25.05.2023
We don’t have to tell you how handsome this dial looks. You have good eyes and discerning taste to be the judge. Montblanc’s status in the chronograph category might be unheard of to casuals but to noted collectors there are more than a few rare finds in its extensive catalogue. Thanks to its acquisition of the Minerva manufacture in 2007, it has continuously hit the ball out of the park with mechanical timekeepers linked to the chronograph-making institution that has been forging greatness for 165 years. But don’t think for a second that Montblanc is just rehashing hits for a money grab. It is determined to reinvent the wheel without abandoning its fanbase. The limited release of a special pair of timekeepers known as the 1858 The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva changes everything you know about how a chronograph works. For starters, the absence of pushers – not even a monopusher version it is known for – makes this somewhat of a head-scratcher. Yet, this is where the genius kicks in. The fluted gold bezel on this 42.5mm case hides a mind-blowing secret – it unlocks the entire chronograph experience for the user, functioning like a monopusher of sorts. By rotating the bezel once – a single click – it will activate the chronograph. A second click will halt it. And a third click resets it. Now, you might think that Montblanc got this idea from today’s smartwatches but the rotating fluted bezel has been in its archives for nearly a century (it is said that Minerva produced the first fluted bezel and internal countdown rotating bezel in 1927). This timepiece also marks another significant milestone for the manufacture as it honours one of the earliest chronograph movements it produced exclusively for wristwatches, also known as Calibre 13.20. The manualwinding Calibre MB M13.21 makes another appearance in this special edition, having already been deployed in a couple of Heritage Pulsograph timepieces as well as the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow. Like anything special released these days, quantity is scarce and demand is high. Montblanc has vouched to make only 28 pieces in yellow gold with a green dial and another 100 in stainless steel with a blue dial.
