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An in depth review- Montblanc Villeret Grand Chronographe Email Grand Feu

by Michael Ting

© June 2009

Despite its complexity the mechanical chronograph is, in my humble opinion, vastly under appreciated. Why is this complication taken for granted?  I believe it is because we have been spoiled by workhorse movements like the Seiko 6139 and Valjoux 7750 which have made these mechanical marvels ubiquitous in our everyday lives. In other words, the chronograph is a victim of its own success and the majority of watch enthusiasts have fallen prey to the marketing hype touting the tourbillon as the pinnacle of horological achievement.

The mechanisms found in chronographs are derived from basic mathematical and engineering principles. Yet implementing these concepts into accurate miniature movements requires the coordinated action of hundreds of moving parts often with the slimmest of tolerances.  I will assert that elegantly designed, in house manufactured, and finely finished chronographs are the best evidence of a brand’s horological know how.  As an example, I challenge my fellow PuristS to inspect any chronograph from Montblanc’s Villeret 1858 collection with an open mind.  These will prove the immense capabilities and skill found at its Minerva workshop beyond a shadow of a doubt.  

Previously PuristSPro reviewed the Grand Chronographe Authentique from the Montblanc Villeret 1858 collection click here.

As a followup Montblanc offered the Grand Chronographe Email Grand Feu in white for inspection. Note the picture above, the edition is also being released with a black grand feu enamel dial.

This white gold model was released in the autumn of 2008 by Montblanc to celebrate Minerva’s 150^th Jubilee.  Like the previous Villeret 1858 chronograph we’ve reviewed, this time piece is also limited to:

1 unique piece in 950 platinum

8 pieces in 18K white gold

58 pieces in 18K rose gold  

Again the numbers are in reference to the year of Minerva’s founding.  

Case, Crown, Dial and Hands   

This “grand” chronograph model only measures 41mm in diameter and about 13.7mm thick.  But don’t let these numbers fool you; this watch feels substantial on the wrist.  Having had the pleasure of wearing a 47mm Villeret Chronograph before, I can say no sense of luxury is lost with this smaller size.  In my humble opinion the Grand Chronographe Email Grand Feu is actually more elegant because of its reserved proportions.  

The shape of the case is the same throughout the entire Villeret line.  On the profile it resembles a vintage Rolex Oyster except the curves and the lugs are more exaggerated.

As in any fine watch I expected to find some unique touches and Montblanc did not disappoint.  There are four details that I would like to highlight.  The first is the mirror polished white gold convex bezel which has an eccentric radius. Notice that the surface area of the “lip” is greater at the six o’clock position than at the twelve. 

 In form and function this bezel mimics a medieval gorget (a piece of metal armor utilized to protect the human neck) as I believe it shields the sides of chevé sapphire crystal from inadvertent damage.  

 “Chevé” is a French term used to describe a sapphire crystal which is highly domed.  For the Villeret series Montblanc selected an anti reflective crystal with vertical sides, a virtual miniature sapphire cylinder under which the enamel dial is displayed.  Easily overlooked, this choice highlights Montblanc’s sophisticated approach as it is extremely difficult and expensive to achieve this shape.  Other crystals start out as thin disks which are then cut, ground, and polished into the desired specification.  With the chevé, imagine starting out with a block of sapphire crystal, carving out the middle, grinding and polishing the sides until a crystalline cylinder is formed. This is a truly time consuming manufacturing process requiring much more stock material than traditional sapphire crystals.  

The third detail is tiny. It is the addition of alligator skin over a thin metal plate seated against the curvature of the case and between the lugs. This creates a seamless transition from the white gold case to the wrist strap and it is a simple solution which I have never seen implemented before.  

However my favorite feature is the hinged solid white gold cuvette.  Its curved shape is more pronounced than many other brands’ interpretations of the same concept (i.e. Daniel Roth Elipsocurvex case) and this contributes tremendously to the wearing comfort.  The exterior surface has a brushed finished and is decorated with the hand engraved Montblanc snowflake trademark, the limited edition number, and the proclamation: “Fait Main a Villeret”.  

The unique releasing mechanism has been described in the previous review.  Here is the exposed mechanism on the current release.   I took off the strap to expose the whole patented mechanism.

It is so playful to bend the straps and have the back spring open to expose the sapphire window showing the movement.  Notice the hand engraved signature of Minerva’s master watchmaker Demetrio Cabiddu, personally guaranteeing the quality of this chronograph.

Look closely, Montblanc pays hommage to Minerva’s history by also incorporating the original “arrow” trademark.  

The crown design has not changed from the previous review except now the chronograph’s single actuator is relocated to the 2 o’clock location.  The size is still properly proportioned to the rest of the case and it provides enough tactile grip to easily wind the movement. 

Black lacquer and mother of pearl inlay complete the look although I think it would have been interesting if Montblanc used their patented star diamond in the crown.  

A thinly padded alligator strap and a white gold tang buckle completes the package.  Although the curved case back is the major reason why this watch wears so well, these accessories augment the comfort factor.  The tang buckle has a horizontal slot cut out underneath its body.  This space allows the strap to fit flat and prevents the buckle from sitting up at an angle potentially snagging a shirt cuff.

The dial of this limited edition chronograph is marvelous.  Crafted for Montblanc by Stern Cadran (a subsidiary of the Richmont group which used to supply dials for Patek), the dial is a fusion of two traditional enamel techniques: grand feu and champlevé enamelling. Unlike traditional enamel dials using a baseplate of copper, the one used in this watch is made of solid gold.  An artisan hand carves and removes the excess gold until the silver ring pattern emerges (champlevé). The wells created by the removal of the gold are then filled with white enamel powder. When the dial is heated to 850 degrees Celsius (grand feu) the enamel powder melts and the resulting “liquid glass” fills the well.  The dial is allowed to cool and the process is repeated (multiple firings) until the well is completely filled.  Due to the different thermal coefficients of expansion of gold and glass, the reverse side of the base plate is also enameled to provide a countering force meant to prevent the dial from distorting and the enamel from cracking when cooling. Even when conditions are controlled and optimized the rejection rate for the simplest grand feu enamel dials approach 50%.  

Close inspection of the dial reveals the excellent skills possessed by the enamellers employed by Stern.  The color is uniform and vividly white.  The enameled surface is even but not perfectly smooth and the pitting, though visible, is minimal.  

I truly never quite understood the dial design until a week into the wrist trial when I noticed that it was effortless to tell time with the Grand Chronograph.The normal process of reading time dictates that your eyes first focus on the dial, then move to interpret the hours hand and then move again to a different sector of the dial to read the longer minute hand. Montblanc has made this physiologic sequence more efficient with their dial layout. 

Notice the eccentric circular pattern which not only mimics the bezel shape but is employed to draw your eyes to the middle of the dial. Now by placing the indices closer to the center of the dial, the time can be easily deciphered without much eye movement.  It is a very subtle change but extremely effective.

The outside track is reserved exclusively for the chronograph function where a single minute is marked off in 1/5 second increments.   The red paint used to denote every 15 seconds adds a nice splash of color around the periphery.

The black paint used for the Roman numerals and other markers are applied cleanly and with enough substance to give them some body.  A close look at the printing shows no bleeding of the colored ink into the surrounding white enamel.  

I sincerely hope that Montblanc eliminates some of the superfluous labeling found on the dial for their future editions.  The “Pure Mechanique Horlogere” and even the small script “Minerva 1858” can be left off without affecting my impressions of the watch.  

The solid 18K gold hands are mirror polished.  The hour hand resembles a fountain pen nib while the minute hand is leaf shaped.  The chronograph hands resemble the others made of white gold but interestingly they are made of Pfinodal, a copper alloy. 

The long chronograph seconds hand with the Montblanc star “tail” is aligned directly with the red 60 marker at rest. 

When the chronograph is activated the second hand doesn’t recoil nor jump; it exhibits a smooth start.The hand will fly back to the starting position when the chronograph is reset except when it has swept past the 45 second mark.  Past this point the chronograph hand will fly forward to its original position. The chronograph minute hand is “semi instantaneous”.  It will start moving approximately ½ second before the minute elapses and the hand will stop on the appropriate indicator about ½ second later.    

Movement  

Under the cuvette and beneath the rear sapphire crystal is the manually wound Minerva Caliber 13-21 monopusher chronograph.  Previous articles highlighting the vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities of the Minerva atelier demonstrate that this movement is truly completely built and assembled “in-house” from stock metals.   Here are the technical specifications:  

The caliber 13-21 chronograph employs a column wheel device with horizontal coupling to measure time. There is nothing revolutionary about this movement since it is based on a vintage Minerva caliber but using computer aided analysis and improved manufacturing techniques, the Minerva technical team refined the design.  

The shape and strength of the springs, the geometry of the lever arms and hammers, the size of the wheels…these factors not only add to the beauty of the movement but help determine the resistance that the user feels when the button is activated.  When the tangential action of the levers and hammers on their respective wheels are optimized the resulting friction is minimized, the precision is enhanced, and the time required for the button to affect the mechanism is greatly reduced. Take a look at the changes between the original and the modern iteration.

As mentioned before, friction is the greatest enemy of any chronograph mechanism.  Unlike vintage Minerva movements which were products of a well oiled industrial production process, current artisans spend days hand beveling and mirror polishing every functional surface to eliminate as much friction as possible at contact points.  For example, here is the mirror polish found on the reset cam.

The new teeth profile was highlighted in a post on the forum a few weeks ago.  I can report that the caliber 13-21 does not have a discernable “jumpy” start which is commonly associated with horizontally clutched chronographs.  The spokes of these wheels are also faceted.

 Finally, to maximize the potential of these new changes, a manual “mise en fonction” is performed.  Once the movement has been assembled, a watchmaker actuates the start, stop, and reset functions very slowly while observing the reaction of the parts under a magnifying glass.If the lever movements are not in perfect synchronization the parts are disassembled, refinished, reassembled, and retested until the minor deviations are corrected.    Here is a sample of what the watchmaker inspects under the loupe (I apologize for the dust on the sapphire crystal).

No matter how perfect the finish is, there will always be some friction involved.  Look at the column, can you see the "rub" marks left behind by the lever?

 The Grande Chronographe Email Grand Feu is quite honestly the best feeling chronograph that I have ever examined. The single button actuator is buttery smooth. The break is distinct, at the same depth, and requires the same pressure to overcome throughout the entire chronograph sequence.  I believe this superior tactile response is the result of the precise mechanical engineering, meticulous assembly, and fine finishing which I’ve highlighted above.  

The decorative finishing standards are set extremely high for the Villeret 1858 collection.  Gold plated wheels, jewels set in chatons, perlaged baseplate, Geneva stripes, and polished countersunk screws are just a few of the tiny details. It is a pointless undertaking to make comparisons with other brands using only one sample but since finishing aesthetics is a trademark of the current collection I hope the following pictures can be used to emphasize Montblanc’s commitment to being one of the best in the industry.  

Note the rounded, polished screw head and the trademark Minerva arrow on the blocking lever.

Testing  

When I received the chronograph from Montblanc, I was told that this specific sample was an “esthetical technical demonstration piece which has not had all the attention of a final production watch”.  I found this to be an advantage for this review because it gave me a chance to evaluate the inherent capabilities of the raw caliber before adjustment by Minerva’s regleur.

According to Minerva’s technical department, all movements are adjusted before casing and repeated after casing in five positions.  The maximum deviation of rate in all positions is 15 s/d while the maximum tolerance of the middle of rate is -2/+10 s/d.  

I inspected the tiny mass screws on the rim of the balance.  Notice there are no washers (Minerva uses solid gold and platinum ones) which suggests that indeed this sample has not been regulated.

On the wrist the watch averaged +4 seconds/day.  With the chronograph continuously running, the watch measured +3 seconds/day.  The power reserve was approximately 57 hours.  This result was much better than the stated Montblanc standard and surprising since this specimen did not receive any adjustment.

While I firmly believe that performance data gathered during the actual wearing of the watch should be the gold standard for enthusiasts, I recognize that we all have different lifestyles and we share the desire for additional objective data.  Afterall the PuristS philosophy of life is: Pursuing integrity and perfection in an imperfect world.  So here are the data screens for the Grand Chronographe Email Grand Feu on a chrono-comparator.  The lift angle was confirmed by Minerva as 49 degrees and set at the appropriate frequency of 18,000 VPH.  After starting the chronograph, the watch was allowed to "settle" for 30 minutes before being tested.  Obviously temperature was not controlled although the ambient conditions indoors stayed relatively the same over 24 hours.

Key: Crown up/down/left/right (3H/9H/6H/12H)  Dial up/down (FH/CH)

Full wind, chronograph off

Full wind, chronograph running

24 hours after full wind, chronograph off

24 hours after full wind, chronograph running.

Again these results must be interpreted as the "raw" capabilities of the movement not having undergone any fine tuning.  In my humble opinion these data points are revealing and demonstrate that even before undergoing adjustments the caliber 13-21 is a diamond in the rough.

Since I wear timepieces on my left wrist, the most important positions to consider are dial up, crown down, and crown left (FH/9H/6H).  At full wind the performance is impressive even with the chronograph function activated (much better than the actual wrist trial). After twenty four hours the absolute deviations are significant in these positions but the differences almost cancel each other out.

Despite the obvious need for some regulation the data suggests minimal amplitude drop shifting from a horizontal to vertical orientation at full wind.  Even after a full day the resulting change is remarkable given the balance wheel's high moment of inertia 26 mg/cm2.

In a previous article Mr.Cabiddu, Minerva's chief watchmaker, said "the amplitude of the balance stays constant at nearly the same rate with or without the chronograph being engaged, because the chronograph mechanism requires less energy" [1].  Although this assertion was made in reference to the theoretical benefit of changing the teeth profile on the transfer wheel many enthusiasts thought this claim was exaggerated.  The chrono-comparator doesn't lie...Mr. Cabiddu was telling the truth.  Whether or not this achievement can be attributed soley to a simple change in the transfer wheel remains a bit of a mystery but I can't expect Mr. Cabiddu to reveal all of Minerva's technical secrets.

Conclusion

Purchasing a timepiece from the Montblanc Villeret 1858 collection requires considerable deliberation.  It is an expensive proposition and there are many other worthy competitors in the marketplace.  However the Grand Chronographe Email Grand Feu successfully showcases the best aspects of traditional watchmaking and the genuine excellence of the Minerva atelier.  It is a complete horological package and I can appreciate and comprehend its price tag.

For unbiased enthusiasts willing to evaluate it, this watch will surprise you with all its merits.

For those enthusiasts still skeptical about Montblanc's commitment to haute horology, this chronograph should eliminate all doubts.

To PuristS who lament the "extinction" of Minerva, I offer this one last observation.  There are no less than five direct references to Minerva on the watch and five references to Montblanc as well...a fitting and symbolic tribute to the new synergistic relationship between a venerable watch company and its new corporate owners.

I would like to thank Mr. Alexander Schmiedt and Ms. Linda Hadley for giving me the opportunity to review this timepiece and I look forward to the next generation of the Villeret 1858 collection.

[1] Magnus Bosse: Like Phoenix from the ashes- the astonishing rebirth of Minerva SA, Villeret. Part 2, May 2005

Copyright June 2009 - Michael Ting & PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved

Comments, suggestions, and corrections to this article are welcomed.  
The author has not received any direct compensation from Montblanc for this article.
 

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