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Montblanc unveils two new models into the 1858 Geosphere collection, with a brand-new Minerva manucfacture movement accompanying them.

Montblanc created the 1858 Geosphere collection as a tribute to the spirit of exploration and adventure, inspired by the legendary mountaineering challenge of the Seven Summits. The collection is designed for modern-day explorers, with the timepeices featuring distinctive world-time complications. The signature design feature of Montblanc’s 1858 Geosphere timepiece is the two rotating hemispheres that display the time across different time zones.

The collection embodies Montblanc’s commitment to precision, durability, and fine craftsmanship. Cases are made from robust materials like stainless steel, titanium, and bronze, ensuring resilience in extreme environments. The current models in Montblanc’s 1858 collection are either time and date models, chronographs, Geospheres, the Minerva collection, the Timekeeper Minerva, or the 0 Oxygen. All models revolve around the central themes of exploration, mountaineering and adventure!

Now, for Watches & Wonders 2025, Montblanc is introducing a brand new line into the 1858 Geosphere collection, timepieces inspired by the aesthetic codes from Minerva’s heritage, notably the 1950s. The timepieces from this period in Montblanc’s history are particularly recognised for their elegant dial designs alongside precision watchmaking.

The two new timepieces being introduced have a very different aesthetic from the rest of the 1858 Geosphere collection. The brand is going for a completely new look here, as said earlier, inspired by vintage designs, but also going for a more elegant and simplistic design to cater for those that want something more refined and less “outdoors”. The brand has also created a new movement to accompany these new timepeices, which feature annual calendar functionality.

Case Design

Montblanc is presenting the newest additions to the 1858 Geosphere collection in either a 42mm Lime Gold (750/1000 -18carats) or a 42mm stainless steel case. The Lime Gold variant is limited to just 30 pieces, while the stainless steel model is limited to 100 pieces worldwide.

Both timepeices come with fixed fluted bezels, which have been inspired by Minerva’s historic watches, with the first fluted bezel timepeices being introduced by Montblanc in 1927. The fluted bezel is a now signature design feature of all Minerva timepieces. The Lime Gold model has a matching Lime Gold 750/1000 (18 karats) bezel, whereas the stainless steel version has a white gold 750/1000 (18 karats) bezel.

Dial Design

The two new timepeices are beautifully decorated, with various finishes on the dial to make it a very aesthetically pleasing dial. The dials feature annual calendar complications, which starts with the large date window position just below the 12 o’clock hour indices. The months are shown around the dial’s periphery, with the current month being indicated through a large red arrow. This red arrow is a nod to the Roman goddess Minerva, the deity of craftsmanship, who was known for carrying a spear with an arrow at its tip.

A subtle detail on the month indicator is that July has been changed to the word “Minerva”. This is because it was on July 30th 1887, that the Minerva trademark, and its recognisable arrow, were registered by Montblanc. Each alternating month also has a different shading, so that the,y even though it’s subtle, still stands out.

While there are many aesthetic elements to this dial, which include the grained finish for the “hour track” and satin-brushed finish circular plate in the centre, the main centre of attention is the stunning hand-painted Northern Hemisphere Globe at 6 o’clock. Montblanc states, “The visual focal point of these timepieces is their hand-painted, three-dimensional, rotating globe featuring the Northern Hemisphere and a Day & Night indication. The globe also indicates the Greenwich Mean Time line with an orange line and a 24-hour scale. Crafted from sapphire crystal, each globe is hand-painted on the underside by a Swiss artisan, who spends four hours meticulously painting each one.”

Movement

The movement powering these two new additions to the 1858 Geosphere collection is the brand-new Calibre MB M14.58. Created specifically for these models, this manually wound movement gives an impressive power reserve fo 65 hours, with a beat frequency of only 2.5hz (18,000 VpH).

The movement powers the annual calendar functions alongside the world time complications. The timepieces feature an open case back, showing the movement’s various finishing decoration. The movement plate features circular graining while the bridges have a “Côtes de Genève” finish. Montblanc have gone to a higher level of detail with this piece, showing that with the attention to detail, elegance and sophistication, these latest 1858 Geosphere models are a step above the rest.

Initial Thoughts

Montblanc’s latest additions to the 1858 Geosphere collection showcase a newly refined evolution of the brand’s design philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Minerva’s 1950s heritage while maintaining the spirit of exploration, these new timepieces bridge the gap between adventure and elegance. Introducing a hand-painted globe, intricate dial finishes, and an annual calendar complication further elevates their appeal, catering to collectors who appreciate both functionality and artistic craftsmanship.

With a new movement developed exclusively for these models, Montblanc has reinforced its commitment to high-end watchmaking. These new timepieces step away from the outdoors theme that forms the 1858 Geosphere collection to have a more elegant yet sophisticated aesthetic that makes them more versatile for those who seek adventure or for those who want a bit more luxury from these watches.