Montblanc adds new models to its popular collections

Montblanc 1858 Zero Oxygen: The 8000 Capsule Collection

The first in line with the new Montblanc timepieces at Watches and Wonders is The 8000 Capsule Collection, inspired by the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world that measure above the height of 8000 metres, an altitude at which oxygen levels drop to the extent it becomes difficult for human survival for more than a few hours. The Montblanc 1858 line pays tribute to the mountaineers who climbed all of those difficult 14 peaks.

All of these “Zero Oxygen” models, which come with a certificate, serve as a beneficial tool for mountaineers. The models are designed to prevent oxygen inside the case, which eliminates fogging and saves the components from oxidisation, thus allowing for precise time readability.

Another notable feature inspired by the mountains lies in their dial, designed with the Sfumato effect, where the dark grey Glacier pattern on the dial exhibits the colour of the mountain peak at 8000 metres and goes darker towards the edges. The dials also feature an ‘orange’ hue, which is a sight on the mountains and on the clothes and equipment of the climbers.

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000 Limited Edition 290 – 44mm- The first model pays tribute to Mark Maker Nimsdai Purja for his exceptional ascent to Mount Everest in May 2022. The 44m titanium case features slim curves and a satin finish. The bi-directional bezel is crafted in stainless steel with black ceramic, on which the cardinal points are engraved and coated with Super-LumiNova®. The Sfumato dark grey glacier pattern dial features Arabic numerals and indexes. The indices and hands are layered with white luminescent, as well as on the Northern and Southern hemispheres globes that feature Greenwich meridians in orange. Other features include a 24-hour scale, day and night indication, and date displayed by a disc.

The engraving on the caseback features the profiles and list of the 14 Eight Thousander peaks given by Nimsdai, two of his inspirational quotes, the watch’s name, three Himalayan prayer flags that denote good fortune and the words “Limited Edition”.

The timepiece is powered by automatic Manufacture Calibre MB 29.27, has chronograph and world time complications, offers water resistance to 100 metres, and power reserve of about 46 hours. It comes with an anthracite interchangeable textile strap with a "rope" pattern, and is limited to 290 pieces.

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen The 8000 – 42mm- The Geosphere 0 Oxygen takes inspiration from the first mountaineer to climb all the 14 highest peaks, Mark Maker Reinhold Messer. On the 42mm titanium case, the bezel and dial features are the same as that of the 44mm model. The displays also remain the same. The caseback features a 3D laser colour engraving of Mount K2.

Automatic manufacture Calibre MB 29.25 powers the watch with about 42 hours of reserve. The functions include a world timer with day and night indications, dual time, and date displayed by disc. The watch comes with an interchangeable titanium bracelet.

Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000 – 42mm- The third in line is a chronograph in a 42mm stainless steel case. The bezel and dial remain the same as others with a white seconds hand, the white chronograph hands have orange tips, and the minute scale shows an orange indication on the track close to the dial circumference every 15 minutes. At 9 o’clock lies the black seconds counter, and at 3 o’clock lies the 30-minute chronograph counter. Turn the watch over and the caseback shows engraving with a “Spirit of Exploration” pattern.

The watch is run by an automatic calibre MB 25.13 with about 48 hours of power reserve. The watch comes with an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet and offers about 100 metres of water resistance.

Montblanc 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen The 8000 – 41mm- The fourth model in the capsule collection features a 41mm stainless steel case with a fixed black ceramic bezel and the dial remains the same as other timepieces. Automatic calibre MB 24.15 drives the watch and offers about 38 hours of power reserve. The caseback is the same as that of the Automatic Chronograph 0 Oxygen with “Spirit of Exploration” engraving. There’s a central seconds hand, and the hands, indices and cardinal points are layered with blue lume. At 3 o’clock lies the date window and there’s a minute scale that shows orange indications every 15 minutes. The watch comes with an interchangeable tapered stainless steel bracelet and is water-resistant to 100 metres.

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1858 Iced Sea Collection (Grey Dial + Boutique Edition)

First launched in 2022, Montblanc has released the 1858 Iced Sea Collection is back in a new grey-coloured dial featuring a glacier pattern obtained with a special technique called “gratté-boisé”. Along with a grey dial watch, the collection also features a boutique edition watch in green glacier dial.

The 1858 Iced Sea is a collection of diving watches certified by ISO 6425 norm and all the timepieces go through Montblanc Laboratory Test to be proven as magnetic, shock, temperature and water-resistant up to 300 metres. The models are crafted in stainless steel with a 41mm case size having uni-directional ceramic bezels. The first 15 minutes are in a contrasting shade, which speaks of a feature of a diving watch. Over the dial, the hands, indices, and the dot on the bezel at 12 o’clock are applied with white Super-Luminova® that glows blue. The caseback in all the models features a 3D engraving of an iceberg and diver. The timepieces come with a stainless steel bracelet that could be interchanged with a rubber strap having stitch details matching the dial colour.

Automatic calibre MB 24.17/SW200 powers all of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date watches with about 38 hours of reserve, and features a date function at 3 o’clock. The New Montblanc Boutique Edition reflects the depths of glacial ice with the green glacial dial that forms because iron oxides get trapped in the ice. This watch is the second green-dialled watch in Montblanc’s Iced Sea collection and comes with a black ceramic bezel.

The Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE 88

Montblanc brings a new model in distressed steel with the new Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph, after the two limited editions in the line introduced by the Maison in 2022 in Lime Gold and stainless steel. The 43mm case crafted in distressed steel, along with the fluted bezel in 18K white gold, is polished and satin-finished. The skeleton dial features Arabic numerals and Montblanc logo. All numerals, hour, minute, and chronograph hands are applied with Super-LumiNova®.

The highlight of the watch lies in its hand-finished, automatic Minerva MB M16.29 movement, which has been flipped to be visible from the dial side of the watch, and that gives the appearance of the skeleton dial, which actually is the chronograph movement. Technically, the hands are also reversed with the movement for them to appear on the dial side, and this has only been made possible with the MB M16.29. The Maison has now named the new movement as MB M16.26, by flipping the last digit. The movement also features Montblanc’s distinct snailed “diamantage coquille motif”. The stainless steel caseback showcases the engraving of the Minerva Manufacture. The watch comes with a black nubuck alligator leather strap.

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The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva LE 100 and LE 28

Montblanc celebrates 165 years of the Minerva movement along with the 100th anniversary of its first-ever chronograph movement for a wristwatch- the Calibre 13.20, with the launch of two new limited-edition Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva at Watches and Wonders 2023.

In the new Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva, one click with the unidirectional 18K gold fluted bezel activates the chronograph movement, the second stops it, and the third resets it. The fluted bezel takes inspiration from the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow, and has 30 jumps in one whole turn.

Both models exhibit a 42mm case, LE100 in stainless steel with a blue dial and red accents, and the second, LE28 in a Lime Gold case with a dark green dial. The former is a limited edition of 100 pieces while the latter will be exclusively available in 23 pieces. Their dials, with sunray finishing, tachymeter scale, coloured accents, and lume-applied hands, numerals and indices, are inspired by Minerva chronograph watches of the 1940s to 1960s. The timepieces come with interchangeable alligator leather straps that match the colour of their dial.