From watches that pay homage to mountain peaks to the iconic Minerva inspired chronograph, this year, Montblanc presented a spectacular fusion of contemporary designs and mechanical ingenuity at Watches & Wonders 2023.
The collection 1858 Zero Oxygen 8000 shines the spotlight on the world’s 14 highest peaks. As the title suggests, this purpose-built watch features several benefits for explorers who need equipment to work in harsh environments. The watch celebrates the awe inspiring triumphs of mountaineers Mark Maker Reinhold Messner and Mark Maker Nimsdai Purja, who became the first to climb all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen (between 1970-1986), and the fastest person to climb all 14 peaks in 2019, respectively. The capsule collection arrives with four new variations.
Another stylish mechanical wonder is the Minerva inspired chronograph. Limited to only 88 pieces, the watch houses the MB 16.29 movement flipped over to reveal all the incredible mechanical action on the dial side of the watch.
To celebrate the 165th anniversary of the founding of the Minerva Manufacture and the 100th anniversary of its first wristwatch chronograph movement, Montblanc introduced the Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva LE 100 and LE 28. Powered by Caliber 13.21, the watch features a new bezel to activate the chronograph function and has a power reserve of 60 hours. The Unveiled Timekeeper Minerva has two limited edition versions with 100 pieces in stainless steel and 28 pieces in 18K lime gold.
Another impeccable timepiece is the 1858 Iced Sea collection, a sports diving watch launched in 2022. This year, the collection sees the arrival of a new gray watch inspired by the largest glacier in France, the Mer de Glace and a Boutique edition.
For the glacier inspired watch, an ancestral technique called gratté boisé was used to add a glacier texture to the dial while the Boutique edition features a green glacier dial that gives the impression of looking into the depths of glacial ice.
The brand also introduced a limited edition box set with three 1858 Iced Sea automatic date editions in a curated chest with two timepieces from last year and the latest novelty from this year in glacier gray.
