Montblanc has updated its expansive Heritage collection with six new timepieces at SIHH 2019. Borrowing on the history of the erstwhile Minerva marque, which Montblanc has claimed since Richemont purchased the legendary workshop in 2006, the new additions to the Heritage collection are part of the brand’s 2019 lineup, which includes multiple new timepieces in collections such as the Star Legacy (which we covered here) and 1858 (which we’ll cover over the next few days). All the watches in the Heritage collection feature a similar design language that is focused on color and a variety of finishes. Here’s what you have to look forward to in the Heritage collection this year, from the most complicated releases to the least complicated.
The Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph Limited Edition
The Heritage Pulsograph is a limited edition of 100 timepieces and features a pulsograph complication that was once used by doctors to measure a patient’s resting heart rate. The stainless-steel introduction is nicely sized at 40 mm and is powered by the Montblanc Manufacture monopusher chronograph caliber MB M13.21 that is visible through the exhibition caseback (see above slideshow). The slightly domed dial features an attractive salmon color and has several design elements that call back to Minerva timepieces from the 1940s and 50s. The dial has two different finishes; anthracite applied Arabic numerals and dots for indexes; dauphine hour and minute hands applied with Super-LumiNova and blued baton hands for the chronograph registers. It comes on a matching anthracite Sfumato alligator leather strap. One small detail that really stands out is the old-school payphone indications of 3, 6, and 9 minutes on the chronograph’s minute counter that would let payphone users know when to add a coin for more time. It’s priced at € 28,000.
Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar
Montblanc is launching a new 40-mm perpetual calendar within the Heritage collection. It comes in two different case materials. The rose gold iteration is limited to 100 total pieces while the stainless steel model is unlimited. Both versions feature a new manufacture movement, automatic caliber MB 29.22, that indicates the hours, minutes, day, date, month, moon phase and leap year through large counters at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and has a 48-hour power reserve. The new movement was the result of three years of work for the Montblanc team and uses a construction composed solely of wheels rather than the lever-focused build seen in most perpetual calendars. This allows the wearer to set the watch in both directions aiding in overall user-friendliness. Another feature focused on the end consumer is a safety feature that prevents the user from setting the watch between the hours of 8 pm and 12 pm, when changing the time could damage the movement as the correctors are locked. The dial also includes a dual-time function and a 24-hour indicator via the short, skeletonized central hand. The rose gold limited edition is priced at € 25,000; the stainless steel model at € 15,000.
Montblanc Heritage Monopusher Chronograph
Montblanc, through its shared history with Minerva, has a long history of producing monopusher chronographs. Fans of the complication should be extremely excited about this release. Using the same design language as the rest of the new releases, the Heritage Monopusher Chronograph has a domed, silvery-white dial with two different finishes. Similar to the Pulsograph LE, the dial features anthracite applied Arabic numerals and dots as indexes; bent Dauphine hour and minute hands injected with Super-LumiNova; and blued baton hands for the seconds and subdial indications. The minutes chronograph register also includes the same payphone indicator as the Pulsograph model. This 42-mm timepiece comes in a fully-polished stainless steel case with curved horns, a domed sapphire glass box and a view of the Minerva Manufacture embossed on the closed case back. Finally, you have your choice of either a Sfumato alligator leather strap from the Richemont Pelletteria in Florence or a steel Milanese mesh bracelet. It’s priced at €4,950.
Montblanc Heritage GMT
The Montblanc Heritage GMT comes in three different iterations: a silvery-white domed dial with a gray Sfumato alligator-skin strap, a steel Milanese bracelet, or with a salmon-colored domed dial and a gray Sfumato alligator-skin strap from Richemont Pelletteria in Florence. It’s sized at 40 mm and has a fully polished stainless steel case with curved horns and an embossing of the Minerva Manufacture on the closed caseback. The three automatic models all feature applied Arabic numerals, dots as indexes, hands with Super-LumiNova, and domed sapphire crystals. It’s priced at € 2,700 for both options.
Montblanc Automatic Day Date
The Heritage Automatic Day Date comes in a 39 mm, fully-polished stainless steel case with curved horns and the same Minerva Manufacture embossing on the case back. The domed silver-white dial has applied Arabic numerals, dots as indexes and hands that have been rhodium-plated to match the color of the case. The timepiece has a domed sapphire crystal and comes with a gray Sfumato alligator leather strap from the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence. It’s priced at € 2,450.
Montblanc Heritage Automatic
The Montblanc Heritage Automatic comes in a 40-mm stainless steel case with a choice of a silvery-white or salmon-colored dial. Both dials have applied Arabic numerals, dots as indexes and hands that are rhodium-coated or anthracite-colored and enhanced with Super-LumiNova. There is also the option for an 18K red gold version with a smoked dial and red gold-coated applied dots as indexes. Ticking inside the Montblanc Heritage Automatic is the Montblanc’s MB 24.27 automatic movement. You have your choice of either a gray Sfumato alligator strap from the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, or a steel mesh Milanese bracelet for the stainless steel models. The red gold version is equipped with a brown Sfumato alligator strap. It’s priced at € 2,150 on the Milanese bracelet, € 1,950 on leather, and € 7,900 in red gold with a smoked dial.
It would seem, MONT BLANC, is going backwards, focusing on Minerva, with a Logo that incorporates the iconic Mountain, and though the Case sizing has been enhanced to 40MM, the look and finish are that of more Minerva circa, mid-20th Century, before MONT BLANC’s entry into the Timepiece arena in 1996-97. The Collection, has a nice homage look, but straying so far from the Brands characteristic Hallmarks, can confuse the market, as it is almost like creating a retro-look as being authentic, when in truth the piece never existed. before.
It’s a long way from the concepts incubation in 1996, and launch in 1997, when the Collection was presented with the mandatory Hallmarks of the three concentric rings around the Case, Meisterstuck on the side, ‘4810’, and the Mont Blanc Star on the Crown, Second Hand and Buckle, all with the heavily Germanic mantra of “ve vill always bleed ink at Mont Blanc”. Given the Collection had been conceived with few Jewelry and Watch Stores in their distribution, what was originally an inconsistent mix of Crocodile and Calfskin, Mineral and Sapphire Crystals, Karat or Plated Cases, 30 Mtr. WR, ETA Movements, all in the yellow gold finish of the Writing Instrument and all manufactured in our Vendome facilities in CH. The ‘charge’ was to birth the Brand, and the cosmetic, though true to Meisterstuck Writing Instruments was anything but what the Timepiece arena was selling. By Fall 1997, recognizing the previous Distribution, the reality that there no was no overlay in demand for the existing cosmetic, that had the Watch Market Platinum, Iridium, White Gold, Titanium and SS, I moved to change the Brand going forward, in one challenge to both Wolf Heindrichsdorf and our Chairman Norbert Platt, which succinctly was “if we need to make a SS Writing Instrument, in order to make a SS Watch, then that should be our goal” and suggested immediately that the Solitaire Doue’ be made in SS, which though Sterling, the SS was a better match for our positioning and pricing to gain market share. Both were accepted and Included in changes also were making all Buckles 18K if on 18K Heads, something which previously had Plated, adding the consistency of all Sapphire Crystals in the Collection, where Mineral had been used on non-Karat Heads. The last cosmetic change suggested and implemented was the creation of a universal Bracelet that would convey identity to the fledgling brand across the room, when Dial and Crown were not visible, my suggestion was re-concepting the Breguet Marine, distinctive and flexible given the ability to portray in SS, Bi-color and Gold, whether White or Yellow (when this came to fruition, ego referred to the bracelet as having evolved from the VC Overseas). All of these changes were implemented post S.I.H.H. in 1998, which also saw the birthing of Panarai. The President and CEO had on numerous occasions in ’97 offered me the Vice Presidency, which necessitated a move back to the East Coast and the HQ. in Bloomsbury N.J. and an Office in NYC, right or wrong, I decided against that move, and instead decided to move on to another brand, shortly there-after, remaining in the west. Ironically, WatchTime in February 1999 under “Noblesse Oblige” by it’s Alf Cremers had no less then Norbert Platt taking credit for all the changes I suggested in the Article with the SS Chrono having become the Brands #1 Timepiece as well as the SS Meisterstuck Writing Instrument taking a strong market position in it’s category, Norbert went on to be named CEO of the newly re-named Richemont.
What could have been, has not and through multiple Managerially iterations, there seems to be a void in the ability to accept that until 1996, regardless of shared manufacture and story-lines, the Brand as to the Timepiece is but approaching it’s 23rd year, so too, as an extension, these pieces will produce some sales, but have no long term synergy or historic reference to MONT BLANC, the Maison, possibly the re-birth of Minerva, however.
These are beautifully designed watches in the 60-60’s style. And reasonably priced. Montblanc has done really well with its Minerva buy.