Montblanc Chronographs

Montblanc timepieces have been writing watch history for over 25 years. With the same standards that the Montblanc brand sets for the quality and aesthetics of its luxury writing instruments, Montblanc has also been manufacturing wristwatches for men and women in Le Locle in Switzerland since 1997 and later in parallel in Villeret.

Since then, Montblanc has established itself as a major player in the field of haute horlogerie brands at the SIHH and subsequently at the Watch & Wonders in Geneva. With the takeover of the Minerva watch manufacturer in 2006, Montblanc finally joined the small, exclusive circle of watch brands with their own calibers, especially in the field of short-time measurement. Minerva chronographs are legendary in terms of their precision and built-in technology - to be experienced today, for example, in the Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Pulsographe with the MB M13.21 chronograph movement.

In addition to classic two- and three-hand watches, it is above all the complications, including moon phases and tourbillons, that make up the reputation of the Montblanc watch brand.

The most important complication in the watch sector is probably the chronograph. And the connection between fountain pen specialist Montblanc and watches could not be clearer than with the stop function - because a chronograph is essentially what one associates with a stopwatch.

Because: The world's first chronograph saw the light of day on September 1st, 1821. On the occasion of a horse race, Nicolas Rieussec constructed a device - one that could not be worn on the wrist - to stop times with an accuracy of one fifth of a second: The highlight: the time was recorded with ink (!). At the push of a button, the written time could be read on an enamel second dial, on which a writing tip with ink had previously placed a fine dot. CHRONOS, time, and GRAPHEIN, writing, came together. The CHRONOGRAPH was born. The invention was patented in 1822.

While Montblanc initially worked with high-quality movements from ETA, the name Nicolas Rieussec marks a turning point in Montblanc's watch collection.

The first movement developed by Montblanc itself drives watches in the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec line. These are, not surprisingly, chronographs. While the vertical clutch of this watch is one of the inner values ​​that only the connoisseur can discover, Montblanc has taken the design of the dial, we have managed to bring the inspiring original to life on the wrist for everyone to see.

The Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec monopusher chronographs feature, like the historical original, two rotating discs on the dial that are used to stop times: a 60-second counter and a 30-minute counter, each under a fixed “hand”. .

The driving force of this watch, the MB R200 caliber with self-winding and column wheel mechanism, is visible through a sapphire crystal case back. Two barrels give the watch a power reserve of an impressive 72 hours.

The range of Montblanc chronographs that has now been created, even outside the Nicolas Rieussec line, is wide. Three highlights of the many lines should be highlighted here:

• Montblanc Star Legacy Chronograph in a 43mm stainless steel case with the MB 25.07 caliber, which is clearly reminiscent of the early pocket watches from Minerva

• The TimeWalker TwinFly, launched in 2011, with the MB LL100 caliber. The special features: a hand for the elapsed minute in the middle and a second hand as a flyback hand. The MB LL100 has many similarities with the chrono calibers used in the Rieussec collection, especially the gear ratios of the gear train, the subassembly for the escapement, the column wheel and the vertical disc connection for the chronograph, as well as the two barrels of the movement arranged in series.

• Heritage Chronométrie Chronograph Quantième Annuel, a stopwatch with annual calendar and moon phase: The design is based on a watch from the 1940s, the Minerva Pythagore. However, inside this Montblanc chronograph there is no Minerva caliber, but an automatic Sellita movement SW 300 with a module from Dubois-Dépraz.

Montblanc offered and offers chronograph functions in many other lines: Montblanc Meisterstück, Montblanc Star, Montblanc Summit, Montblanc Bohème, Montblanc Sport Meisterstück, Montblanc Heritage, Montblanc 1858.

Montblanc and chronographs have been as closely linked for 25 years as Montblanc and handwriting have been since 1906.