Montblanc : Precise to the nearest 1/1000TH of a second

TimeWalker ExoTourbillon Minute Chronograph
Case : black DLC-treated titanium, sapphire back, water-resistant to 30m
Diameter : 44mm MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding (MB R230 ; 50-hour power reserve), ExoTourbillon

Functions: hours, minutes, stop-seconds, chronograph, date

Dial : grained black, horizontal stripes, luminescent hours and minutes hands and Arabic numerals, twin-pointer chronograph counters
Strap: black alligator leather, red topstitching, black DLC-treated pin buckle
Limited Edition : 100 units

TimeWalker Chronograph 1000
Case : black DLC-treated titanium, ceramic bezel, sapphire back, waterresistant to 30m
Diameter : 46.4mm
Movement : mechanical manual-winding (MB M66.26 ; power reserve of 100 hours for the watch and 45 minutes for the chronograph)
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, 1000th of a second chronograph, chronograph powerreserve display
Dial: black, horizontal stripes and transparent opening, luminescent hours and minutes hands
Strap : black alligator leather, red topstitching, asymmetrical perforations, black DLCtreated triple folding clasp
Limited edition : 18 units

Paying tribute to the glorious past of its Manufacture Minerva, Montblanc launched a new TimeWalker collection as the start of 2017, composed of five sports models including four chronographs. Minerva was a grand specialist of chronograph watches and precision counters for timing motor races. In 1911, it presented an instrument capable of measuring fifths of a second, and shortly afterwards, another dealing in tenths of a second. In 1916, it created the famous hundredth of a second Rally Timer, which it improved in 1936. Today, as its name implies, the TimeWalker Chronograph 1000 measures elapsed time to the nearest thousandth of a second. It displays minutes and seconds on a counter at 6 o’clock, hundredths with a central hand making one full sweep of the dial per second, and thousandths through a 12 o’clock aperture, thanks to an innovative wheel in the gear-train, called the “thousandths wheel”. To achieve this impressive performance, the timepiece is equipped with a double-chain movement, featuring balance wheels respectively beating at 18,000 vph (for the watch) and 360,000 vph (for the chronograph) and appearing at 7 and 10 o’clock.

GMT_XXL_CH_2017_ipad-171The spirit of motor-racing reigns supreme in all elements of this imposing chronograph combining performance, innovation, excellent legibility and sturdiness. The light, GMT_XXL_CH_2017_ipad-172scratch-resistant case with its aerodynamic designs is fitted with a knurled crown reminiscent of vintage fuel-tank caps ; while a monopusher similar to those of historical Minerva counters appears at 12 o’clock. On the dial, the red and black accents as well as the counters themselves evoke vintage car dashboards, the chronograph power-reserve indicator is a nod to old-timer fuel gauges, while a smoky sapphire crystal is inspired by the glass windows that reveal V12 engines.

The TimeWalker ExoTourbillon Minute Chronograph flaunts a comparable style, clad in black like the 1000, while combining a monopusher chronograph with the in-house ExoTourbillon equipped with an instant stop-seconds mechanism. A red arrow placed on the tourbillon carriage serves to adjust the time with pinpoint accuracy. Geared up for competition, the flagship chronographs of the TimeWalker collection testify to the innovative capacity of Montblanc, which consistently pushes the frontiers of horological technology.

More on Montblanc watch brand

 

Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

Review overview
})(jQuery)