Reviewing the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition Watch
Thursday - 19 August 2021
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition watch captures the spirit of adventure and outdoor exploration with a 42mm bronze case adorned in sandy-coloured tones that pays homage to a 1,200-mile trek completed by Italian mountaineer, Reinhold Messner. The 1858 pieces available worldwide feature two rotating globes that display the northern and southern hemispheres simultaneously in one compact and unique world timer watch.
With legendary mountaineer, Reinhold Messner as an ambassador for Montblanc watches, the future of the Montblanc 1858 watch collection has never looked more certain. The collection, designed to celebrate the spirit of adventure and the essence of mountain exploration, has recently grown to accommodate watches like the 1858 Automatic time-only watch and its matching blue dialled 1858 chronograph sibling. Earlier this year, Montblanc also unveiled another Geosphere limited edition watch. The timepiece is dedicated to the world’s Seven Summit mountaineering challenge and features a 42mm case crafted from bronze.
For one, the appeal of owning a bronze watch is growing by the minute, let alone a limited edition timepiece. Bronze is often chosen for its remarkable anti-corrosive properties and is widely used throughout the dive watch industry. It also develops a patina over time, growing in charm and character as it ages on the wrist. As with all 1858 watches by Montblanc this limited edition Geosphere watch is inspired by mountain exploration but also commemorates its 160-year Minerva heritage. The Richemont Group took Minerva under its wing in 2006, yet it is only in recent years that Montblanc has chosen to really pay homage to its rich heritage in exquisite movement manufacture.
A world timer with a difference…
But the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere is altogether different from other current models within the collection (as from its steel counterpart). Its bronze case is perfectly paired with an equally alluring sandy-coloured display with two domed globes. Here’s where it’s different though. If you are in the UK, a typical world timer watch is normally aligned to London and shows the appropriate northern hemisphere for that matter. You can, whether it’s day or night, see what time it is in London, which is aligned according to its longitude and latitude position. If you leave the watch in local time you can see what the rest of the world is up to using the cities skimmed around the outer wheel. There is a slight limitation with this, however. It won’t show you the southern hemisphere. But the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere will.
With the new limited edition Montblanc 1858 Geosphere watch, you get both hemispheres in one dial. It is, in effect, two world timers in one. It has no city ring around the outer edge but still highlights local time with the thicker longitude line. Both the primary and secondary hour hand can be set via the crown and the hidden pusher respectively. The world time complication is the result of hours and hours of gruelling research, craftsmanship and know-how – time taken by dedicated Montblanc watchmakers in Villeret. The two domed globes rotate in opposite directions in this bronze watch design. They complete a full rotation every 24 hours. The 24 time zones surround each scale, as well as a day and night indication which appear in different colours for optimum contrast. Timekeeping is aided at night by luminous material applied to the surface of the Arabic numerals around the hour track and the stunning cathedral-shaped hands that make an appearance throughout the entire 1858 watch collection.
Montblanc’s familiar compass-style bidirectionally rotating bezel features the cardinal points in the North, East, South and West locations, appearing at night in a matching luminous glow that looks aged in appearance during the day. The bezel is filled with a luxurious brown ceramic to accompany the sandy-beige fumé dial inspired by Messner's extraordinary 1,200-mile solo trek across the Gobi desert, which took a total of 5 weeks to complete.
Powered by the MB 29.25, the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition watch offers a date window at 3 o’clock in black and features a flat hairspring. The movement sits inside a 100-meter water-resistant case equipped with a fluted crown at 3 o’clock, and wraps around the wrist with a brown Sfumato calf leather strap with beige stitching. The MB 29.25 also offers a useful 42-hour power reserve and performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
To learn more about the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition watch or to secure yourself one of the 1858 pieces available worldwide, you can call our Jura Watches team today on 01335 453453 or check the product page out, together with online finance options here.
Technical specifications of the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition watch
- Case: 42mm – bronze – bronze and brown ceramic bi-directionally turning bezel with cardinal points in lume – 100-meter water-resistant – domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front – fluted crown with brand emblem in relief
- Dial: Sandy-beige fumé – luminous cathedral-shaped hands – luminous Arabic numeral hour markers – minute scale – date window at 3 o’clock – second time zone at 9 o’clock – northern and southern rotating globe - 24 time zones – day and night indication
- Movement: Calibre MB 29,25 – self-winding – flat hairspring – 42-hour power reserve – 28,800 v.p.h – 26 jewels
- Strap: Brown Sfumato calf leather strap – beige contrast stitching
- Reference: MB128504
- Price: £5,400
- Availability: Limited to 1858 pieces worldwide
