Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810
Watches and Wonders: Montblanc Jumps Back into the Deep End with New Iced Sea Models
Montblanc continues to get its feet wet by introducing three new dive watches at the 2024 edition of Watches and Wonders in Geneva.
By Barbara Palumbo
Contributor
If you’re a skier, mountain climber, or geology geek, when you hear “Montblanc,” you likely think of Mont Blanc, the majestic white mountain in Switzerland visible on a clear day from places such as Geneva, Lyon, Chamonix, and Dijon (the city made famous by wealthy men in Rolls Royces asking if the other could spare some mustard).
But when pen, leather goods, and watch enthusiasts hear “Montblanc,” they have very different associations, although most are not about what’s going on deep below the ocean’s surface.
That is, until more recently.
The Wetter, The Better
During the 2022 edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva, Montblanc introduced its first-ever dive watch, the 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date, featuring a dial design inspired by glacial waterways and originally presented in three colors: blue, green, and black.
In my personal opinion, Montblanc is greatly underrated as a watch brand. So, when they decided to dive into the underwater category, I felt it was a smart move, largely due to their adventurous spirit. Back in 2022, dive watches seemed like a fitting next step; now, in 2024, the brand’s latest dive watch novelties make it clear that I wasn’t alone in my opinion.
The “Tea” on the Iced Sea
First thing’s first: Montblanc isn’t playing games when it comes to dive watches. The brand is taking what they do extraordinarily seriously, especially since there is no shortage of dive watches in the market at the moment, thus making what Montblanc is offering (and at the price point at which the brand is offering it) not just noteworthy but commendable.
However, there are facts to be considered, such as the vast majority of dive watch purchasers don’t actually dive. Consider me guilty of this.
I’m usually the one who remains on the boat holding everyone’s mobile phones and cameras and taking all the pictures while sunning my girlie bits. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want a great-looking watch to wear while doing so. And what Montblanc brought to Watches and Wonders Geneva this year was exactly that, in three different forms.
The Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810
The first watch we’re looking at is the Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 (Ref. 133268).
A “Zero Oxygen” timepiece, this Iced Sea model features benefits for explorers (underwater, on land, or above it) who need their watch to work in some of the harshest environments. The most prominent of these features is an oxygen-less case because when a watch case is essentially a vacuum, it reduces oxidation and eliminates fogging, which may occur during drastic temperature changes.
Crafted from titanium, the case of the Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 is 43mm in diameter, has a thickness of just over 19mm, and comes on a black rubber strap with a stainless steel double-folding clasp.
Meanwhile, the dial is decorated with a blue sfumato glacier pattern with white luminescent rhodium-coated Arabic numerals and indices, white luminescent rhodium-coated hour, minute, and seconds hands, and a logo paying homage to a vintage Minerva export seal at 6 o’clock.
In terms of the watch’s dive features, it has a water resistance of approximately 4,810 meters (481 bar), a screw-down titanium crown, scratch-resistant, domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating, a unidirectional bezel with black anodized aluminum accented with Super-LumiNova.
Finally, its automatic movement is a manufacture calibre MB 29.29, which is COSC-certified and offers a power reserve of roughly 120 hours.
The Iced Sea Automatic Date
The other two models introduced as part of the Iced Sea collection were the Iced Sea Automatic Date with Bronze-tone Dial (Ref. 133300) and the Iced Sea Automatic Date with Burgundy-tone Dial (Ref. 132291), both of which have been tested by Montblanc to ensure that each can withstand water depths up to 30 bar (300 meters), while also being shock- and magnetic-resistant.
The bronze edition is embellished with a bi-color unidirectional anodized aluminum bezel and a 3D engraving on the titanium caseback, which features a beautifully detailed scuba diver.
The 41mm bronze watch is also accompanied by an interchangeable black rubber strap with a brown outline and has approximately 38 hours of power reserve.
The Burgundy-tone version, which also measures 41mm in diameter, has a burgundy-colored, glacier-patterned dial with white luminescent rhodium-coated Arabic numerals and indices, white luminescent rhodium-coated hour, minute, and seconds hand, and is accompanied by an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet with stainless steel double-folding clasp and Montblanc’s fine adjustment system.
This version is also water resistant to 300 meters and has a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
Pricing & Availability
Not available until June 2024, the Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 (Ref. 133268) is non-limited and will retail for €8,900.
Available in April 2024, the Iced Sea Automatic Date with Bronze-tone Dial (Ref. 133300) and the Iced Sea Automatic Date with Burgundy-tone Dial (Ref. 132291) are both non-limited editions, with the bronze version retailing for €3,750 (pricing for the burgundy version was not available at press time).
For more information, check out Montblanc’s website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)
