Introducing Three Marvelous Montblanc Monopusher Chronographs With Minerva Movements

Minerva's expertise in traditional watchmaking allows Montblanc to create certain watches like the three monopusher chronographs that were announced this week at Watches and Wonders Geneva. We've got three limited editions, all part of the 1858 collection, which has become a sort-of tentpole line for Montblanc since it debuted in 2015 as a reference to Minerva's founding year. Here's what you need to know.

The highlight for lovers of vintage chronographs out of this trio has to be the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow LE88, a limited edition of 88 watches that reference early aviation chronographs produced by Minerva in the 1920s and '30s. Minerva introduced a watch in 1927 with a fluted bezel and an internal countdown rotating bezel, following it close to a decade later, in 1939, with its first wristwatch chronograph outfitted with an external rotating bezel and reset functionality.

Using original vintage watches in the Minerva archive as a reference guide, the new chronograph brings some of those original attributes back to life. Now placed in a 42mm stainless steel case, the Red Arrow Limited Edition includes an 18k white-gold fluted rotating bezel with the signature red arrow functioning as a zero marker to track elapsed time or operate as a countdown timer.

The black dial features legible Arabic numerals with both tachymeter and telemeter scales present and accounted for. The MB 13.21 inside is based on the original caliber 13.20 from 1924, considered to be one of the earliest chronograph movements intended strictly for use in wristwatches. The caliber 13.20 is noted for how advanced the movement architecture and construction were during its original time of production, and you can even find it occasionally popping up in the HODINKEE Shop's weekly vintage watch listings.

In the Red Arrow LE88, this manual wind lateral-clutch column-wheel chronograph is as brilliant as ever. It has been hand-finished with all the precision you'd expect from Minerva's watchmakers. (For what it's worth, the same MB 13.21 caliber can be found in our 2019 collaboration with Montblanc, the 1858 Monopusher Limited Edition for HODINKEE.)

The Red Arrow is a limited edition of 88 watches, each priced at $30,500 – a figure that remains in line with other recent limited-edition Montblanc Monopusher Chronograph releases that use the caliber 13.20.

Although also part of the 1858 collection, the remaining pair of Minerva Monopusher Chronographs announced this week bring a slightly different approach to the company's traditional watchmaking remit – though they also feature a fluted bezel like the Red Arrow. Available in a limited edition of 18 pieces in Montblanc's offbeat 18k "Lime Gold" alloy, or in a run of 58 pieces in stainless steel, the 1858 "The Unveiled Secret" Minerva Monopusher Chronograph introduces a skeletonized iteration of the historic MB 16.29 monopusher chronograph caliber for the very first time.

What's particularly interesting about the pair of "The Unveiled Secret" chronographs is that Montblanc didn't approach skeletonization in the traditional way – instead, the company flipped the movement upside down so that the mechanical action of actuating the chronograph is visible from the dial side of the watch without having to remove the watch from your wrist.

I've seen this on a few occasions in the past – the most recent example that springs to mind is Kari Voutilainen's 28Ti from 2019 – but I can't ever recall seeing a chronograph executed in this exact fashion. Montblanc said it required an additional 21 components added to the original MB 16.29 to be able to reverse the time indication as required; as a pithy joke, the new skeletonized version of the MB 16.29 has been christened the MB 16.26, with the final digit flipped on its head, just like the movement.

Visible through the sapphire crystal (both watches now have solid casebacks, given everything relevant is now visible up front), it appears it will be relatively easy to spot certain signatures of a handmade Minerva movement. Those include the very cool arrow-shaped tail on one of the chronograph levers, the famous "V"-shaped bridge, and the exceptional anglage on the sanded German silver bridges, even further highlighted by numerous instances of interior angles.

The Lime Gold design features green Super-LumiNova hour markers and accents that accentuate the greenish tint of the golden alloy, alongside a green alligator leather strap; it will be priced at $48,000. The stainless steel alternative opts for cooler tones with blue Super-LumiNova hour markers and accents, alongside a blue alligator leather strap; it will be priced at $33,500.

I've always found that the Minerva releases by Montblanc have to really be seen in person to be appreciated. The level of finissage is just so high and intricate that it's difficult to understand the visual effect based on a few supplied press images and renderings.

The 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow LE88 is very attractive in the way a vintage-inspired chronograph should be. The watch – to my eye – bears a resemblance to the 1950s Hanhart 417 ES, which is considered to be the first pilot's chronograph wristwatch used by the German armed forces, but Montblanc/Minerva have provided reference materials (pictured above) to vintage watches that secure its design inspiration to the 1920s and '30s. So it's likely Hanhart was either aware of the Minerva watches by the time the '50s rolled around, or there was some degree of parallel development going on.

While vintage revival chronographs are a dime a dozen these days, it's rare for one to feature as quality a movement as the caliber MB 13.21. In fact, if these vintage-inspired military aviation chronographs are a favorite of yours, I can't think of much comparison, outside some of the late 1990s/early 2000s Breguet Type XX/XXI references in precious metal. Given many of those references are long discontinued, I think the Red Arrow has found a rather solid niche for those who appreciate high-end traditional watchmaking in addition to mid-century military aviation design.

Alternatively, I had a bit of a hard time grappling with the neon blue and green tones of the luminescent material present on both versions of the 1858 "The Unveiled Secret" Minerva Monopusher Chronograph. 

I appreciate the idea in concept and the technical execution seems excellent, but I'm withholding my judgment on this pair until I see the two of them in person, later this week.

Brand: Montblanc
Model: 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow LE88; 1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE18; 1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE58
Reference Number: 129614, Red Arrow LE88; 129622, Unveiled Secret LE18; 129613, Unveiled Secret LE58

Diameter: 42mm, Red Arrow LE88; 43mm, Unveiled Secret LE18; 43mm, Unveiled Secret LE58
Case Material: Stainless steel, with white gold fluted bezel, Red Arrow LE88; 18k lime gold, Unveiled Secret LE18; stainless steel, with white gold fluted bezel, Unveiled Secret LE58
Dial Color: Black-colored opaline dial, Red Arrow LE88; skeleton, Unveiled Secret LE18; skeleton, Unveiled Secret LE58
Indexes: Arabic numerals, printed, Red Arrow LE88; Arabic numerals, applied, Unveiled Secret LE18; Arabic numerals, applied, Unveiled Secret LE58
Lume: Beige Super-LumiNova, glows green, Red Arrow LE88; green Super-LumiNova, glows green, Unveiled Secret LE18; blue Super-LumiNova, glows blue, Unveiled Secret LE58
Water Resistance: 30 meters, Red Arrow LE88; 30 meters, Unveiled Secret LE18; 30 meters, Unveiled Secret LE58
Strap/Bracelet: Black alligator leather strap, with beige stitching, polished stainless steel double deployant buckle, Red Arrow LE88; green alligator leather strap, with ecru stitching, lime gold pin buckle, Unveiled Secret LE18; blue alligator leather strap, with blue stitching, stainless steel pin buckle, Unveiled Secret LE58

Caliber: Manufacture MB M13.21, Red Arrow LE88; Manufacture MB M16.26, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, monopusher chronograph, tachymeter, telemeter, Red Arrow LE88; hours, minutes, seconds, monopusher chronograph, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Diameter: 29.5mm, Red Arrow LE88; 37.5mm, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Thickness: 6.4mm, Red Arrow LE88; 7.05mm, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Power Reserve: 60 hours, Red Arrow LE88; 50 hours, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 18,000 vph / 2.5 Hz
Jewels: 22, Red Arrow LE88; 26, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58
Chronometer Certified: Montblanc Laboratory Test 500H
Additional Details: Column wheel, horizontal clutch, 239 components, screwed balance (11.4mm), Phillips terminal curve hairspring, Red Arrow LE88; 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, Unveiled Secret LE18 and Unveiled Secret LE58

Price: $30,500, Red Arrow LE88; $48,000, Unveiled Secret LE18; $33,500, Unveiled Secret LE58
Limited Edition: 88 pieces, Red Arrow LE88; 18 pieces, Unveiled Secret LE18; 58 pieces, Unveiled Secret LE58