2013/02/09

*Montblanc "New Productions 2013"

Montblanc the Star Quantième Complet

 

On Monday, January 21st 2013, at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva, the Montblanc Star Quantieme Complet will be unveiled to the public and the international press.

Montblanc’s Star Collection prioritizes classically beautiful wristwatches by combining this brand’s unmistakable aesthetic and the traditional Swiss art of watchmaking. Classical forms, materials, techniques and embellishments that have been timelessly handsome for decades and will continue to be so in future have characterized Montblanc’s Star Collection for over fifteen years. This tradition continues with the new Montblanc Star Quantième Complet, a gent’s wristwatch that’s equally appropriate with a classical business suit or to complement the formal elegance of a tuxedo.

Classically Elegant Bearer of Calendarical Information
A classically round wristwatch with a full calendar (i.e. date, day of the week, month and lunar phases) is a rare species. Either its calendar shows only the date or else the watch boasts a full-fledged perpetual calendar and costs several tens of thousands of euros. Montblanc closes the gap between both extremes with the new Star Quantième Complet.

The name is indeed descriptive. Francophone watchmakers use the terms “quantième” to describe the calendar function and “complet” to mean “complete” or “full”. This latest model in the Montblanc Star Collection has a classically elegant dial that shows both the time of day or night and a full array of calendarical data. The date is indicated by a hand which culminates in a little red crescent that sweeps along a wreath of thirty-one digits around the dial’s periphery. In accord with the best tradition, the day of the week and the month appear in little windows arranged along a horizontal line at the “12”. The lower half of the dial is reserved for the moon- phase display, which also emulates the changing phases of this heavenly body during the day, when the real moon is either pale or entirely invisible.

All this takes place on a dial that boasts all the attributes of timeless elegance. The centre bears a fine guilloche décor. The brand’s name is written in black on a cartouche at the “12”. A wreath of black Roman numerals indicates the hours. This circle is concentrically succeeded by the minute-ring with its segmented scale. As already mentioned, the extreme periphery hosts the date-ring, which is calibrated from 1 to 31. A set of blued steel hands orbit above this noble background: the hours and minutes are indicated by feuille-shaped hands; the seconds are shown by a slender, straight hand with a skeletonised counterweight shaped like Montblanc’s distinctive emblem; and a slim hand tipped by a red crescent points to the date.

A Golden Investment
This classically handsome face is framed by an elegant, round, 42-mm-diameter case. With nearly 69 grams of red gold, the precious metal alone is highly valuable, but the worth of the material is far increased by perfect craftsmanship and noble design with harmonious proportions. The dial is protected by a slightly domed sapphire crystal, which has received antireflective treatment on both its faces. A screwed back with a transparent pane of sapphire crystal forms the case’s back and offers an unobstructed view of high-quality, self-winding, mechanical calibre MB 4810/912 which, with quintessentially Swiss precision, controls the displays of both the time and the calendarical information. If the watch has not been worn for a longer period of time, its movement can also be manually wound by turning the fluted, readily grasped, red gold crown, which is topped by Montblanc’s emblem in mother-of-pearl. The date, day of the week, month and moon-phase displays can be quickly, simply and individually reset by pressing the corresponding buttons, which are built into the flank of the case. These buttons can be pressed with the tip of a little corrector wand that’s delivered along with each watch. This timepiece is worn in the classical manner on a noble brown alligator-leather strap that’s closed and opened by a pronged buckle. Made of 18 ct red gold, the buckle alone tips the scales with nearly thirteen additional grams of gold.

With its new Star Quantième Complet, Montblanc launches a timepiece that possesses all the attributes of a genuine classic and combines sovereign elegance with masculine flair. This model is also available with a stainless steel case that gives a somewhat modern touch to its classical elegance.

The Montblanc Star Quantieme Complet will be available starting from August 2013.