Montblanc & Collective Horology Unveil The 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph “Blue Arrow”

Collective Horology has unveiled its eighth collaboration with Montblanc, introducing the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph “Blue Arrow.” This exceptional timepiece pays homage to Montblanc’s rich watchmaking heritage, evoking the spirit of historical sporting stopwatches.

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Collective Horology’s decision to partner with Montblanc stemmed from their admiration of Montblanc’s watchmaking expertise, distinctive design language, and renowned complications like the Geosphere worldtimers and Nicolas Rieussec chronographs. For Asher Rapkin, co-founder of Collective, Montblanc’s remarkable custodianship of Minerva is a true testament to their commitment to craftsmanship and precision: “Among Montblanc’s many watchmaking bonafides, perhaps its most commendable is its custodianship of Minerva. When visiting the brand at Watches and Wonders several years ago, we were amazed when a Villeret watchmaker disassembled a Minerva movement before our eyes, revealing hand-finishing on all sides of the components, even the undersides of movement elements not otherwise visible.”

Inspiration struck during the Windup Watch Fair at Worn&Wound, where the Collective team stumbled upon a mid-century Minerva stopwatch presented by Eric Wind of Wind Vintage. This chance encounter underscored Minerva’s legacy in crafting precision chronographs and inspired the creation of a sportier addition to Montblanc’s current collection. Gabe Reilly, co-founder of Collective, added, “When we saw a mid-century Minerva stopwatch in Wind’s display case, it was a revelation. The historical significance of Minerva was palpable, and the opportunity to infuse a sportier essence into the current collection became unmistakably clear. Without delay, we acquired the stopwatch and embarked on the design process.”

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The 1858 Monopusher Chronograph draws inspiration from the design, colors, materials, and finishes of mid-century Minerva stopwatches. The watch features a white lacquered dial accented by yellow subdials and blue scales reminiscent of Minerva’s iconic stopwatches. Other design elements pay homage to these heritage timepieces, such as the thermally-blued hands, countdown arrow, and steel case. Even the textile strap evokes the nylon cords typically found on sporting stopwatches.

One of the standout features of the “Blue Arrow” is the rotating blue timing arrow at the top of the dial, operated by a bi-directional 18K white gold fluted bezel. This arrow introduces an additional timing complication to the watch, inspired by historical Minerva stopwatches and wristwatches. In 1927, Minerva introduced a stopwatch with an internal rotating bezel for countdown timing, a concept that found its way into the watch.

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The watch’s functionality is further enriched with a 30-minute chronograph counter at three o’clock, a small second counter at nine o’clock, and central chronograph seconds. A telemeter scale runs along the outer edge of the dial, accompanied by a tachymeter (base 1000) in the center, featuring a colimaçon snail shape. One of the most significant design details lies in plain sight on the dial: it bears both the Minerva and Montblanc logos at six and twelve o’clock, respectively. This dual branding pays homage to Minerva’s cherished legacy and the legendary chronograph caliber within.

At its heart, the P.05 is a Minerva chronograph powered by the hand-wound MB M13.21 movement, a direct descendant of the Minerva Calibre 13.20 first produced in 1923. The movement’s architecture retains the iconic V bridge, inspired by the mountain ridge view from the Villeret workshop’s windows. Nearly every component, except for jewels and a few screws, is meticulously crafted in-house in Villeret, and each movement undergoes over two days of hand-finishing.

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Laurent Lecamp, Managing Director of Montblanc Watches, highlighted their unique approach to watchmaking, stating, “In our Villeret manufacture, we have watchmakers dedicated to specific calibers. This allows us to know which watchmaker assembled which timepiece, and we offer our end customers the very unique opportunity to meet ‘their’ watchmaker! This is in particular what we offer with the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph P.05 for Collective. On top of it, each of our timepieces is fully assembled, disassembled, and reassembled before delivery. Last but not least, we meticulously monitor the evolution of our pieces over time. As a result, we are one of the last manufacturers in Switzerland to be able to repair all the calibers we have manufactured, from day one.”

The Montblanc 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph “Blue Arrow” P.05 for Collective is a limited edition of just 30 pieces, priced at USD 34,500. These exceptional watches are currently in production and scheduled to ship in December 2023. Pre-orders are now open exclusively at collectivehorology.com. This collaboration between Montblanc and Collective Horology celebrates the rich heritage of Minerva while bringing a fresh, sporty take to the Villeret chronograph family, making it a must-have for watch enthusiasts and collectors alike.