M2 Luxury Watch Guide 2021: Montblanc
Montblanc Star Legacy Automatic Date 43mm
Montblanc is a label renowned for all things luxury and its watches are a big part of what has built that reputation. With its latest releases, Montblanc has once again reached its own lofty benchmark, and the Montblanc Star Legacy Automatic Date 43mm might be the clearest example. The wonderous stylish piece succeeds in commitment to simplicity. The makers opted for an uncomplicated design, a dial that comes in either a relaxed ivory with 18K rose gold-coated roman numeral indices or a shimmering anthracite with an identical set of indices, only coated in black rhodium.
Both versions are enhanced by Montblanc exploding star guilloché pattern, which adds a level of intrigue and texture to the dial. Locking in the dial is a 43mm stainless steel case, with a gorgeous domed sapphire crystal crown sitting proudly on the rim. Utilising the MB 24.17 calibre automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve, this one is probably best categorised as more of a showpiece than a utility, but given its knockout aesthetic design, it more than fits that bill.
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition
Unlike the Star Legacy, Montblanc’s 1858 lays its roots in practicality, aiming to rubs shoulders with the legendary timepieces that emerged in the Spirit of Exploration back in the early 1990s. The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition is no exception and draws inspiration from one of our world’s most famed and accomplished mountaineer’s, Reinhold Messner and pays tribute to his incredible trek through the Gobi Desert in 2004.
Sitting atop the satin-finished bronze case is a smoked brown and beige lacquered dial and a bi-directional shiny brown ceramic bezel. When combined, the hazy tan and bronze colouring paints a beautiful representation of the sand and rock which rested under Messner’s feet as he roamed the vast and sprawling desert. On the dial are two fascinating complications; a pair of domed hemisphere globes which sit at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions respectively and turn the watch into a 24-hour world clock on which fits on your wrist with the gold-coated and bronze outer rim even offering a day/night time indicator for each location. Amongst all of this, the case back is arguably the piece’s biggest technical achievement, a stunning titanium portrait engraving of the Gobi Desert’s Flaming Cliffs.
