WPS member · Montblanc forum
15 replies6196 views10 photos
jrwong23's second part of his owner's review on the Montblanc Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel offers a deep dive into the exquisite craftsmanship and unique features that make this timepiece a cherished travel companion. His appreciation for its traditional finishing, rare black grand feu enamel dial, and hunter case back highlights its exceptional value within its price range.
In Part Two of my owner’s review of my Montblanc
Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel, I will be sharing some very fine and
exquisite features found on this watch and why it is my favorite lifestyle
companion, especially when I travel for business. This monopusher chronograph
from Montblanc Villeret has levels of traditional finishing and craftsmanship I
personally adore very much and can’t find all in one timepiece at the same price
range, from other brands. For example, it is quite difficult to find a
highly-finished,A;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> hand-wound
traditional chronograph with a grand feu enamel dial and a nicely-crafted
hunter case back, in many other high-end
brands (much less one limited to only 8 pieces).
Let’s start with the dial, the part of the watch
we see the most. The dial of the watch is one of my favorite features of this
watch as it is my only watch with a grand feu enamel dial. And I especially
like it as it is black enamel, which is rarer and more difficult (from what I
read and heard from a few collectors) to produce than white enamel.
The above is a picture I took some months
ago. No matter how hard I try, my
pictures do not do the dial justice. The dial when under natural sunlight,
looks like liquid black oil, which gives the dial a lot of depth. I especially
like the black E;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“wet
look” of the grand feu enamel. The two sub-dials (chronograph 30 minute counter
and sub-seconds) are carved into the solid gold dial, and then the E;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:
AR-SA">“wells” of the sub-dials are filled with enamel
(this makes the baking of the dial trickier too!). This provides more depth
than a flat grand feu enamel dial (see the Montblanc Villeret Pulsograph below
which also has a black grand feu enamel dial but the sub dials are on the same
flat surface of the gold dial.
The photos shows three generations of Montblanc
watches featuring calibre 13.21:
- My chronograph grand feu
enamel (LE 8)
- Villeret Pulsograph (LE 58)
- Heritage Spirit
Pulsograph (LE 90 / first calibre 13.21 non-Villeret watch from
Montblanc)
Did I mention the dial is crafted from solid
gold? This is another high end feature of the watch which I love a lot and for
the record, all dials from the Montblanc Collection Villeret are crafted in
solid gold.
A macro shot of the enamel dial. You can see
minor bubbles on the dial, which actually makes every dial unique and showcases
the tradition of grand feu enameling very well. The bubbles are not visible
unless I use a macro lens to view them and I don’t find them imperfections,
rather a reminder to me that my dial is unique and individually crafted for me.
The main problem I have with the dial is that it
is not very legible under poor lighting, very similar to many watches with
black dials and silver colored hands without lume.
The next feature I love about this watch is the
case design and construction. Of course, the old school hunter back is a huge
plus.
The hunter back remains a secret unless you know
where the hidden catch is. All owners of these traditional Montblanc Villeret
watches will appreciate the exclusive opportunity to appreciate their beautiful
Minerva movements in private. Mr Cabbidu’s signature on the hunter back will
always remind me of this grand master of watchmaking and his contributions to
the Montblanc Villeret manufacture.
To be honest, this is a favorite activity in my
watch collecting hobby, to open up this hunter case back and admire the calibre
13.21. 
I hope that Montblanc continues with this tradition of
hunter case backs in their Villeret collection (which I believe many PuristS
love), as recent references seem to have dropped this feature.
The case of the watch is one of the most finely
crafted watch cases I have ever seen, with many fine details incorporated into
its construction. The case is made of 18k solid white gold as per the
traditions in Villeret where all their watches are crafted in precious metals
(unless there are bespoke projects undertaken by reclusive clients that I am
not aware of).
A macro shot of the side profile of the case. A
beautifully crafted concave bezel and beveled lugs. The monopusher button is
also firm and a joy to press on.
The engraving on the case back, reminding owners
that each Villeret watch from Montblanc is extremely limited and exquisite, to
be cherished by its owners.
I also appreciate the very thick sapphire glass
on the watch. See picture below.
One reason why I like modern watches is the
scratch resistance property of sapphire crystals. But I also like the thickness
of plexiglass found in many vintage watches which give the glass a 3D effect,
rising above the bezel and case. Like many models in the Montblanc Villeret
collection, the manufacture does not skimp on very thick sapphire crystal glass
when they cover the dial of the watch. I love this side profile view.
On the wrist, the clever design of the leather
wrapping around the gap between the lugs also helps the watch to wear smaller
as lug overhang over smaller wrists will be concealed well. The main complaint
I have over the wearing of this watch is that the leather strap is very thin,
too thin for such a thick chronograph watch with a hunter back. I would prefer
a thicker strap from Montblanc.
I will wrap up with Part Three with the calibre
13.21 and the monopusher function and operation of this watch (it is super
smooth and I dare say smoother than my Lange Datograph!) and share some of my
travel and work experience with this watch as my companion. Believe me, on
those tough days and long business trips, this watch has helped me stay happy
and motivated!
A glass of champagne and my Montblanc Villeret
on the plane help me relax and prepare for a long and stressful business trip.
In Part Three I will also write some personal
thoughts on these older series Montblanc Villeret watches vs the newer
non-Villeret watches cased with Montblanc Villeret movements such as the
Heritage Spirit Pulsograph (calibre 13.21) and the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter (calibre 16.29).
Cheers
robin
