Minerva has a long and storied history of making some of the finest Swiss chronographs available dating back to 1858. In 2006 the company was acquired by Montblanc and rededicated as their R&D arm with a focus on developing complications, tourbillons and, of course, sophisticated chronograph movements.
Montblanc’s newest creation is the 1858 Monopusher Limited Edition for Hodinkee, a limited edition-version of their monopusher chronograph that marries modern watchmaking with a vintage design from the golden age of the tool watch. Bundled into the purchase of the watch is an all-expenses-paid trip to the Montblanc Manufacture in the Jura mountains in Switzerland to see where the watches are assembled. The timepiece and experience ain’t cheap at $30,000, but hey, we’re talking about an included trip to Switzerland, so take that into consideration.
The new LE, limited to 25 pieces, features a 40mm steel case with a box sapphire crystal, step-style bezel and 100m of water resistance. Powered by the manually wound MB M13.21 caliber with 55 hours of power reserve, the watch features a dual-register, monopusher-controlled chronograph with 30-minute counter and central chrono seconds hand, all read against a handsome black dial with “old radium”-style lume and a base-1,000 tachymeter. Period-correct cathedral hands have been updated with more contemporary pencil-style hands. The movement is visible through a transparent sapphire case back
The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Limited Edition for Hodinkee will be available exclusively in the Hodinkee Shop and select Montblanc boutiques in the USA, and each purchase includes a paid trip to Montblanc’s Le Locle and Villeret facilities.
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