SIHH 2018: 5 New Montblanc Watches from 1858 Collection

At SIHH 2018, Montblanc revealed five new watches, including the 1858 Automatic, the 1858 Automatic Chronograph, 1858 Geosphere LE 1600, the 100-piece limited edition 1858 Monopusher Chronograph LE100, and the 100-piece limited edition 1858 Pocket Watch.

If you’re not familiar with Montblanc, they create luxury products such as writing instruments, leather goods, jewelry, and watches. Although they are best known for their incredible fountain pens, they are also well regarded in the watch industry. Montblanc first entered the watch industry in 1997 when they revealed their handcrafted Meisterstuck watch at SIHH. Fast forward twenty-one years to 2018 and they’re still creating sought-after quality watches.

Montblanc’s five new watches are all part of their new 1858 collection. The 1858 collection is perfect for men who like the look of vintage watches but want the reliability of a new watch. These vintage-inspired watches are sure to make a statement on your wrist. We’ll go through these five watches one at a time, starting with the most affordable.

Montblanc is not generally known for their affordability; however, this 1858 line does provide two viable options for watch collectors on a budget. The Montblanc 1858 Automatic is priced around $3,000 (€2,490), and the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph is priced around $5,000 in stainless steel (€3990) and $5,800 in bronze (€4,690). Both watches are much more affordable than Montblanc’s new pocket watch that is nearly $50,000.

Watch #1 – The Montblanc 1858 Automatic is a time-only watch, available in a brushed steel case with a bronze bezel and bronze crown. The two-tone case is rather striking because it’s not something you’d find every day. In terms of the dial, buyers have the choice between a black dial or a sunburst champagne dial. The black dial is the classic option that most watch collectors will naturally choose; however, I rather prefer the unique look of the champagne dial. Buyers will also be able to choose between a cognac-colored leather strap or a black NATO strap.

This 40 mm watch is powered by an automatic movement (MB 24.15 caliber), which boasts a 38 hour power reserve. As mentioned above, this watch is currently priced around $3,000 (€2,490).

Watch #2 – The Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph adds an additional feature to the time-only model. As its name implies, the 1858 Automatic Chronograph includes a sporty two-register chronograph. At 3 o’clock you’ll find a 30-mintute register and at 9 o’clock you’ll find a running seconds register. Montblanc has created two versions: a stainless steel model and a bronze-and-champagne model. It’s up to you to decide which watch fits your style best. The stainless steel model has a sportier look while the bronze model can easily pass for a dress watch.

The steel watch is available on either a cognac-colored leather strap or a black and gray NATO strap. The bronze watch is only available on the cognac-colored leather strap. These 42 mm watches are powered by an automatic movement (MB 25.11 caliber), which boasts a 48 hour power reserve. The Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph is priced around $5,000 in stainless steel (€3,990) and $5,800 in bronze (€4,690).

Watch #3 – The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere LE 1600 is the perfect watch for travelers who prefer vintage watches over modern watches. The 1858 Geosphere LE 1600 combines a dual time zone display with two worldtime displays. At 9 o’clock you’ll find a 12-hour register that can keep track of another time zone, and the two hemispheres at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock show you the local times around the world. You may notice that the two hemispheres include seven red dots; these red dots mark the highest mountain peak on each continent. This watch also features a bi-directional rotating bezel that was inspired by the markings on a compass.

There are two versions of this watch: a stainless steel version and a limited edition bronze version. These 42 mm watches are available with a brown leather bund-style strap, a cognac-colored leather strap, and a black NATO strap. This watch is powered by an automatic movement (MB 29.25 caliber) with a 42-hour power reserve. The stainless steel version is priced around $6,500 (€5,190). The bronze version is limited to 1,858 models and it’s priced around $7,400 (€5,890).

Watch #4 – The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph LE100 is perhaps my favorite watch in this collection. The bright green dial and green alligator strap caught my attention immediately, and I couldn’t look away. You see quite a few blue, black, and silver watches, but there are very few green watches available. This new Montblanc watch is housed in a 40 mm stainless steel case with a brushed finish, and it features a monopusher chronograph. This model is very similar to the Montblanc watch auctioned at the 2017 Only Watch Charity Auction.

This watch is powered by a manual Minerva movement (MB M13.21), which has been expertly finished. This movement boasts 22 jewels, a 55 hour power reserve, and rhodium-plated German-silver plates and bridges. You can see this movement at work through the sapphire-crystal back. This watch is priced around $35,000 (€28,000), and it’s limited to 100 pieces.

Watch #5 – The Montblanc 1858 Pocket Watch is the most expensive watch of these five new 1858 watches. Priced around $60,000 (€48,000), this watch is made for serious watch collectors with a serious budget. Montblanc intended this pocket watch for an adventure. The pocket watch features a 24-hour display, a monopusher chronograph (which includes a pulsation scale for taking measurements), and a compass integrated into the hunter-style caseback.

The watch is housed in a titanium case, and the dial features a blue dumortierite stone. This Montblanc pocket watch comes with a brown leather arm strap and cover. It’s powered by a gorgeous Minerva manual movement (MB M16.24 caliber) which can be seen through the hunter-style caseback. This movement boasts 22 jewels, a 50 hour power reserve, and rhodium-plated German-silver plates and bridges. The Montblanc 1858 Pocket Watch is limited to 100 pieces.