Montblanc’s Secret Minverva Monopusher Chronograph In A Contemporary Look
5 min read
Leveraging the remarkable expertise in chronograph development of the 165 years old Manufacture Minerva, Montblanc has added a new face to its Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph, this time executed in distressed steel. This limited edition of 88 pieces launched at Watches and Wonders 2023 renders the model a more contemporary look and pushes the limits of aesthetic and technical excellence even further.
A Limited Edition Speciality With Incredible Details Inside Out
The latest execution of the Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph in distressed steel results from a unique treatment of the 43mm stainless steel case with a black coating. Manual washing and brushing of the material with quartzite serve each timepiece's unique patina and appearance.
This new iteration launched at Watches and Wonders features a white gold fluted bezel which derives inspiration from Minerva’s first fluted bezel dating back to 1927, further enhancing the refinement of the timepiece. The watch is paired with a black nubuck alligator strap on which the triple-folding steel clasp also adorns a distressed look. The watch case back is engraved with an image of the historic Minerva Manufacture.
The Monopusher Chronograph - A Remarkable Technical Feat
To highlight at the center stage of the timepiece, all the incredible hand-finished components of the historic manual-wound Minerva MB M16.29 movement, the entire caliber was inverted. This first-of-its-kind feat for a Minerva movement in the history of the watch industry created unique challenges and a gear train of 21 additional components was added to the already existing 252 movement parts to enable the hands to turn in the right direction post caliber inversion.
The entirely hand-made movement is crafted by one watchmaker from start to finish. Displaying all the mechanical action on the dial side of the watch reveals the magic of the chronograph action, making it an object of desire for watch lovers who wish to admire the movement without altering their timepieces. And just for fun, the Maison has turned the last digit of the reference number upside down to represent this change, so MB M16.29 becomes MB M16.26.
An Interrupted View Of The Hand-Finished Movement, Better Than A Dial
Immediately perceived upon view through the sapphire crystal, the depth of the chronograph caliber layers, the detailed level of finishing on the sanded German silver movement, and the beauty of the bridges and plates that have been coated with anthracite ruthenium are there to be cherished by the wearer. Upon scrutiny of the motion works keen observers will be able to notice the Maison’s unique snailed diamantage coquille motif and the thorough polishing featuring sharp inner angles of the components.
Signature Minerva Movement Design
The movement components are designed with signature traits of Minerva design, such as the distinctive Minerva arrow and the Maison’s “V”-shaped bridge are also on display. The Minerva arrow is a tribute to the Roman Goddess who is always depicted with her arrow-tipped staff in hand, and the unusual “V”-shaped bridge comes from the view of the mountains seen from the watchmakers’ window in Villeret, a sight that has been a constant since the founding of the workshop in 1858.
A Timepiece Without Distractions
Consistent with the high-level finishing and complicated caliber design, the timepiece fosters a top-notch functional appeal as well. Unrivaled attention to detail has been paid to the chronograph time indications with an open-worked 30-minute chronograph counter, an open-worked small seconds display, and elegant hands and indexes featuring Super-LumiNova® coatings for better legibility.
This Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition launched at Watches and Wonders celebrates the heritage crafts while presenting the same in a more contemporary package for watch aficionados to cherish!
Montblanc 1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph is available as a Limited Edition of 88 pieces
Technical Specifications:
Ident: 131155
Movement
Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB M16.26
Type of movement Manufacture hand-finished wound movement manually
Monopusher Chronograph
Reversed movement with regulating organs, going-train, bridges and plate visible through watch’s dial
Chronograph Monopusher chronograph with column wheel and horizontal coupling
Dimensions Diameter = 37.50mm; height = 7.05mm
Number of components 273
Number of rubies 26 jewels
Power Reserve Approx. 50 hours
Balance Balance with screws, diameter = 14.50mm
Frequency 18 000 A/h (2,5Hz)
Hairspring With Philips curve
Plate Rhodium-plated German silver with circular graining on both sides, hand-chamfered edges
Bridges Rhodium-plated German silver bridges with Geneva Stripes, circular graining on both sides, hand-chamfered edges
Going-train Gold-plated, circular grained, chamfered, diamond hubs on both sides
Displays Hour and minute from the center, small seconds at 9 o’clock
Chronograph’s elapsed-seconds hand from the dial’s center, 30-elapsed minute counter at 3 o’clock
Habillage
Case Distressed steel with satinated and polished finishing
Bezel 18K white gold fixed fluted bezel, satinated and polished
Crystal Scratch-resistant, domed box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Back Stainless steel caseback with historic Minerva Manufacture special engraving
Dimensions Diameter = 43mm; height = 14.18mm
Water Resistance Approx. 3 bar (30 m)
Crown Fluted black-coated stainless steel crown with Montblanc emblem in relief
Pusher Monopusher chronograph integrated into the crown
Dial Skeleton dial with white luminescent ruthenium-coated Arabic numerals and indexes, white luminescent ruthenium-coated hour and minute hands, rhodium-coated seconds hand; rhodium-coated
chronograph minute hand with white arrow; white chronograph seconds hand, historical Montblanc logo
Wristband Black nubuck alligator leather strap with black-coated stainless steel triple-folding clasp with fine adjustment system
Limited Edition : 88 pieces
Certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500H
Super-Luminova® is a registered trademark which is not owned by Montblanc.
