Montblanc dares to take risks with new grand complications

Montblanc is not a brand that plays it safe in good or bad times – and the new 2017 collection is evidence of that.

“If you don’t move forward, you lose,” says Montblanc CEO Jérôme Lambert. “Elegance, technical competence and value for money are the main elements of our watch strategy.”

During Lambert’s tenure at Montblanc, the luxury maison has revolutionised its watch collection by offering grand complications such as ExoTourbillon and the Orbis Terrarum at more competitive pricesthan its competitors .

“Every year, we challenge ourselves with a new benchmark,” Lambert says. “We dare ourselves to take the risk of proposing something new. The more you dare, the more you’re allowed to dare.”

This year, Montblanc has a new collection that pays tribute to the rich history of its Manufacture Minerva in Villeret.

The Rally Timer, a stopwatch created to time motor racing, marks the beginning of the collection. The modern interpretation – TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer Counter, limited to 100 pieces – can be worn as a wristwatch or a pocket watch and can also be transformed into a dashboard clock.

With a large case, which has a diameter of 50mm, the timepiece is constructed with grade-two titanium coated with black DLC to make it more comfortable to wear and for a modern, sporty look.

Echoing the aesthetics of its traditional chronograph, the Rally Timer Counter features plenty of elements inspired by cars – cue the open caseback that resembles a car grille, as well as the black dial accentuated with red chronograph second hands, SuperLuminova indexes and tachymeter scale.

Powered by the manually wound mono-pusher chronograph MB M16.29, the piece boasts a power reserve of 50 hours. It costs HK$258,100.

Another piece from the TimeWalker collection is the Chronograph 1000, limited to 18 pieces. The watch taps Minerva’s expertise in chronographs – the manufacture developed stopwatches that could measure 0.2 seconds as early as 1911 and 0.01 seconds in 1936.