The Heritage Small Second Limited Edition 38 is a telling example of the relationship Montblanc has with Minerva

On the surface, this watch may look like just a new small seconds addition to the Montblanc Heritage collection unveiled earlier this year at SIHH. However, look a little closer and it becomes apparent that this new Montblanc Heritage Small Second Limited Edition 38 is indeed something quite special for fans of horology history.

Over the past couple of years, Montblanc seems to really want it known that most of their watchmaking know-how comes from the now-assimilated, manufacture Minvera. And having no horology heritage of their own, it only made sense to create a narrative that explains how they are able to make watches with complications that suggest decades of experience. Minerva was a company renowned for its chronograph production throughout the 20th century and it was actually run as a family business from the time it was founded in 1858 until the year 2000 when it was sold to investors. How Minerva came into the hands of Montblanc was through the latter’s parent company Richemont which bought the Fabrique d’Horlogerie Minerva SA in 2006.

It is only by understanding a bit of the history between Montblanc and Minerva can the value of this new timepiece be fully appreciated. And this is because, although aesthetically the watch is designed to reflect the codes of the Montblanc Heritage collection, on the inside, beating at its core is a stock Minerva MB M62.00 movement made in 2003. This fantastic movement was inspired by Minerva’s Pythagore calibre from 1948 and is a hand-wound movement with a large balance wheel, causing it to beat at a low traditional frequency of 2.5 hertz. As a testament to their pursuit of precision, the regulating organ is equipped with a double adjustment system, one for the positioning of the hairspring and the other to regulate the active length of it.

Unfortunately, only 38 of these movements were found in the archives of the Villeret Manufacture in the Jura mountains, and thus the watch is a limited edition of only 38 pieces. Each of these beautiful movements is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case and come with a salmon-coloured dial that has been lacquered. The small seconds indicator, on the other hand, has an ‘azuré’ or circular guilloché finishing and there is even a secret Minerva signature that has been added between four and five o’clock indices for the very first time in Montblanc history.

Limited to only 38 pieces worldwide, the Montblanc Heritage Small Second Limited Edition 38 has a retail price of MYR80,400.

Case: Stainless steel
Case size: 39mm
Crystal: domed box-shaped sapphire crystal
Thickness: 9.45mm
Movement: Minerva MB M62.00
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: MYR80,400