Introducing Montblanc's New Minerva Monopusher Chronograph

Last year at Watches & Wonders, Montblanc released two limited editions of the Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph in Lime Gold (limited edition of 18 pieces) and stainless steel (limited to 58 pieces). This year, they're back for more, with more watches in case you thought last year was a bit too limited.

Just like last year, Montblanc execs are tapping into the 165-year heritage of famed manufacturer Minerva, which they've owned since 2007, to use a meticulously refinished Minerva MB M16.29 movement, flipped back to front and exposed under an openworked dial. 

Despite an apparent selection of movements in the archive to chose from, the MB M16.29 was one of the only movements where reversing the movement (moving what would normally be seen on the back to the front) could be achieved, and required an extra 21 components so the hands would move in the correct direction.

The main difference this year is the exterior package, with a case featuring a distressed steel finish achieved through coating the stainless steel in black, then manually washing and brushing it with Mont-Blanc (the mountain) quartzite and limestone from La Combe Grède, the mountain opposite the Villeret Manfacture that Minerva still calls home. Through this process, the watch gets a touch of the two homes of Montblanc watches and individualizes the patina. The whole package is topped with a white gold fluted bezel inspired by Minerva's iconic bezel first used in 1927.

The new Montblanc Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph in steel measures 43mm by 14.18mm, with 30m of water resistance, and is limited to 88 pieces, available from retailers now for TKTK PRICE.

I have a deep love for vintage Minerva chronographs, or at least the idea of them. I don't own one (yet) but they've been on my wishlist for a long time. So I give credit to Montblanc for treating the storied brand with respect instead of stripping it for parts as often has been the case in the watch industry and this watch, or the use of the movement at least, is a testament to that fact. 

That movement can be seen through the open dial, giving a sense that the watch is skeletonized when in reality it's more creative than that. Flipping a movement essentially inside out, back to front, isn't exactly easy. But it sure looks cool.

At the end of the day, the new Unveiled Secret Monopusher is just a new treatment on the watches released last year. The treatment of using mountain stones to patina the black-coated steel case is a bit kitschy, but it at least is more creative than just remaking an old chronograph from decades ago, which is a common path brands take nowadays. 

And with 88 watches instead of the 58 in steel last year, more collectors will get a chance to have a piece of cool watchmaking history.

Brand: Montblanc
Model: Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition
Reference Number: ref. 131155

Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 14.18mm
Case Material: Distressed steel with satinated and polished finishing, 18K white gold fixed fluted bezel, satinated and polished
Dial Color: Openworked dial with black subdial rings
Indexes: White luminescent ruthenium-coated Arabic numerals, indexes, and hour and minute hands
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Black nubuck alligator leather strap with black-coated stainless steel triple-folding clasp with fine adjustment system

Caliber: MB M16.26
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph with 30-minute counter.
Diameter: 37.5mm
Thickness: 7.05mm
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Winding: Manually wound
Frequency: 18 000 A/h
Jewels: 26
Additional Details: Rhodium-plated German silver bridges with Geneva Stripes, circular graining on both sides, hand-chamfered edges, Gold-plated, circular-grained, chamfered, diamond hubs on both sides, Domed box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Reversed movement architecture, with regulating organ, going train, bridges and plate visible through front dial, column wheel, horizontal clutch, 273 components, screwed balance (14.50mm), Phillips terminal curve hairspring

Price: $36,500
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: Yes, 88 pieces

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