude mountaineers in the world. His achievements have continued inspiring fellow alpinists throughout the years, with many striving to follow in his footsteps to this day.
Reinhold Messner’s Major Achievements
Messner was the first person to climb all 14 of the world’s over 8,000-meter peaks, and his route for ascending the famous “Seven Summits” is inscribed in mountaineering history as “Messner’s List”. He was the first to climb Mount Everest – along with fellow climber Peter Habeler – without supplemental oxygen, and he was the first to solo climb Everest, without any assistance, a feat he also achieved without supplemental oxygen. Messner’s accoladesalso include traversing the entire continent of Antarctica with skis as his only form of transport, crossing Greenland on foot, and walking the entire breadth of the Gobi Desert alone.
An 80th Birthday Celebration
In 2024, Montblanc’s mountaineering Mark Maker celebrates his 80th birthday. To commemorate this important milestone with him and pay homage to his legacy, Montblanc has created an 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition of 290, a number that serves as a nod to the 29,031-feet height of the world’s tallest mountain that he has climbed on several occasions.
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition
The timepiece comes in a 44mm lightweight polished titanium case topped with a bi-directional fluted satin-finished black ceramic bezel with cardinal points. The use of titanium is highly appreciated by mountaineers who need to survey the weight of their equipment.
Inspired by the red glaciers found in Antarctica, a new red sfumato glacier dial captures the texture of this glacial ice with its interlocking network of crystals that have been frozen in time
for millennia. Handcrafted using a special technique called gratté boisé, the creation of each dial takes four times longer than a standard dial.
Zero Oxygen
The new 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition has been encased in such a way that there is no oxygen inside. This unusual operation has numerous benefits for mountaineers who need their equipment to work without a glitch in harsh climates, making it a fitting model to pay tribute to Reinhold Messner and his numerous achievements.
Zero oxygen inside the movement not only eliminates fogging, which can occur with drastic temperature changes, but also prevents oxidation. Each timepiece comes with a zero-oxygen certificate as proof of this invisible technology.
In addition to the zero oxygen, Montblanc’s engineers have chosen very specific oils that perform at temperatures as low as -50oC. The precision of a watch movement depends on the lubrication of its components, especially in the event of use in extreme temperatures, and these oils ensure that the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen can function in the very harsh environments without incident.
Under the Dial
This limited edition watch is powered by Montblanc’s Manufacture Automatic Chronograph movement – the Calibre MB 29.27 – that comes with a worldtime complication. For the chronograph indications, there is a central second chronograph hand, chronograph minutes in a subdial at three o’clock, and chronograph hours at nine o’clock. The start/stop pusher is at two o’clock and the reset pusher is at four o’clock. The chronograph joins a worldtime function with its turning globes for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, 24-hour scale, day/night indication, and date via a disc.
From the Top of K2
Turn the timepiece over and a unique colored engraving of K2 adorns the caseback. The image used was taken from one of Messner’s own photos that he captured from the summit on his first ascent there in 1979. K2 is his favorite of all the 14 peaks, and on this particular day the weather was perfect, allowing him to see 200km into the distance. Messner just sat there for a moment, enjoying the beauty of the landscape, capturing the moment on his camera before descending. Now this moment is set forever on the caseback thanks to Montblanc’s laser engraving technique. Faithful to the original photo, the image is created using a complex laser-generated oxidation process that creates a three-dimensional relief by structuring the metal with matte and shiny finishes for additional contrast.
The timepiece is fitted with an interchangeable black textile strap with a touch of red stitching that recalls the wonders of the rare red glaciers – a phenomenon almost as exceptional as this one-of-a-kind explorer.
