Left: An earlier Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition in steel. Right: Its successor, 1858 Chronograph Limited Edition in Bronze<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Choice of complication aside, the watch\u2019s design also alludes to the past, specifically Minerva\u2019s history of producing watches for military use. The importance of keeping accurate time in a military context should be easy to understand. Coordinating troop movements to predetermined times, for one, would maintain the element of surprise. A chronograph with a telemeter scale, on the other hand, would allow an artillery battery\u2019s commander to gauge the distance to the enemy. Pilots, too, relied on chronographs when navigating, by timing the various legs of a flight pattern. The 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition\u2019s design is based on an earlier reference in blue, which was itself derived from a pilot\u2019s monopusher chronograph Minerva made in 1932. Note how the cathedral hands, vintage typeface for the hour indexes, and oversized onion crown have all been maintained as throwbacks to the original.<\/p>\n
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The 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition\u2019s bronze case has been matched with a champagne-coloured dial<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In lieu of an exact facsimile, however, Montblanc opted to update the original\u2019s design while preserving its vintage military vibe, with the most striking change being the usage of bronze instead of steel. Bronze was, of course, never used in any vintage watch \u2013 the material was only introduced as a case material in the mid-1990s. The alloy immediately imparts an aged look to the watch that will intensify over time as it acquires a patina. Lest one is worried about this choice of material, rest assured that the variant used here is aluminium bronze. This alloy will start to develop a dark, even patina after two to three weeks of wear, but lack the pitting or green discolouration commonly observed in standard bronze and brass. Meanwhile, the timepiece\u2019s case back is bronze-coloured<\/em> titanium, so skin allergies are a non-issue. The choice of bronze is certainly atypical for a timepiece positioned at this level. Davide Cerrato, managing director of Montblanc\u2019s watch division, agreed. \u201cIt\u2019s clearly not a watch for everyone. If you think you\u2019re buying a gold watch, then you\u2019ll be disappointed because it will get darker \u2013 we\u2019ve communicated this very clearly. For the collector who wants a watch with a patina, however, it\u2019s the perfect timepiece.\u201d<\/p>\nThe 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition\u2019s bronze case has been matched with a champagne-coloured dial, which is yet another anachronism. Period correct military watches would, of course, have high contrast dials in either black or white for maximum legibility. This was also deliberate. According to Cerrato, this dial colour was chosen to impart a monochromic look, for an even heavier touch of vintage appeal. The crystal also remains domed like the original, although its material has been updated from acrylic to sapphire. The finishing touch on the front of the watch is the vintage styled Montblanc logo, which currently appears on all 1868 collection timepieces.<\/p>\n
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The Montblanc MB M16.29 calibre here features impeccable hand finishing on every single component and there is much to see thanks to the chronograph\u2019s horizontal clutch layout<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Flip the watch around, and the transparent case back presents a feast for the eyes. The MB M16.29 calibre here features impeccable hand finishing on every single component \u2013 frankly a given that\u2019s expected of the Villeret atelier \u2013 and there is much to see thanks to the chronograph\u2019s horizontal clutch layout. The V-shaped chronograph bridge and arrow-shaped component, signatures of the Minerva manufacture, are also present here, with the latter executed at one end of the chronograph blocking lever. In a first for the brand, the movement bridges and mainplate have been plated with red gold, to complement the hue of the bronze case. The greatest visual delight is served up by the large balance wheel, which beats at a leisurely 18,000vph. This oscillation frequency is inherently less accurate compared to movements beating at higher frequencies, and thus demands much more work to reach similar levels of chronometric performance. The consequence is of this is that every watch becomes a luxury product through and through given the time lavished on its movement.<\/p>\n
The Rest of the Montblanc 1858 Collection<\/h2>\n The 1858 Automatic Dual Time and 1858 Automatic were conceived to be accessible translations of the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition\u2019s concept, and have been priced accordingly. The most striking differences lie in their designs: in lieu of full bronze cases, the watches are bi-colour instead, with stainless steel providing contrast to their bronze bezels and crowns. The two watches also have high contrast dials that are closer to the original\u2019s in spirit.<\/p>\n
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1858 Automatic Dual Time<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Of course, the movements housed with the two watches also differ from the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition. In fact, the small complication housed within the 1858 Automatic Dual Time, a second time zone display with day\/night indicator, is also anachronistic, as it had only been developed in the 1950s. Cerrato described this watch as \u201calmost a pre-GMT\u201d, yet again demonstrating Montblanc\u2019s deft touch in combining the best of elements from different time periods. The Automatic Dual Time\u2019s MB 29.19 calibre is an in-house development, and is capable of \u201chiding\u201d the second hour hand below the first should the watch\u2019s wearer not require it. Finally, the 1858 Automatic rounds out the trio as the most affordable timepiece among them, with a simple two-hand layout that only displays the time.<\/p>\n
Despite having designs rooted in a military chronograph produced during the interwar period, the three timepieces have been refreshed with modern elements, and look like perfect blends between a modern watch and its predecessor from a century ago. What\u2019s even more impressive is how they can effortlessly put a dressy twist on the rugged tool watch aesthetic \u2013 none of these timepieces will be out of place under a suit in the boardroom. Cerrato opined that the right combination of elements can render such categorisations moot, because \u201c[a] good design transcends such categories\u201d. The three watches here have certainly done that.<\/p>\n
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1858 Automatic<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Montblanc Villeret Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique 110 Years Anniversary Limited Edition In the pantheon of Roman gods, Janus is the one who presides over beginnings, transitions, and endings. Time itself is part of his domain, and Janus was often depicted with two faces \u2013 one gazed back at the past, while the other looked into the future. Montblanc shares a striking similarity to Janus in that both bridge the past and future: the maison constantly seeks to break new ground, yet keeps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[16,176],"yoast_head":"\n
Inside Manufacture Minerva: Home of Montblanc 1858 Collection<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n