The year is 1920 and Minerva (the storied Swiss watch manufacture that is now part of Montblanc) has invented the monopusher chronograph Calibre 13.20 to be used in a wristwatch. Nearly a century later, Montblanc is paying tribute to this historical milestone with the release of a new timepiece for collectors with fondness for vintage timepieces.
Featuring a 40mm case in stainless steel, the Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition 100 is a stunning timekeeping device that draws one’s gaze with its alluring smoked green dial and matching green alligator strap with beige stitching that hails from the maison’s pelletteria (leather goods shop) in Florence. Housed inside its domed sapphire crystal glass box are elegant cathedral-shaped hands and Arabic numerals coated with Super- LumiNova and a historical Montblanc logo showing the peak of the highest mountain in the Alps.
This great attention to detail continues towards the caseback, where a sapphire crystal offers a glimpse of the monopusher chronograph Calibre MB M13.21. A closer inspection of this incredibly detailed movement reveals hand-finished circular graining and Cotes de Geneve detailing, a large balance wheel with 18 screws beating at the traditional frequency of 18,000 A/H, the iconic Minerva arrow indicating the chronograph lever and a unique V-shaped chronograph bridge. Water resistant up to 100m, the 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition 100 has also been certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500, which simulates the first year’s lifecycle of a timepiece.
