ontblanc introduces two new Montblanc 1858 Annual Calendar Geosphere Limited Editions powered by a brand-new manually wound manufacture Minerva movement, featuring an annual calendar (hours, minutes, seconds, date and month indications), a large date and a worldtimer function. The movement has a power reserve of approximately 65 hours and is composed of 336 parts, all of which are hand-decorated using traditional haute horlogerie techniques such as Côtes de Genève and a rarely seen snail finishing.

The red arrow for the months is a nod to the Roman goddess Minerva, the deity of craftsmanship, who was known for carrying a spear with an arrow at its tip. It also has a rich history rooted in early aviation Minerva chronographs from the 1920s and 1930s. A keen eye will notice that the month of July has been replaced by the word ‘Minerva’ as it was on July 30th 1887 that the Minerva trademark, and its recognisable arrow, were registered. 

The visual focal point of these timepieces is their hand-painted, three-dimensional, rotating globe featuring the Northern Hemisphere and a Day & Night indication. The globe also indicates the Greenwich Mean Time line with an orange line and a 24-hour scale. A Swiss artisan spends four hours meticulously hand-painting the underside of each globe, which is crafted from sapphire crystal. The globes in these two new models represent the Northern Hemisphere, while the Southern Hemisphere is available on request. 

Both editions are fitted with fixed fluted bezels inspired by Minerva’s historic timepieces and the first fluted bezels that date back to 1927. Today, the fluted bezel is a signature design feature of all Minerva timepieces. The Lime Gold model has a matching Lime Gold 750/1000 (18k) bezel, whereas the stainless steel version comes with a white gold 750/1000 (18k) bezel. 

The timepieces are inspired by the aesthetic codes from Minerva’s heritage, notably the 1950s, with their silver/white-coloured sunray and grained dials with blue-coated hands and indexes (for the stainless steel version) and yellow gold-coated hands and indexes (for the Lime Gold 750/1000 (18k) model). A new take on some of the best-known timepieces from Minerva’s past.

Price: CHF 43,500 (LE100) – CHF 56,500 (LE30)

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