Montblanc and Diver's Watches made a stunning debut in 2022 with the Diver's Watch, which impressed with its unique design and received good feedback from the market. The 2024 Watches & Wonders Geneva Haute Horlogerie has now begun, and unlike in the past, Montblanc has separated the diver's watch from the 1858 collection this year to create a glacier collection dedicated exclusively to divers' watches, while the 1858 is dedicated to mountaineering. So at present, Montblanc watchmaking has two iconic collections, mountaineering and diving, and the brand's product line is also richer and more defined.
Left: The Glacier Diver Anaerobic 4810m Diver Special Edition
Centre: Glacier diver's watch Copper Brown Special Edition
Right: The Glacier diver's watch Burgundy Red Special Edition
Of course, Montblanc has launched a new collection and brought us three new glacier watches, and today we will take one of my personal favorites and the most everyday watches as an example to take you into the world of Montblanc's glaciers and feel the impact of the glacier disk.
Montblanc Glacier Diver's Watch Bronze Brown Special Edition
The Glacier Diver's Copper-Brown Special Edition, which I would like to introduce to you today, was inspired by the twilight of the sunset on the glaciers after exploring the glaciers and polar glaciers, and incorporated into the stunning scenery of the Mont Blanc glaciers.
Unlike previous creations, this watch is made of a completely new material, aluminium-copper alloy. It is different from traditional bronze and brass in that it is made of a mixture of aluminum and copper, which is 1.5 times more durable than traditional bronze, and has better corrosion and rust resistance. Of course, it also retains the biggest advantage of bronze, which is that it will form a charming and unique patina on the surface over time, recording every time you wear it.
In terms of dimensions, the new model has a diameter of 41 mm and a thickness of 12.9 mm, which is the usual size design of Montblanc diver's watches, retaining the sportiness of a sports watch while adapting to most wrist circumferences. The sides of the case are extensively brushed, while the lugs are polished with a more glossy finish, creating a chiaroscuro contrast that adds depth to the watch, while the crown is engraved with the brand's six-pointed white star logo and is surrounded by non-slip flutes for easy grip.
The new watch features a unidirectional rotating bezel in two-tone anodized aluminium, with a bronze design for the first 15 minutes and black for the second 45 minutes. Paired with a case made of aluminum-copper alloy, the entire model exudes a warm sunset bronze tone, with a mellow and intriguing color.
With the case out of the way, let's take a look at the black "glacial" dial of this watch. In fact, this design is already an iconic design of the Montblanc diver's watch, which is very recognizable in terms of appearance and recognition. But to bring to life the textures and textures created by glaciers that have been frozen for thousands of years is a challenge for watchmaking.
After many experiments, Montblanc uses an almost forgotten ancient technique, the "gratté boisé", to create the dial by hand, which is created through a series of meticulous manual processes, including printing, lacquering and polishing, each of which is left to dry overnight before the next layer can be applied, resulting in a realistic glacial depth and shine. For this reason, watches with glacial patterns are much more expensive to produce than other models, both in terms of time and cost.
Due to the complexity of the dial texture, the overall layout of the watch is relatively simple in order to achieve visual balance, with only a date window at 3 o'clock, which is convenient for daily commuting. At 6 o'clock on the dial, the Iced Sea logo is inspired by the vintage Minerva export seal, reflecting Montblanc's watchmaking attitude of continuous refinement, based on traditional watchmaking techniques.
In a diver's watch, luminescence is a very necessary detail and a detail that deserves to be mentioned. The indexes, hands and dot scales in the "12 o'clock" direction are coated with Super-LumiNova®, which glows blue in low-light environments, ensuring legibility and echoing the theme of glaciers.
Montblanc's exacting requirements for design are not only reflected in the dial, but also on the case back. Flipping the watch upside down, the case back of the new Glacier Diver's Copper-Brown Special Edition is made of titanium with a bronze coating that echoes the case. It is also engraved with a three-dimensional pattern, and the iceberg stands majestically above the sea, echoing the divers exploring underwater.
Left: The 2024 new Glacier Diver's Watch Bronze Brown Special Edition
Right: The 2023 1858 diver's watch Ice Grey
If you look closely, you can see that the diver on the case back of the new Montblanc Glacier 2024 is located at a deeper sea level than the diver on the back of the 22-23 diver's watch, can it be understood that Montblanc's technology in the field of diver's watchmaking and the performance of the diver's watch are better?
Turning back to the new model, it is powered by the MB 24.17 automatic calibre with a central display of hours, minutes and seconds, and a dynamic reserve of approximately 38 hours. In addition to the 300-metre water resistance that is common in diver's watches, its structural components have also been reinforced to provide maximum safety for the wearer.
In addition, to ensure that the watch performs at its best in real-world conditions, each Montblanc watch undergoes 500 hours of quality testing in the Montblanc laboratory to ensure that it is extremely resistant to shock, magnetism, heat and water. The parts of the watch are also reinforced to provide maximum safety for the wearer.
This copper-brown special edition is paired with a black rubber strap with a brown lining, a double-sided folding clasp with a bronze-plated stainless steel buckle and a carbon fiber composite chassis, as well as an adjustable fit for ease and comfort. In addition, the watch also has a quick-release system, which allows the wearer to change the strap according to the occasion and wearing needs, so that the diver's watch is not only a sporty attribute.
Summary: The watch industry is becoming more and more volatile under the pressure of increasing competition, and the Montblanc diver's watch can stand out from the crowd of diver's watches, which can be said to be inseparable from its highly recognizable design. Glaciers, diving, mountain peaks, everything makes adventurers unable to extricate themselves, of course, under the high appearance, it cannot be ignored is its stable performance, comfortable wearing experience, and high cost performance.