Jewellery & Watch News
New for 2022, Montblanc launches their 1858 Iced Sea watch collection, a series of diving instruments with a unique “frozen” gratté boisé dial inspired by the glacial lakes of the Mont-Blanc Massif.
Since the creation of the first Montblanc watch in 1997, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s portfolio of luxury timepieces has grown exponentially largely devoting their collections to dress watches, GMT complications and smartwatches. One speciality we had yet to see however was a diver’s watch… until now. The new Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea series marks the brand’s first ever sports diving timepiece and meets the ISO 6425 standards for diving watches with 30 bar of water resistance. The 2022 release also reintroduces an age-old technique called gratté-boisé to create a unique frozen-effect dial.
The inspiration for dial of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea watches came when the Maison’s designers were sent up the Chamonix Valley to the Mer de Glace. On route they became captivated by the texture of the glacial ice and its interlocking network of crystals. This image was then translated onto the centre of each watch, something that was no easy feat since gratté-boisé had never been used on a watch face before, especially one that was only 0.5mm in height. The complicated process pays off which the three different dial colours – blue, green and black – creating an impression of genuine depth and beauty.
The three colours chosen for the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea watches were selected to represent different colours of glacial ice. The blue-dialled model evokes the ice found in the Mont-Blanc’s Sea of Ice which is created by the inclusion of air bubbles in the ice. Meanwhile, the green-dialled reference replicates the ice found in Antarctica which is the result of the presence of microscopic snow algae blooms. Lastly, the black-dialled Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea mirrors black ice which occurs only when the ice has no inclusions or air bubbles, therefore absorbing enough light to appear black. Easy legibility is assured on each dial thanks to bold Arabic numerals and surrounding applied indices filled with Superluminova and matching cathedral-shaped hour and minute hands with luminous inserts.
The cases of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea watches offers all the tools needed for a diving excursion including a robust 41mm stainless steel diameter and a unidirectional rotating bezel adorned with a white Superluminova-accented 60 minute scale. The bezel is finished with a dial-matching coloured ceramic insert. From the front, the case presents sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on both sides and on the black, a solid case back reveals a special engraving of a scuba diver in glacial waters. The decoration is creating uses advanced laser engraving, a technique Montblanc has famously used in many of their luxury watch collections.
To achieve the ISO 6425 standard for diving, the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic watches are fitted with a screw down crown at 3 o’clock which assist in securing a water resistance of 300 metres. The designs have also undergone the Montblanc Laboratory 500 Hour Test to guarantee shock, magnetic and temperature resistance. A stainless steel bracelet completes each design tapering from 20mm to 16mm with a double deployment buckle. The bracelets can be adjusted on the wrist and feature quick-release levers for an easy swap to a blue or black rubber strap.
Powering the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea watches is the MB 24.17 automatic winding movement. Based on the tried-and-tested Sellita SW200-1, it boasts 26 jewels, a frequency of 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 38-hour power reserve. In terms of functionality, we’re treated to three classic central hands for the hours, minutes and seconds and a boxed date window at 3 o’clock.
If you’d like to learn more about the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date watches and shop the collection for yourself, head over to the C W Sellors website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 41mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Unidirectional rotating with ceramic insert, 60 minute scale
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case back: Solid with laser engraving
- Water Resistance: 300 metres
- Movement: MB 24.17 automatic
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Jewels: 26
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black, green or blue with gratté-boisé “frozen” effect, Superluminova hands, numerals and indexes
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap
- Limited Edition: No
- RRP: Starts from £2,435
