In celebration of its 110th anniversary, Montblanc introduced five new models – one with a new caliber – in its 4810 collection. The revamped collection is designed to reflect the era of adventurous sea travel at the turn of the century, around the time Montblanc was founded (in 1910). The 4810 collection is a reference to the 4,810-meter height of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, for which the company was named, and is thus iconic to the brand.
The star of the new 4810 lineup is the ExoTourbillon Slim, with a new manufacture caliber, the MB 29.21, a tourbillon with a stop-seconds function for precise setting. The movement is ultra-slim, measuring only 4.5 mm thick and the cased watch only 10.14 mm thick. According to Montblanc, two things make this a high-performance tourbillon: a lightweight cage that results in higher precision and improved isochronism; and a large (9.7 mm), 18-screw balance wheel, adjustable in four positions. The balance sits outside and above the tourbillon cage, where it can be seen to stop oscillating when the watch is being set – the red seconds indicator on the cage also stops when the watch is being set. The dial is decorated in Montblanc’s signature exploding star guilloché pattern. The automatic Caliber 29.21 contains a micro-rotor, engraved in a côtes de Genève Eventail (fan) pattern, allowing the movement to be seen through the crystal caseback. The ExoTourbillon Slim, which was three years in development, will be limited to 36 pieces in rose gold, priced at $34,500.
There are also three special editions of the 4810 ExoTourbillon Slim with miniature hand-painted maps of North America, Asia and Europe. It takes one week to produce each dial in this limited edition of 110 pieces each. They contain Caliber MB29.24 – also with a stop-seconds function but no micro-rotor – priced at $43,400. The new 4810 lineup also includes a new Day-Date with Caliber 24.02, a Chronograph Automatic with Caliber MB 25.07, and a Twin Fly Chrono with Caliber MB LL100.1. All of the new models meet the standards of Montblanc’s Laboratory Test 500, simulating real-life wear for over 500 hours.
A special edition 4810 Orbis Terrarum Pocket Watch Limited Edition 110 was also created to mark the anniversary. The 53-mm stainless steel case is designed as a pocket watch with a chain, but also has a built-in integrated stand, transforming it into a desk clock. The caseback is engraved with a transatlantic ocean liner. It contains the automatic Caliber MB 29.20.
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