Montblanc is presenting a new capsule collection at Watches and Wonders to add to the house’s “zero oxygen” collection.
These are four new watches that pay tribute to the world’s 14 highest peaks as well as to the brave mountaineers who succeeded in the great feat of climbing them.
Let us now go into the details of each model within this article.
Montblanc 1858 0 Oxygen The 8000
Montblanc has always made the mountains a fundamental part of its heritage, as well as being a source of inspiration for its name which refers to Mount Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.
With the new collection “The 8000” Montblanc is adding to its “0 Oxygen” series, a collection with which the house pays tribute to the world’s most famous peaks as well as to the skilled climbers who have ventured above their summits.
The four new models in the series pay homage to the world’s 14 peaks that exceed 8,000 meters above sea level and are all characterized by very low oxygen levels above their summits, which makes it even more difficult and dangerous for climbers to venture above them.
And it is precisely these people, too, that Montblanc has decided to honor with watches that offer numerous advantages for explorers who use them in harsh and extreme environmental conditions.
These include the total absence of oxygen inside the case by which we are able to avoid fogging of the glass that might normally occur with temperature changes at altitude as well as oxidation of the components.
Each of the four watches also comes with a certificate that they were assembled in an oxygen-free environment.
Another feature that unites the four models is the presence of a dial with a shaded dark gray glacier pattern that is inspired by the color of rock and ice that can be found at 8,000 meters above sea level.
To achieve the ice effect, the house’s artisans used a special technique called “gratté-boisé” as a base, a procedure that requires more than 20 processing steps and is able to give the dial depth and luminosity.
Above each of the four dials of the new models stand out orange details, a color that is very important in the mountains so that climbers can be easily seen.
In fact, the orange on climbers’ mountaineering clothing and equipment allows them to be spotted in an emergency even in the most extreme weather conditions.
In addition to on equipment, orange is a color that is presene on Tibetan amulets often worn by mountaineers as they are believed to emanate positive spiritual power.
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen
Starting with the first model in the new collection, we find a 44 mm titanium watch assembled in the absence of oxygen.
It is a limited edition timepiece of 290 pieces that will accompany Nepalese mountaineer Nimsdai Purja on his next adventure.
A bidirectional black ceramic bezel with the cardinal points above it stands out above the case.
Above the glacier patterned dial are depicted two 3D rotating globes with the northern hemisphere at 12 o’clock and the southern hemisphere at 6 o’clock.
On the upper hemisphere there are 14 orange dots representing the location of peaks from 8000 m high. Around both the northern and southern hemispheres is a ring indicating the day/night time zone.
Also, in both hemispheres, the Greenwich meridian of reference is depicted in orange color, which allows for easy adjustment of the universal time function. At 3 o’clock, however, is the 30-minute chronograph counter, along with the date window, and at 9 o’clock is the 12-hour chronograph counter.
Both chronograph hands, including the center seconds hand, have orange tips. During the night, all dial elements, the numerals, indexes, continents, and as well as the cardinal points on the bezel, glow a glacial blue color.
On the case back of the watch can be seen a colorful 3D laser engraving showing the list and profiles of the 14 eight-thousand-meter peaks according to Nimsdai along with the name of the watch, two inspirational quotes from Nimsdai, and three Himalayan prayer flags symbolizing good fortune.
Animating these chronographs with universal time complication we find the in-house MB 29.27 caliber, an automatic movement with a 46-hour power reserve enclosed in a 17.10 mm case thickness.
Complementing the watch is an interchangeable anthracite fabric strap that takes inspiration from the design of mountaineers’ ropes.
List price: EUR 9,400
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen The 8000
This second model in the collection is inspired by Montblanc’s Mark Maker Reinhold Messer, the mountaineer who climbed all 14 of the world’s highest peaks. It is a titanium watch with a 42 mm diameter case with a bidirectional ceramic bezel above it that displays the cardinal points.
Above the dark gray shaded dial with the ice pattern of this watch with the universal time complication, the two rotating hemispheres, 24-hour scale, day/night band display, and dual time zone are depicted.
Also in this model, like the one seen above, we find the same orange accents indicating the 14 8000 m peaks as well as the Greenwich meridians. At 3 o’clock is the date window while at 9 o’clock is the counter indicating the second time zone.
On the back of the watch can be seen a depiction of the world’s second highest mountain, K2, as well as the names of the 14 8,000-meter mountains. The beating heart of this model is the MB 29.25 automatic movement housed inside a 12.8 mm thick case.
Completing the watch is the interchangeable titanium bracelet equipped with a precision adjustment system.
List price: EUR 7,200
Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph 0 Oxygen The 8000
The third model in the collection is a steel chronograph with a 42-mm-diameter case also made in the absence of oxygen.
Above it is a bidirectional black ceramic bezel with cardinal points and a glacier-patterned dial where the seconds counter at 9 o’clock and 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock are located.
Contrasting with the color of the dial are the orange tip of the center seconds hand, the tip of the counter hand at 3 o’clock, and the quarters positioned on the outer chapter ring.
At night, all dial elements are invisible thanks to the blue luminescence of the hour and minute hands, applied Arabic numerals, and cardinal points.
On the caseback, however, the “spirit of exploration” motif is possible. Animating the watch is the MB 25.13 automatic caliber with a power reserve of about 48 hours positioned inside the 12.8 mm thick case. Completing the watch is an interchangeable steel bracelet with a precision adjustment system.
List price: EUR 5,000
Montblanc 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen The 8000
The latest watch in “The 8000” capsule collection is a time-only with a steel case with a diameter of 41 mm made again in the absence of oxygen. Above it we find the fixed ceramic bezel with the cardinal points and the dial with the same dark gray shaded glacier pattern as the other models in the collection.
On the dial you can see the date window at 3 o’clock, applied Arabic numerals, the central seconds hand, and the contrasting orange color given by the quarter hours being highlighted.
At night, the Arabic numerals on the dial, along with the hands and cardinal points on the bezel, are visible through blue luminescence.
Inside the 11.3 mm thick case is the MB 24.15 automatic caliber with a power reserve of about 38 hours. The case back of this watch is also engraved with the “spirit of exploration” motif. Completing the watch is a steel bracelet equipped with a precision adjustment system.
List price: EUR 3,070
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