Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition

Montblanc reinterprets a historical Minerva military monopusher chronograph to our delight!

The inspiration

The Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph is a reinterpretation of a 44mm historical Minerva military monopusher chronograph from the 1930s, which was powered by the 17/29 caliber and featured a very original snail-shaped tachymeter scale in the center and a telemeter scale on the outer rim of the dial.

The Minerva manufacture has a long and distinguished history which started in 1902 and lasted until 2006 when it was bought by the Richemont Group. Minerva was integrated into Montblanc, effectively becoming their watchmaking division.

The new Montblanc Split Second Chronograph

The Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition comes in a 44mm case in full satin-finished titanium. The dial is crafted from solid gold, adorned with a graduated blue grand feu enamel dial. The timepiece is powered by the Manufacture monopusher chronograph caliber MB16.31, with a power reserve of 50 hours.

The Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph is equipped with a chronograph, a telemeter, a tachymeter and a complex split second complication known as “rattrapante”. The “rattrapante” is fully visible through the sapphire crystal case back. The beige central chronograph second hand and telemeter scale, as well as the orange, split second hand is a nice vintage touch.

The timepiece is limited to 100 pieces only.

The blue gradient Grand Feu Enamel dial

Grand feu enameling is one of the oldest crafts in watchmaking. It is the art of meticulously applying layer after layer of colorful vitreous enamel paste and firing it in the kiln, The number of different layers, as well as the amount of time spent in the kiln, determine the depth of the blue. The gradient is achieved by the variations in the height of the enamel.