Written by Menswear Style in Essentials on the 22nd April 2014

The Montblanc company began their fame making writing instruments in 1906 but they didn’t start making watches until 1997. 

The brand is part of the Richemont group that are also the parent company of luxury watch brands Cartier, Baume et Mercier, Piaget and IWC. 

Today, Montblanc watches are made in Switzerland in a village called Le Locle in the Jura Mountains which has been the center of Swiss watchmaking since 1705. 

Here are three distinctive watches they have produced, each showing that the brand has evolved since producing pens:

Nicolas Rieussec Open Home Time Monopusher Chronograph 

Montblanc’s Nicolas Rieussec collection is named after the famous French watchmaker who was the official watchmaker to King Louis XVIII in 1817 and also developed the first marketed chronograph which was asked for by the King. 

This collection was made as homage to the watchmaker and his contribution to the world of watches. This chronometer has a 43mm stainless steel case with a unique black dial. The dial features an open dial showing the dial skeleton and movement. 

The center dial tells the time, whereas the inner rotating dial shows a second time zone. The right hand rotating dial shows the date and the bottom two dials are chronograph dials. 

The overall look of using dials instead of hands makes it eye-catching and different and makes reference to Rieussec’s chronograph watches.

Star World-Time GMT Automatic 

This watch is for people who like to travel the world in style, and one time zone just doesn’t cut it. 

Montblanc’s World Time watch from their Star collection looks simple but it actually has 24 different time zones around the outer dial making it a useful timepiece. 

The case and bracelet are stainless steel and the second time zone is identified using the red and blue arrow hands. The brand’s ‘white star’ logo features on the crown, bracelet and seconds hand too.

TimeWalker Date Automatic 

Montblanc’s TimeWalker collection is 10 years old this year and the brand are celebrating it by releasing this new Date Automatic model. 

Compared to the Nicolas Rieussec and Star World-Time watches this model is very simple but undoubtedly sophisticated. 

It features automatic movement, a date window at 6 o’clock, a brown leather alligator strap and the brand’s star logo on the crown. Very sharp indeed!

3 Distinctive Montblanc Watches since they made just pens in 1705. We pick out the nicolas Riessec, the star world-time and the timewalker automatic.