Watches and Wonders
Watches and Wonders: Montblanc Debuts Two Annual Calendars Powered by a Brand-New Minerva Movement
Inspired by Minerva timepieces from the 1950s, Montblanc’s two new 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Editions are both utilitarian and elegant.
By Cait Bazemore
Contributor
Named for the year the Minerva manufacture was founded, Montblanc’s 1858 collection celebrates the famed movement maker’s watches of the 1920s and ‘30s. During that time, Minerva invented one of the first manually wound monopusher chronograph wristwatches. For decades, the design was readily used by various professionals, from military personnel to mountain rescue teams. The 1858 line embodies this utilitarian spirit in both its design and functionality.
Then, in 2018, the initial 1858 Geosphere model debuted a unique world time display using two rotating hemispheres – an aesthetic code that would become a signature for the collection.
Now, for the first time, we get two, albeit limited edition, annual calendar versions of the Geosphere model inspired by the design codes Minerva watches from the 1950s were known for (namely, elegant dials) and powered by a brand-new Minerva manufacture movement.
1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition
These brand-new annual calendars maintain a sleek and clean appearance, with just one rotating globe featuring the Northern Hemisphere and a Day & Night indication with Greenwich Mean Time denoted by an orange line and a 24-hour scale displayed prominently at 6 o’clock.
Moreover, this three-dimensional globe is crafted from sapphire crystal then hand-painted to form a true work of art for the wrist.
Montblanc maintains symmetry with the design, placing the large date function opposite the globe at 12 o’clock. In addition, the months are displayed around the dial’s periphery via a red arrow. This serves as a nod to the Roman goddess Minerva, the deity of craftsmanship, who was known for carrying a spear with an arrow at its tip.
A Brand-New Minerva Manufacture Movement
Still, the piece de resistance of these new 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Editions is under the hood: an entirely new manually wound manufacture Minerva movement featuring an annual calendar with hours, minutes, seconds, date, and month indications, a large date, and a world timer function.
The Calibre MB M14.5 offers a power reserve of roughly 65 hours; meanwhile, each of its 336 components has been hand-decorated using traditional haute horlogerie techniques, from classic Côtes de Genève to more obscure snail finishing.
Pricing & Availability
The 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition is offered in two variations – Lime Gold and stainless steel – each measuring 42mm. The stainless steel version is available in a limited run of 100 pieces, while the Lime Gold iteration is a limited run of only 30 pieces.
For more information, including pricing, head over to the Montblanc website.