Ever since Montblanc merged with the Minerva brand, we see them take a more traditional approach with their watch designs, basing them off timeless Minerva classics from their pocket-watch era. It is nice to see Montblanc diversify into a new direction with the Montblanc 1858 24h (24-hour) Automatic chronograph.
For those of us familiar with the 1858 family of watches, we know that they are a relatively new addition to the Montblanc catalogue. The watch design originally drew inspiration from mountain climbing, and that trend is continued with the 24h Automatic.
Dimensions and Design
The watch comes in a steel case with a non-tarnishing bronze alloy metal as the bezel and crown materials. The case measures slightly north of 11mm in thickness and robust enough to resist water up to a depth of 100 meters. Under the domed sapphire crystal, we see a retro looking dial and Montblanc logo.
As the description of the watch suggested, the dial features a single red hour hand and instead of having the traditional 12-hour layout, features 24 sub-divisions. Montblanc opted for the 12pm mark to be at the top which breaks from what we traditionally expect to see from 24-hour watch designs.
Hidden Features, Movement and Variants
The Montblanc 1858 24h Automatic is designed in such a way, that anyone with an understanding of basic navigation using the sun as a reference, can use the dial as a crude compass. I find this to be an extremely cool feature hidden in plain sight.
At the heart of the Automatic 24h, beats the caliber MB 24.20 automatic movement. Although not entirely made in-house, the movement still operates at 4Hz and boasts a 42-hour power reserve. Montblanc gives you the option of pairing the case with 3 bracelet options. They are: a “high-quality” black NATO-style strap, a brown sfumato leather strap, or a stainless-steel bracelet. The watch will retail at $3,030.