Montblanc «1858 Chronograph Tachymeter»

A celebration of vintage style – the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100

Montblanc presents a new edition of the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter perfectly combining a case made of a special bronze alloy with a brand-new salmon-coloured dial reinforcing its outstanding vintage aesthetic inspired by the historical Minerva chronographs from the 1930’s.

Montblanc’s watchmaking expertise goes back to 1858, the year Minerva was founded in Villeret, Switzerland. Since its inception, the Manufacture has been renowned as one of Switzerland’s most revered specialists in chronometric functions for precise time measuring. Over the last decade, Montblanc has been exploring Minerva’s incredible heritage, finding inspiration in historical functions, mechanics and design codes.

Paying tribute to the iconic Minerva chronographs from the 1930s, the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100 captures all the spirit of Montblanc’s past in a contemporary vintage way with a 44 mm case made of bronze. Through this alloy, Montblanc combines traditional Swiss artisanal watchmaking with a genuine material from watchmaking history. Particular attention has been paid to researching the perfect alloy of bronze that will evolve with its owner by developing its own unique, uniform and attractive patina over the years.

For the first time, the timepiece comes with a retro-vintage dial in salmon-colour featuring a sunray finishing reminiscent of historical Minerva timepieces that had dials of this distinctive colour. Completing the design, the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100 features large historical luminescent cathedral-shaped hands with a cloisonné design, blued chronograph and second hands for utmost refinement and better readability, luminescent Arabic numerals, a classic minute railway track and the original Montblanc logo from the 1930s era with its historical font and the emblem of the Mont Blanc Mountain.

At the heart of the timepiece lies the traditional manual monopusher chronograph, the MB M16.29, with a column wheel mechanism, horizontal coupling, chronograph bridge in a «V» shape and a large screwed balance wheel with a frequency of 18,000 semi oscillations per hour. Designed in a large «pocket watch» style, the calibre MB M16.29 has been inspired by the original Minerva calibre 17.29, developed for pocket watches and wristwatches in the 1930s. It features hand-made Côtes de Genève stripes, circular graining and red gold-coloured components, offering a look that matches perfectly the bronze alloy and the salmon-coloured dial. As with all the historical calibres, one of the movement’s components is shaped into the form of the Minerva arrow to pay tribute to the Manufacture’s heritage.

Completing the aesthetics, the timepiece is equipped with a vintage cognac-aged alligator strap made by the artisans at the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence and fitted with a satin-finish bronze- plated buckle.

For utmost reliability and performance, the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100 has been rigorously tested by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500.