ontblanc’s Mark-Maker Reinhold Messner made history in 1990 when he and explorer Arved Fuchs were the first men to cross Antarctica on foot with neither animal nor motorised support, covering a distance of 2,800 km, gradually climbing more than 3,000 m, while also pulling a sled weighing over 100 kg, with scarcely more than a compass to guide them.

Glacial ice is different from regular white ice as its age, density and weight have expelled almost all of the air bubbles inside, meaning that it can absorb almost every colour in the spectrum. The colour blue is refracted thanks to this absence of oxygen. It is this blue tone that has been highlighted on the dial of the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Exploration Limited Edition.

A special technique has been designed to bring an impression of genuine depth and luminosity to the dial of the new limited edition of 1,990 pieces. The dial makers start by volume stamping the dial to create the iced pattern and then employ a special technique called gratté boisé as the base. Each layer is printed, lacquered, polished, and left overnight to dry before the next layer can be applied. This time-consuming technique takes four times longer than a standard dial to complete and requires over 30 separate steps.

It is not just the glacial ice that is devoid of air. This watch joins Montblanc’s series of “Zero Oxygen” timepieces that feature several benefits. Zero oxygen inside the case not only eliminates fogging, which can occur with drastic temperature changes at altitude, but also prevents oxidation. Without oxygen, all the components last far longer and will provide unfaltering precision over time. Like with all 1858 Geosphere models, both the Northern and Southern hemispheres are represented by two three-dimensional globes that turn anti-clockwise and include a day and night indication so that the wearer can see what time it is across the Earth at a glance. A keen eye will also notice that Montblanc has added Messner’s route across the South Pole on the Antarctic continent as a nod to its legendary Mark-Maker’s expedition.

To celebrate the full beauty of the South Pole, Montblanc has added an engraving of the Aurora Australis on the caseback over Antarctica’s Paradise Bay, famous for its emperor penguins and whale spotting points, as well as for being one of the coldest and windiest places on Earth.

Price: CHF 7,100

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