Wednesday, January 10, 2018

MONTBLANC – TimeWalker Chronograph Edition


MONTBLANCTimeWalker Rally Timer Chronograph & Manufacture Chronograph Edition

Performance and Style: Montblanc 
 veils two new timepieces in its TimeWalker Collection

Inspired by Performance

The Montblanc TimeWalker collection symbolizes the spirit of motor racing and harks back to these instruments of glory with a line of new professional watches for the modern performer.


Ahead of the upcoming SIHH 2018, Montblanc is introducing two new timepieces in its renowned TimeWalker collection — The TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph and the TimeWalker Rally Timer Chronograph Limited Edition 100 — reinterpreting an iconic aesthetic with “panda” and “reverse panda” dials respectively, reinforcing their vintage and racing appeal.

The collection finds its inspiration in timepieces from Minerva’s outstanding history. The Minerva Manufacture was known as an exclusive workshop producing high-quality instruments for measuring brief intervals of time with remarkable precision. The renowned “Rally Timer” stopwatch that was created to time motor racing with precision is the perfect example of this heritage.

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Minerva watches were the reference in the field of horological innovation, with several patents registered over the years in the domain of precision timers, creating a legacy of savoir-faire.

Legitimacy of the past

Founded in 1858 in Villeret in the Saint-Imier Valley, Minerva has been a leading specialist in the fabrication of professional watches. From 1908 onwards, it was already successfully pursuing new technological challenges, such as the production of watches equipped with chronograph functions and highly accurate stopwatches that measured short intervals of time. The Manufacture developed stopwatches that could measure 1/5th of a second as early as 1911, rapidly increasing to 1/10th of a second. In this innovative spirit, in 1916, the Minerva Manufacture was one of the first to develop a high-frequency movement that could measure the 1/100th of a second, a development that was improved in 1936, putting Minerva on the map as the specialist of professional watches and stopwatches.

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The TimeWalker collection combines these legendary timing instruments of the past with the spirit of motor racing, encapsulating the Minerva heritage, superb technology, masculine energy, winning performance and the style of the glory days of racing. Evocative, vintage-themed and contemporary, this collection is designed for modern performers who like to express their achievements, ambitions, masculinity, style and personality in their choice of wristwatch. Perfect for both business and leisure, the Montblanc TimeWalker timepieces command respect and admiration and underline the confidence of those who wear them.

Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph

Reinterpreting historical emblematic chronographs, the Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph combines an iconic tri-counter “panda” dial with a brand-new Manufacture automatic chronograph.

Each element of the design of the timepiece is directly rooted in the world of racing with details that recall the golden age of motor racing. The dial, with its black tri-counters on a white background is what has become commonly known as a “panda” design. The bold contrast between the three-dimensional black counters and the white dial are reminiscent of the dashboards of classic racing cars and are some of the most appealing and recognizable dial designs. Since its inception in the 1960s and 70s, the “panda” dial has become an icon, marking the history of watchmaking. It has always been highly appreciated for both its unique aesthetic and great readability.

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The dial also has a flange with a 5-minute track coated with SuperLumiNova® for high visibility day and night. Other features include rhodium-plated, dauphine-shaped hour and minute hands and a red chronograph second hand inspired by the Minerva arrow, a nod to Minerva’s legacy and heritage.

Performance and style continue onto the design of the 43 mm, stainless steel case, which has been satin-finished for an automotive look and better resistance to scratches. The TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph is equipped with a new fixed black bezel engraved with a tachymeter scale that is made of shiny high-tech black ceramic for utmost robustness, durability and performance. Ceramic has impressive properties such as a high-resistance to scratches, non-oxidization, a unique shiny surface, and a defence against all common chemical agents.

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The horns, with their architectural and carved flanks, have been semi-skeletonized like the air inlets of a car’s body, and the black DLC crown has been knurled like vintage car radiator caps for better gripping. In the spirit of racing, the case back has been fitted with a smoked glass opening, reminiscent of the glass windows that cover powerful V12 engines.

The timepiece is powered by the Montblanc Manufacture chronograph calibre MB 25.10 featuring traditional finishing such as “Côtes de Genève”, circular graining, blue screws and a new monobloc oscillating weight made of black rhodium-plated tungsten and designed in the shape of a steering wheel. The movement is equipped with a traditional column wheel, a horizontal coupling as well as a stop-second mechanism, allowing the precise setting of the time.

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The Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph indicates the hours, minutes, small seconds and date, as well as the chronograph’s indications with a central hand and counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, reminiscent of traditional 3-6-9 counter chronograph positions.

Perfectly matching the “panda” dial, the timepiece features either a stainless steel metal bracelet or a new vintage brown Sfumato aged calf leather strap with perforated holes. The brown Sfumato strap has been hand-crafted at the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence and comes fitted with the Maison's triple folding clasp, providing excellent flexibility and maximum comfort.

The TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph is water resistant to 100 metres, and has been rigorously tested by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500. This evaluation simulates real-life wear for over 500 hours and tests the finished and assembled watch, providing reliability and performance.


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TECHINCAL SPECIFICATIONS

Montblanc TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph

Ident. 118488

Movement:
Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB 25.10
Type of movement: Mechanical movement with automatic winding, chronograph & date
Chronograph: Bi-pushers with column-wheel and horizontal coupling
Dimensions: Diameter = 30.15 mm; height = 7.90 mm
No. of components: 232
Number of Jewels: 33
Power Reserve: Approx. 46 hours
Balance: Screw balance, diameter = 10 mm; moment of inertia = 12 mgcm²
Frequency: 28.800 A/h (4 Hz)
Hairspring: Flat
Plate: Rhodium-plated with circular graining and “Côtes de Genève
Bridges: Rhodium-plated with circular graining and “Côtes de Genève

Displays:
Hours and minutes from the centre, small seconds at 6 o’clock, Tachymeter scale on the bezel, Chronograph’s elapsed-second hand from the dial’s centre, 
30-elapsed minute and 12-elapsed hour counters at 3 and 9 o’clock

Habillage

Case:
Stainless steel, satin-finished case, high-tech black fixed ceramic bezel with silvery-white engraved tachymeter scale
Crystal: Scratch-resistant, domed sapphire crystal with antireflective coating
Back: Stainless steel with inset pane of smoked sapphire crystal
Dimensions: Diameter= 43 mm; Height = 15.20 mm
Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 m)
Dial:
 “Panda” dial with white background and black counters, rhodium-plated Arabic figures and indexes coated with Super-LumiNova®, rhodium-plated luminescent dauphine hour-hand and minute-hand, red baton chronograph second hand with Minerva arrow at the extremity, Black flange with markers framed in grey or red and coated with Super-LumiNova® indicating the five-minute marks
Crown: Black DLC with knurled finishing and Montblanc emblem in relief
Wristband:
Perforated brown Sfumato aged calf leather strap crafted by the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, Italy with stainless steel triple folding clasp


Certified by the Montblanc Performance Test 500
(* SuperLuminova® is not a trademark owned by Montblanc)

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Montblanc TimeWalker Rally Timer Chronograph Limited Edition 100

Inspired by the famous Minerva Rally Timer stopwatch produced by Minerva in the 1960s and directly rooted in the spirit of racing, the Montblanc TimeWalker Rally Timer Chronograph Limited Edition 100 combines a unique aesthetic with a “reverse panda” dial and the renowned hand-crafted Manufacture monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.29. This innovative timepiece offers different ways to appreciate the time with the possibility of transforming the wristwatch into a pocket watch or a dashboard clock.

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The wristwatch, with its brand-new brown Sfumato aged leather calf strap, can be easily converted into a pocket watch by simply folding the strap attachments under the case. The pocket watch can then be either placed on a table, thanks to two arms below the case, used as a stopwatch with the strap as a handle for utmost security, or clipped into a metal plate covered with leather that attaches to a car’s dashboard, offering a highly functional and extremely legible timepiece when behind the wheel.

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The 50 mm case is crafted out of grade-two titanium and has been satin-finished and the middle section of the case has also been knurled and coated with black DLC. The case can be turned from 0 to 180 degrees (or from 3 to 9 o’clock) in both directions to allow perfect readability while driving.

Titanium is also the material of choice for the vintage-inspired knurled crown and the versatile strap attachments. Turn the timepiece over, and the details continue with an open caseback in the shape of a car grill that reveals the beauty of the hand-finished Manufacture manually-wound monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.29.

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The racing codes also carry over onto the two-counter “reverse panda” dial with highly legible hands, indexes and chronograph functions.

The chronograph’s 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock is vertically aligned with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, reminiscent of the original Minerva Rally Timer. In the centre, the red chronograph second hand runs along a tachymeter scale, which can be used to calculate speeds over fixed distances.

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The timepiece is powered by the Manufacture manually wound monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.29 that features a column wheel, horizontal coupling and a power reserve of 50 hours. The calibre takes its inspiration from the original Minerva calibre 17.29 developed in the 1930s, used for both pocket watches and wristwatches. This modern-day version is recognisable thanks to its beautiful hand-crafted finishings — Côtes de Genève stripes, inner angles, circular graining and bevelling — as well as its fine details such as the iconic Minerva arrow, a chronograph bridge shaped in the form of a “V”, and a large screwed balance that has a traditional frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

For utmost reliability and performance, the timepiece is water-resistant to 30 metres and has been rigorously tested by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500, simulating intense real-life wear for over 500 hours.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

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TECHINCAL SPECIFICATIONS


Montblanc TimeWalker Rally Timer Chronograph Edition 100

Ident. 118487

Movement:
Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB M16.29
Type of movement: Manually wound monopusher chronograph with tachymeter scale
Chronograph: Monopusher with column-wheel and horizontal coupling
Dimensions: Diameter = 38.4 mm; height = 6.3 mm
Number of components: 252
Number of rubies: 22
Power reserve: Approx. 50 hours
Balance: Screw balance, diameter = 14.5 mm; moment of inertia = 59 mgcm²
Frequency: 18,000 A/h (2.5 Hz)
Hairspring: With Phillips terminal curve
Plate: German-silver with circular graining on both sides, hand-chamfered edges
Bridges: German-silver with “Côtes de Genève”, hand-chamfered edges
Going-train: Gold-plated, faceted arms, diamond-polished surfaces

Displays:
Hours and minutes from the centre
  • Small seconds at 6 o’clock
  • Chronograph’s elapsed second hand from the dial’s centre
  • 30-elapsed minute counter at 12 o’clock
  • Tachymeter scale
Habillage

Case:
Titanium, satin and knurled finishing, black DLC on the middle piece, 
Turning case from 0 to 180 degrees (or from 3 to 9 o’clock)
Crystal: Scratch-resistant, domed sapphire with antireflective coating
Back: Titanium with inset pane of sapphire crystal
Dimensions: Diameter= 50 mm; Height = 15.20 mm
Water-resistance: 3 bar (30 m)
Dial:
“Reverse panda” with black background and white counters, Arabic figures and SuperLuminova® indexes, black rhodium-plated luminescent dauphine hour-hand and minute-hand, rhodium-plated sword second hand and 30-elapsed minute hand
Crown: Titanium with knurled finishing and Montblanc emblem in relief
Wristband:
Brown Sfumato aged calf leather crafted by the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, Italy
Stand: Metal plate covered with leather

Limited Edition: 100


*Versions 
Ident. 116103  - Black dial


Certified by the Montblanc Performance Test 500
(* SuperLuminova® is not a trademark owned by Montblanc)

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