When I took this watch in my hands at SIHH, I didn’t know whether the post you are reading now would fall under our Value Proposition heading or be labeled as a Hands-On article. What I knew, and knew instantly, was that the Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition 100 was a watch I wanted to write about. What we have here is a solid red gold perpetual calendar with what Montblanc is calling a new manufacture movement, and it will set you back just a bit more than $26,000. If white metal is more your jam, then you’ll be happy to know that there is an unlimited stainless steel version of this exact same watch that will cost $15,700.
This perpetual calendar is not Montblanc’s first go at making a perpetual, but the movement we see here is new. It also adds an indication for a second time zone from the central axis via a a skeletonized hour hand. You may recall that Montblanc made major news at SIHH 2014 when it released what was, at the time, the most affordable perpetual calendar on the market. Not only was that watch a great step forward for Monblanc as a watchmaker, it also allowed a whole new segment of watch lovers to own this real-deal high complication for the first time.
Having said that, the watch was not perfect. And I suspect that might be why we’re seeing a new Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar movement and configuration just five years later. As you can see in the photos below, the old movement and its QP module had been engineered in a way that resulted in what looked to be a cramped center with wide open space on the perimeter. On the left, we have the Meisterstuck Heritage Perpetual Calendar from 2014. And on the right, we have the new Heritage Perpetual Calendar. As you can see, the watch on the right has a much more harmoniously arranged dial, despite actually being a millimeter larger, at 40mm, than the watch 39mm watch from five years ago.
Upon noticing this watch on a tray holding a number of other new releases, I immediately wanted to try it on, and I was really delighted with how it felt on my wrist. The balance is great. And gold, after all, lends that nice extra weight that just plain feels good to wear. One of the common criticisms of modular complications is that they can end up being stacked to the heavens, resulting in thick movements and thicker watches. But I’m happy to report that that isn’t the case here. Caliber MB 29.22 measures 28.20mm in diameter and just 4.95mm thick. The watch itself measures 12.3mm thick, a nice balance to its 40mm diameter, and I bet it could have been even thinner if Montblanc had opted not to use the domed sapphire crystal. But darn if that crystal doesn’t look nice.
The new automatic movement powering the Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar has been constructed without the use of cams or levers in the calendar function (just wheels). It runs at a standard 28,800vph and is composed of 378 components. Its power reserve is 48 hours, though in a perfect world I would hope for a bit more: Having to reset a perpetual calendar isn’t my favorite thing to do Monday morning after wearing a weekend sports watch.
I’ve already said that the dial of the new Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar is, to me, a pretty big improvement over the original Montblanc Perpetual Calendar. But I don’t think that’s saying enough, to be honest. Check out the tight shots of the dial below. The alternating textures of the dial’s many levels, the applied numerals and markers, the font for the calendar functions, and the vintage-looking scaled for the minutes and seconds all would seem to indicate a watch that has grown up within the Montblanc offering. If the OG Montblanc Perpetual was worth knowing about because it delivered a fantastic value for money, this one is worth your attention because it delivers a similar value proposition while giving a higher level of attention to the details of the design and the additional functionality of a second time zone.
Montblanc knows a thing or two about leather goods, so I’m not at all surprised that the alligator strap they’ve chosen to pair with this watch looks and feels to be of very high quality. In keeping with the vintage vibe, it comes with a solid red gold pin buckle. However, the strap has a gradual transition in color that recalls the effect seen on a smoked watch dial or crystal, and this is one thing that I would probably change simply out of my own personal taste. I think it’s an example of fauxtina that takes away slightly from an otherwise well-executed watch design. The good news is that if you happen to agree with me on this point, sourcing another nice strap to pair with this watch should be no problem at all.
Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar
