Introducing the Montblanc Novelties for Watches & Wonders 2023

For Watches and Wonders 2023, Montblanc has come out swinging with 6 different novelty watches right out of the gate. While all are lovely, there are two that stand out to us here at Wrist Enthusiast. The first is a unique Minerva-inspired Monopusher Chronograph with a “Distressed” Steel case, and a bold take on the brand’s signature Geosphere with a textured dial unlike anything we’ve seen before.

1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE 88

Ever since the brand’s acquisition of Minerva, Montblanc has really stepped up it’s watchmaking game. It marked a turning point for Montblanc into a serious watchmaking house. The 1858 collection was revolutionary for the brand, with each year seemingly one-upping the last. For Watches & Wonders this year, they up their game even more with a skeletonized monopusher chronograph with a uniquely distressed case. Besides being simply gorgeous, the watch is treated with a cleaning agent to age the case with a darkening agent that looks like a Patina.

The material used to age the case is from the actual “Mont-Blanc” - The mountain directly across from the manufacture. The limestone scrub ensures that each watch is unique to it’s purchaser, and that not one watch is the same. Additionally, the steel case features a white gold bezel that’s fluted just like the Minerva brand’s original models in the late 1920’s. The watch comes fitted with a nubuck alligator leather strap with an equally distressed fold-over clasp. The watch will be limited to 88 pieces and come with a price tag of $36,500 USD.

1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000 LE 290

Anyone who knows me, knows that I was a huge fan of the Geosphere when it was released. Montblanc has done a fantastic job of creating an “adventurer” watch with a lot of charm and almost always a story. In May 2022, famed climber Mark Maker Nimsdai Purja ascended Mount Everest with one of Montblanc’s prototype 0 Oxygen 1858 Geosphere watches. The catch was that he didn’t take any supplemental oxygen with him -a rarity for the feat of climbing to the top of the infamous mountain. Mark is also the first Mountaineer to climb all 14 of the world’s highest peaks. To mark the occasion, and with the influence from that climb, Montblanc is releasing the 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen 8000 - A really unique take on the Geosphere.

First, the brand has equipped the watch with the MB 29.27 movement -A unique chronograph with a worldtimer complication. This allows for two globes on the dial to rotate in the northern hemisphere on the top, and the southern hemisphere on the bottom. On the 0 Oxygen model, however, the Northern Hemisphere is marked in orange with 14 dots marking the 8000m peaks. The dial plate is textured with an “Icy” texture that makes the dial feel weathered and worn. It’s one of the coolest finishing’s we’ve seen in a while. The Icy influence is continued with the only splash of color on the dial is a frozen blue, broken up only be the orange indicators on the dial. The caseback continues the artistic rendition with a motif of the Mountain heights and the flags marking the ascent path. The model will be limited to 290 pieces, and come with a price tag of $9,800 USD.