Who Was Jacques Balmat?
The story of the first ascent of the Mont Blanc mountain is one of courage, curiosity, and ambition. Since the dawn of civilization, the Mont Blanc has inspired both fascination and fear in equal doses. According to local legends, dangerous mythical creatures inhabited the high passes, preventing passage to its 4,810-metre peak. It wasn’t until 1760 when the naturalist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure offered a substantial prize to the first person to find a way to the summit that interest grew.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts, an ambitious young hunter and crystal collector, Jacques Balmat, enlisted the help of Michel-Gabriel Paccard, a doctor with a passion for botany and minerals, to help him find a way to the top. At 6:23 pm on August 8th, 1786, the duo reached the summit, making history.
From Blue to Grey and Burgundy
In honor of Jacques Balmat and his trusted colleague, Montblanc unveiled a Star Legacy capsule collection in 2022 with a blue glacier dial that matched the deep color of the sky at the 4,810-metre summit of the Mont Blanc. This time of day is called l’Heure Bleue or the Blue Hour for its deeply intense shade of blue that only occurs at such altitudes. The following year, in 2023, Montblanc revealed a second capsule collection with a grey glacier patterned dial, a color that was inspired by the cold exposed rock on the south side of the Mont Blanc.
This year, Montblanc reveals a third capsule collection in a burgundy tone, inspired by one of the mountain’s most striking natural elements. As Jacques Balmat was a gold prospector and a cristallier, his first ascents of the Mont Blanc were aimed at discovering certain treasures, including pink and red fluorite, the emblematic mineral of the Mont Blanc massif. This rich tone of red was chosen for its association with strength, courage and maturity. All these qualities were required by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard for their venture to the summit of the Mont Blanc.
The capsule collection’s burgundy-tone dial is adorned with a glacier pattern in the centre and a sfumato effect around the outside. This smoked effect continues onto the burgundy-tone calf leather strap with alligator print that features a vertical sfumato effect at the beginning of the straps. This type of coloring is realized by Montblanc’s leather artisans in Italy. The capsule collection consists of three limited editions – an Automatic Date, a Moonphase and a Chronograph. All three models are limited to 1786 pieces in honor of the year of the first ascent and come in stainless steel cases.
Montblanc Star Legacy Automatic Date 39mm
The Montblanc Star Legacy Automatic Date presents an entirely new look with its burgundy-colored glacier patterned dial with a filet sauté, rose gold-coated hands and numerals, and Montblanc emblem on the counterweight of the seconds hand. This model is powered by the MB 24.17 automatic movement that has approximately 38-hour power reserve and indicates the hours, minutes, seconds and date. The timepiece is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case with an open caseback on the movement and comes with an interchangeable calf leather strap with an alligator print and vertical sfumato effect.
Montblanc Star Legacy Moonphase 42mm
The Monblanc Star Legacy Moonphase features all the design codes of the Star Legacy Automatic Date with the addition of a moon phase complication at six o’clock which features a larger opening for the moon display. Housed in a 42mm stainless steel case, this timepiece is powered by the automatic MB 24.31 that comes with approximately 42-hour power reserve.
Montblanc Star Legacy Chronograph 42mm
The Montblanc Star Legacy Chronograph features all the design elements as the above models with the inclusion of a chronograph that is displayed on the burgundy-tone glacier patterned dial with black counters and an inner bezel with rack minuterie. The indications include a central chronograph seconds hand and a 30-minute chronograph counter with rhodium-coated hands, while the timekeeping functions – hours, minutes, and small seconds – feature rose-gold-coated hands. These useful indications, combined with the Montblanc Star Legacy design, create a beautiful mix between classical watchmaking and casual elegance. Housed in a 42mm stainless steel case and powered by the automatic movement MB 25.13, with approximately 48-hour power reserve, this is a watch that can be worn for any occasion.
Montblanc Star Legacy Design Codes
Like with the previous collections, there are many design elements that come into play in this burgundy-colored Montblanc Star Legacy capsule collection. The shape of the watches is inspired by Minerva pocket watches from the late 19th and early 20th century with their round, polished, pebble-shaped cases and onion-shaped crowns. They are also recognizable thanks to the Montblanc emblem on the crown, and pointed rose gold-coated, leaf-shaped hands.
All three models are water-resistant up to 5 bar (approx. 50 meters) and come with Montblanc’s interchangeable strap system. A stainless steel bracelet is also available (not interchangeable).
The Montblanc Star Legacy collection continues to find inspiration in this legendary mountain exploit that represents the spirit of exploration emblematic of Montblanc watchmaking.
