Montblanc’s latest 1858 Collection ‘goes green’

These days, social consciousness is on the minds of many brands. Some sponsor charity organisations or just become more eco-friendly themselves. In the case of Montblanc however, they took the saying ‘going green’ quite literally and this year, they are offering key pieces of their 1858 collection in a gorgeous green dial and a brawny bronze case.

The collection itself is nothing new. All three watches – 1858 Automatic, Automatic Chronograph and Geosphere – are already in the market with black dials. But having seen both in the metal, I have to say they look completely different.

Although both are styled in a vintage-inspired aesthetic, the new additions to the collection are even more antiquated look and I think its mainly due to the bronze case. Bronze, as we all know, will oxidise over time and depending on the composition will even get this green tinge as witnessed on a lot of bronze statues all across Europe. However, the Montblanc bronze case is enriched with aluminium that will still develop a nice patina over time but not to the extent that it turns green.

Within the 1858 collection, the Automatic, Automatic Chronograph and the Geosphere all come with the green dial and bronze case combination. The first two should be self-explanatory in terms of functionality. However, the Geosphere is quite an interesting watch even without the fancy makeover.

Launched last year, the 1858 Geosphere offers a very cool world time function. Unlike most worldtimers that offer the name of the cities, printed around the dial, the Geosphere indicates this function through two rotating discs that display the northern and southern hemispheres of the world. And if you’re wondering where Montblanc (a company once known more for their writing instruments and leather goods) gets their watchmaking know-how, the once revered Minerva manufacture has long been absorbed into the Montblanc manufacture.

If you are looking to get one of these cool pieces, you better act quick as they are all limited to only 1,858 pieces worldwide. The Automatic, Automatic Chronograph and Geosphere come with a price tag of MYR13,000, MYR21,000 and MYR26,400 respectively.