Stories of Survival: Montblanc Releases the 1858 Geosphere Zero Oxygen 8000 Capsule Collection at Watches & Wonders

At Watches & Wonders 2023, luxury goods house Montblanc doubled down on its association with all things alpine with the new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen The 8000 Capsule Collection, which features four watches honoring the history of mountaineering and the people brave enough to climb the world’s highest peaks.

Let’s take a look at them.

Mountains make up a big part of Montblanc’s brand. Its logo is a stylized image of a bird’s eye view of Mont Blanc and its six glacier valleys. So, while the brand is associated with luxury writing instruments and leather goods, under the guidance of Laurent Lecamp, the brand’s Managing Director of its watch division, Montblanc is now forging another identity, that of a horological storyteller.

With the new Montblanc 8000 Capsule Collection, Montblanc is telling a tale of adventure. And this quartet of watches – consisting of the Limited Edition 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000 Boutique Exclusive, the 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen The 8000, the 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000, and the 1858 Geosphere Automatic Date 0 Oxygen The 8000 – highlights 14 of the world’s highest peaks – all measuring at least 8,000 meters above sea level.
 

At altitudes as high as 8,000 meters (or more) above sea level, there is barely enough oxygen to sustain human life for more than a few hours. Moreover, unpredictable weather conditions, avalanches, and extreme cold also mean that only a handful of adventurers have reached the summit of all 14 of these 8,000-meter-plus peaks. For example, between 1970 and 1986, Montblanc Mark Maker Reinhold Messner became the first to climb them all without carrying supplemental oxygen.
 

Then, in 2019, Nimsdai Purja, one of Montblanc’s newest Mark Makers, became the fastest person to climb all 14 peaks, but instead of taking the better part of six years to accomplish this feat, Purja did it in just six months and six days. Thus, through its partners, it is easy to look back and see Montblanc’s impact on mountaineers, but now, in just the past few years, we can see how mountaineering is influencing Montblanc.
 

For example, in 2022, the maison introduced its first watch with a vacuum-sealed case (or, to put it another way, a zero-oxygen environment). The rationale behind this tightly sealed timepiece is it eliminates fogging, which can occur with drastic temperature changes at altitude. It will also prevent oxidization, protecting the watch components to ensure a longer life.

Housed in a 41mm stainless steel case with a fixed black ceramic bezel, the 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen The 8000 also features applied Arabic numerals, a central seconds hand, a date at three o’clock, and blue luminescence on the hour and minute hands, numbers, and cardinal points.
 

Other details include a minute scale with orange indications every 15 minutes, an interchangeable tapered stainless steel bracelet, and an engraving of the “spirit of exploration” on the case back. The watch is powered by the automatic calibre MB 24.15 with 38 hours of power reserve.
 

Available soon, the 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen The 8000 will cost $3,180.

For more information, visit Montblanc’s website.

(Images © Montblanc)