Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

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Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 - Montblanc
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The Montblanc 1858 Product Line

The Montblanc 1858 line features sporty vintage timepieces inspired by the trend for reconnecting to nature and the Montblanc heritage. Design and product codes take their inspiration from Minerva 1920s and 30s military chronographs. In 2020, Montblanc is presenting a new blue theme capsule, as a nod to glaciers and snowy-mountain environments.

Montblanc timepieces continue the legacy of over 160 years of Minerva’s history in fine watchmaking exploration such as the Montblanc 1858 line, linking the past and the present through design, style and technical innovation.

Precise, legible and robust for use in extreme conditions, the legendary professional Minerva watches from the 1920s and 30s were conceived for military use and exploration. 

Reinterpreting these historic timepieces, Montblanc continues the success story with the introduction of new models, which showcase a new blue and icy white aesthetic combined with a mix of materials such as titanium and ceramic in three levels of craftsmanship:
- High-end watchmaking with in-house hairsprings and hand-finishing – The 1858 Split Second Chronograph watch executed with a gradated blue grand Feu enamel dial and grade 5 titanium.
- Iconic complications that are manufactured and assembled in-house – The 1858 Geosphere watch that comes with a blue dial and contrasting icy white luminescent elements.
- The core collection in two blue executions with a new aesthetic that includes a fluted stainless steel bezel highlighted with a blue ceramic inlay and engraved cardinal points coated with Super-LumiNova®.

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

The design codes of the Montblanc 1858 product line are directly rooted in the spirit of mountain exploration with distinctive elements that are reminiscent of the original Minerva chronographs from the 1930s.

As a nod to glaciers and snowy-mountain environments, the new 1858 watch editions feature a brand-new look, completing the existing 1858 line offer:
- Blue colours combined with icy white elements.
- New technical material for the 1858 Geosphere and 1858 Split Second watches with grade 5 titanium.
- Robust, resistant to scratches and unaffected by superficial impacts as the natural oxidization of the alloy allows them to become invisible over time.
- New bi-metal bracelet with a new vintage design. Two new blue vintage Sfumato calf and alligator leather straps coming from the Pelletteria in Florence, Italy complete the 1858 offer. In addition, a high-quality woven blue “NATO” strap comes as an accessory.
- Evolution of the 1858 Automatic and Chronograph models with the integration of key design elements from the 1858 Geosphere watch, such as the bi-directional bezel with a blue ceramic inlay and the four engraved cardinal points coated with Super-LumiNova®.

Like the entire product line, the new models have satin-finished cases that present horns that are polished with beveled edges, underlining their shape. Other details include fluted crowns, that recall those on period timepieces, and domed sapphire crystal glass boxes, increasing the robustness and the look of each watch.

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

Montblanc reinterprets a 44 mm historical Minerva military monopusher chronograph, with the calibre 17/29, from the 1930s with a very distinctive dial comprising a snail shape tachymeter scale in the centre and a telemeter scale on the internal flange.

The new Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 comes in a vibrant blue colour executed in gradated enamel combined with a 44 mm full satin-finished, grade 5 titanium case enabling robustness.

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

Special attention has been paid to the dial which is crafted from solid gold and is adorned with a gradated blue grand feu enamel, allowing an authentic shiny aesthetic. The blue coloured background is paired with orange and white elements that accentuate the vintage style, while also providing excellent readability of the complications both at day and night. The glass has an anti-magnetized treatment on the inside top sapphire crystal to enable greater precision of the two second hands of the chronograph.

Like on the original timepiece, the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph has a beige telemeter scale that runs around the dial. The telemeter was a common feature on the legendary Minerva chronographs and adds both function and a vintage touch to this new timepiece. A telemeter makes it possible to measure the distance of a phenomenon which is both visible and audible, like the lightning and thunder in a storm. The chronograph hand starts at the instant the phenomenon is seen (lightning) and is stopped when the sound is heard (thunder). The position on the scale shows the distance in kilometres separating the phenomenon from the observer (or the user from the storm, in this example) at a glance. Calibration is based on the speed of which sound travels through the air, which is approximately 340 meters per second or 1,115 feet per second.

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

The timepiece also has a tachymeter (base 1000) at the centre of the dial in a colimaçon, snail shape, which lets the user measure a length of time of up to three minutes instead of one minute as is the case in a traditional chronograph scale around the dial. The tachymeter scale indicates the speed of a moving object, such as a car, over a known distance. As the moving car passes the starting-point of the measured course, whose length corresponds with that used as the basis of calibration, the owner starts the chronograph hand and stops it as the car passes the finishing-point. The number indicated by the hand on the tachymeter scale represents the speed in kilometres or miles per hour.

It is combined with a complex “rattrapante” (split second) complication developed by the Montblanc engineers that enables the user to measure intermediate times without interrupting the ongoing measurement of a longer elapsing time. The “rattrapante” can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back like on a traditional timepiece with such a function. For a better legibility, the chronograph indications are displayed via a beige central chronograph second hand and matching track, while the split second hand is in orange with an orange track. The chronograph minute counter is positioned at three o’clock.

The Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 is equipped with the Manufacture monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.31 that features two column wheels, horizontal coupling and a power reserve of 50 hours. The movement is an evolution of the MB M16.29 which takes its inspiration from the original Minerva calibre 17.29 developed in the 1930s, that was used for both pocket watches and wristwatches. The calibre MB M16.31 is the direct heir of the 17.29, and, like its predecessor, is composed of the same iconic V-shape bridge (whose design was protected in 1912) and a large balance wheel with 18 screws beating at the traditional frequency of 2.5 Hz / 18,000 A/H. Moreover, the calibre MB M16.31 brings the 17.29 lineage to a high level of fine watchmaking hand-finishing and manufacture mastery.

 

 

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

The Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret is a very special place that possesses the know-how to produce a movement from A to Z, making all the main components in-house, such as the plates and bridges in German-silver (“Maillechort”) with traditional hand-crafted decoration, and it also manufactures the full regulating organ in-house, including the hairspring internally.

The calibre MB M16.31 is particularly beautiful thanks to its handcrafted traditional finishings such as Côtes de Genève, inner angles, circular graining and bevelling – all performed at the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret. The split-second mechanism in the centre brings even more light to the entire movement.

Completing the overall design is a matching blue Sfumato alligator strap that has been hand-crafted by the Pelletteria in Florence, Italy.

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