Jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) provides an insightful overview of the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Small Second, building on his previous articles about the collection. This post delves into the design philosophy and features of this specific model, offering a comprehensive look for enthusiasts interested in Montblanc's heritage-inspired timepieces.
Here
on PuristSPro, we have often talked about the newest watch collection from
Montblanc, namely the 1858 collection. Here are some previous articles I have
shared on the collection, which focused on the inspiration behind the
collection as well as the Tachymeter Chronograph and Manual Small Seconds
models.
Part
One
Part
Two
Part
Three
We
have also read additional reviews from Nico and Fx on the current flagship
model of the collection, i.e. the 1858 Tachymeter Chonograph in steel (blue
dial) and red gold (black dial), both limited to 100 pieces and individually
numbered.
I
will not repeat the details I had shared previously and you can read about them
in the links provided above. I only wish to emphasize two key facts of this
collection that I love:
1. The
homage to the Minerva manufacture, founded since 1858. I am happy personally as
a fan of Minerva that Montblanc is serious about preserving the heritage of the
Minerva manufacture and paying tribute to the history of Minerva.
2. The
vintage charm of the watches in the 1858 collection. The old Montblanc logo
(with the mountain) is something I appreciate, along with the vintage inspired
Pilot- theme dials, the large crown and the cathedral hands.
The
picture below sums up my two points above.
You
can also read up on the design cues inspired from the vintage Minerva
chronograph watch launched in the early 1920s with the calibre 13.20 in my
earlier posts shared above.
Today
I am introducing to you a new model in the 1858 collection. Quite similar to
the 1858 Manual Small Second launched in 2015, but now with an automatic
movement. The 1858 Automatic Small Second is the latest in the Montblanc 1858
Collection and will appeal to buyers who
prefer the convenience of an automatic winding watch.
I
know what many of us PuristS will ask: Minerva and automatic movements? Well,
let’s just say that Montblanc also has to cater to the more general customer
base, looking for an everyday watch which is stylish, with some vintage charm.
I think these customers may prefer this automatic version to the manual version.
The
design code of this latest member in the 1858 collection is consistent with the
Manual Small Second and the Tachymeter Chronograph. The illustration below
summarizes the inspiration behind the design code of the case and dial.
The
design code of the case of the Automatic Small Second, which is also at 44mm,
similar to the Manual Small Second and Tachymeter Chronograph.
The
design code of the dial with consistent design cues such as the cathedral hands
and vintage shaped crown.
Now,
some of you may ask: how does the automatic movement differ from manual
version? There are 2 key differences, other than an automatic vs a manual
winding movement.
Firstly,
the dial of the Manual Small Seconds does not have the 6 arabic numeral and a
small seconds sub dial is at 6 o’clock position.
The
1858 Manual Small Second with a steel mesh bracelet.
The
new Automatic Small Second, however, has the Arabic numeral 6 and the small
second sub-dial is closer to the middle of the dial. This is also a function of
the automatic movement being a lot smaller than the case (the Manual Small
Second uses a large Unitas manual winding movement).
The
new 1858 Automatic Small Second in a steel mesh bracelet.
Secondly,
the 1858 Manual Small Second has an open case back for their owners to admire
the Unitas movement, which although it’s not finely finished, still looks
pretty good as it is a large movement with a large balance wheel.
The
open case back of the Manual Small Second, showcasing the Unitas manual winding
movement.
The
new Automatic Small Second, however, has a closed case back, which I very much
prefer as the movement is a very small one relative to the large 44mm 1858
case.
The
Automatic Small Second also has a 44mm steel case and at the case back, we now
see a nice decoration of the Minerva Manufacture with the Jura mountains in the
background. The historical Minerva logo is also inscribed on the case back,
along with the Roberts Freres Villeret E;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“RFV” logo and the emblem of the Goddess Minerva
(aka the Minerva Arrowhead).
The
case back on the Automatic Small Second.
I
have not seen this model in the metal yet and will share life pictures of the
watch and case back when I have the chance. Personally, I think this case back,
if well engraved, will look pretty nice and I much prefer such a detail than an
open sapphire glass case back, especially when the movement is too small for
the case and/or the finishing of the movement is industrial without nice
decorations.
The
last detail I would like to share on the new 1858 Automatic Small Second is on
the strap paired with the watch (a steel mesh bracelet option is also
available). Montblanc’s Sfumato leather straps are used on this watch. If you
appreciate Montblanc’s leather goods, you may know that they have a Sfumato
leather collection including bags, wallets and belts.
The
brown Sfumato strap has a nice patina on the leather.
Similar
to these other leather goods, the Sfumato watch straps are developed and
produced at the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, Italy. The looks of this
leather collection, including the strap is like leather with patina patterns
and I love the looks of this leather collection from Montblanc (I have not seen
the watch strap yet but the other leather goods in this collection look great
when I saw them in the boutiques here).
Montblanc
used a historical artisanal technique which was literally referred to as “evaporated
like smoke”, which results in fine shading and graduation between colors and
tones on the leather, similar to leather patina on fine shoes. In Florence,
Montblanc only uses the finest and softest calfskin, which helps to give an
elegant patina on the leather. During the leather treatment process, four
layers of paint are lightly applied to each individual piece of leather,
creating a special finish. Due to the hand crafting of each leather piece,
every strap is unique with different patina, shading and shadowed appearance.
Clockwise: Leather quality checks, skin refining and leather crafting and repair toolset
Integrating
Montblanc’s leather products into their watch straps is a
great move from Montblanc as I had expressed before. Their leather goods are
nice and finely crafted and definitely the patina on the Sfumato strap will
enhance the vintage charm of the watches in the 1858 collection. I hope they
will also make a blue Sfumato strap for my soon-to-arrive 1858 Tachymeter
Chronograph in steel and blue dial! That will be a killer combination.
I
personally have not seen this 1858 Automatic Small Second watch in the metal
yet. Has any Purist seen it? Please share your thoughts on this new watch and
the 1858 collection in general, especially if you have seen them in the wild or
tried them in the boutiques or authorized retailers.
Cheers
