Montblanc SIHH 2012 Novelties Overview

Montblanc had a very busy SIHH this year with interesting novelties in each pillar of its catalogue from the entry-level Star collection to the exclusive Villeret watches. This offer highlights the Montblanc strategy which goal is to be present in each segment of the market hoping that the high-end image of the Villeret collection would have a positive impact on the others. But I noticed that the will to improve the horological contents was not focussed only on the Rieussec and Villeret collections because the TimeWalker one took also advantage of this ambition. It was for me a kind of surprise, something I didn't understand before.

I was positively surprised by what I saw during the presentation and I propose you to browse these novelties starting with the entry-level.

A) Star Classic Automatic

We already know the Star Large (36mm), Star Date (39mm)  and Star XL Automatic (40mm) which are watches with central second hand and a date window located in different positions: 6 o'clock, 4h30, 3h.
The new Star Classic Automatic is a key watch for Montblanc, maybe the most important of all these novelties because its mission is to become a best-seller.

In order to enhance the elegance of the Star collection, Montblanc took the decision to propose a simple watch with a small second hand located at 6 o'clock and with a pure dial, without any date window. The Montblanc star is located on the subdial to give a subtle decorative touch in this very simple and refined design. The applied indexes and figures bring a qualitative finishing and I really like the shape of the hands.

Case diameter is 39mm (with a height of 8,9mm). This is the max limit for the movement, the 4810/408 which is, if I'm not wrong, an ETA 2895. If you look at the dial you will notice that the subdial is too close to the center of the watch which gives a sensation of unbalanced lay-out. When I wore the watch, this sensation was softened by the purety of the design and the overall elegance. But it is something you have to take into account.
Case is available in Steel, PG, YG and also in two tones.

I consider this Star Classic Automatic as a worthy addition to the Star catalogue and I can imagine the targetted clients: people who want to buy their first "nice watch". I think it can achieve this objective.
Due to the dial design, I would be happy to see a handwind version of it.



















B) TimeWalker ChronoVoyager UTC

This TimeWalker can be seen as a gathering of the complications of the TimeWalker GMT and Chronograph. Even if we recognize the typical hands and figures of the TimeWalker collection (without forgetting the crown), this ChronoVoyager UTC is more refined esthetically speaking. I like the harmony of colours, this grey atmosphere works pretty well. The second timezone function is displayed through a hollowed hand with a blue end. It is discreet and visible at the same time. Bottom subdial is dedicated to the 12 hours counter while the minute counters is on top of the dial. Colours of the second hand of the chronograph is blue too which can be a bit confusing with the second timezone function but it preserves the soft design.

The flange tries to reduce the feeling of size. Case diamter is 43mm which is too big for the movement (base 7750) as we can see it with the position of the date window. It is a pity because with a few mm less, the watch would appeared as more balanced and nicer. Please note that the case is rather thick (14,8mm).



















C) TimeWalker TwinFly  Chronograph GreyTech

We stay in the same collection with a watch following the same purpose: to combine a chronograph with a second timezone indicator. But if I felt a small disappointment with the ChronoVoyager UTC, I was totally convinced by the TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech.

They obviously share a lot of comon points like the colours context and the usual features of the TimeWalker collection. But actually, everything is different inside the watch and in its philosophy.
The TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech is much more ambitious using the in-house movement MB LL100. I appreciate to see it outside the Rieussec collection, in a totally opposite style.
I like the way all the functions are linked together on the dial and the way the date (located on the left size) is displayed. The consequence is that the watch, despite a similar case diameter than the ChronoVoyager UTC looks much more balanced.

Functions are not exactly the same: the chronograph has a flyback feature and the bottom subdial is this time dedicated to the second timezone display (24h). But the clever point is how the minutes of the chronograph are displayed thanks to a central subdial. This subdial is much larger than the "classic" minutes subdials. Of course, this unusual dial lay-out requires a few minutes to really get used with it but I find it well done.
Movement is visible thanks to the see-through caseback. Due to its thickness, the satin-finished and bead-blasted titanium case is rather thick with a height of 15mm.

In my point of view, this TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech is the most interesting Montblanc novelty of the year because it gives the proof that the in-house movements can be used outside the Rieussec collection and with a more "contemporary" design.



















D) Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Open Hometime

Again, with this Nicolas Rieussec watch, Montblanc proposes us a watch with the chronograph and second timezone combo. I will not come back to the chronograph display which is totally similar to all the Nicolas Rieussec timepieces. Montblanc used the same method to display the second timezone thanks to a fixed mark and a 12 hours wheel which rotates on top of the dial. In order to complete the complication, a night/day display was located on the left size window while the right size is dedicated to the date.

The whole dial, due to its openings and the large number of data available is a bit confusing for my taste and I prefer the TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech approach. Anyway, the Rieussec is a watch which gives more enjoyable details like the feeling of depth, the different layers, the nice finishings.
Case diameter is 43mm with a thickness of 15mm.

The movement is the MB R210 with a power reserve of 72 hours and a 4hz frequency. The monopusher is located at 8 o'clock which is always surprising the first time.
It is a well-made watch but I don't understand what the dial openings bring here. The dial is already too busy for this kind of approach and I don't think it is a timeless style.
Anyway, on an overall basis, this Rieussec is a well-done watch.


















E) Vintage Tachydate

Let's go to the Villeret collection now.

I have to confess that I don't like chronographs with date display except when date is a part of the design like the Datograph. So I was a bit worried when I knew that Montblanc would unveiled a chronograph with date. It was for me a relief: the way the Villeret did it is well made even I still prefer the original chronograph without date, its elegance, its balanced dial.

The date display adds a sort of technical feeling to the dial and the shape of the date hand creates a good contrast when compared with the other ones. The double scale tachymeter is gorgeous too and fills the dial without being too present. A great designer achievement.

Monopusher movement MB M16.32 is gorgeous as expected... I am a true fan of this kind of movement, very large (38,3mm) with a low frequency (2,5hz) and a big balance wheel (14,3mm!). When you look at it, you have the feeling to observe these big engines from the past.

The Vintage Tachydate is a superb watch... on its both sides. It is available in red or white gold.























F) Chronographe Régulateur Nautique

Let's take again the chronograph & second timezone display combo, we add complications like the combined power reserve/winding zone indicator: we get the impressive Régulateur Nautique.

The most difficult point in my point of view is the gathering on the same subdial of the two hours hands: local and home times. It confuses me quite often because I tend to read the top subdial as a classic hours/minutes display. You have to understand that I don't like regulators even if the Villeret team did a strong technical work with this one.

I would like to do a similar comment than with the Rieussec: the dial openings bring confusion in a quite busy initial context. It is a pity because some details and functions were nicely created like the power reserve/winding zone indicator. The funny point is that it is the less useful function (the permanent second hand) which is the easiest to read.

Movement MB M16.30 is, once again, stunning and fills totally the cases even when they are very large: this is something I love with Villeret watches.

The Régulateur Nautique, thanks to its unusual dial lay-out and the blue scales and rings is a very original watch in a classic context.


















G) Time Writer II Bi-Fréquence

The name of this superlative watch may sound complicated but at least it clearly explains what's going on.

The Time Writer II was one of the biggest surprises at the SIHH. It belongs to the category of the watches which explore the territory of high frequencies but to do so, the Villeret team stayed within the limits of the classic art of watchmaking. It is something I highly respect. The inspiration of this watch was found in an old Minerva pocket chronograph which gave the ability to measure the 1/100th of second.

The Minerva pocket watch and its central hand which does a full revolution per second:



The Time Writter II is based on the concept of two regulator organs. One dedicated to the time display with a frequency of 2,5hz. One dedicated to the chronograph which raises the frequency of 50 hz!

The Time Writer II comes from Bartomeu Gomila's mind, a young spanish watchmaker who was graduated at WOSTEP.

I had the chance to handle the prototype of this watch while Bartomeu Gomila was explaining me its main features. First of all, the watch is big (diameter of 47mm) which can be easily understood due to the presence of the two regulating organs. Chronograph pusher is located on top of the case, between the lugs. When you press it, thanks to the see-through dial, you can see the huge difference of speed between the two balance wheels.

The Time Writer II at work:



When you stop the chronograph, the tiny hand of the upper window moves and stops to display the 1/1000th of second!

Question is: how a 50hz watch is able to display a measured time with a 1/1000th of second scale? Honestly, we find ourselves in the same situation than with the Centigraphe. Anyway, I was really impressed by the behaviour of the chronograph.

The Time Writer II prototype was not finished, all the mechanism dedicated to the time display was not put in place. The movement was not finished either, so please consider that its picture is published just to give you an idea of its architecture and not of the final result.









The movement is far from being finished but the chronograph function was working:




The Time Writer II and the pocket watch which inspired it:








As you can see it, from the Star Classic Automatic to the Time Writer II, Montblanc presented us a wide range of novelties with some very convincing ones. The second timezone display is the key complication of the year and it is a trend we can observe with other brands.

I would like to thank a lot the Montblanc team for the warm welcome during the SIHH.

Fr.Xavier

This message has been edited by foversta on 2012-05-06 10:24:22