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The
success story behind the Montblanc watches continues: 2009 premiere of The Montblanc Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph Open Date is the continuation of a success story in modern watchmaking. Since 1997, Montblanc has been making timepieces on its own manufacture at Montblanc Montre S.A. in Le Locle that not only follow the tradition of classical Swiss watchmaking but which, in recent years, have also provided regular surprises in the form of exclusive new models. A decisive step came in 2008, when Montblanc unveiled the first movement it had developed entirely in-house and joined an exclusive circle of watch manufacturers who produce their own calibres and have a high level of manual expertise. It was the birth of the Montblanc Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronographs, which were among the most signifi cant new products from the industry in 2008 and are soon to be joined by the new Open Date version, which will be launched in December 2009. The exclusive new chronograph is not only one of the most outstanding watches in the Montblanc collection but also holds a very special place in the ranks of timepieces from all the world’s manufacturers. The lucky individual who owns one can rest assured that, in terms of design and technology, his wristwatch is a genuine rarity. Even the way the stopwatch function records times is unusual and, unlike conventional chronographs, does not involve hands revolving round the main dial and counters on subdials. The dial features two small, calibrated discs from which the elapsed seconds and minutes can be read off with the help of fixed hands. This arrangement makes the Montblanc Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph Open Date a fi tting tribute to the ingenious watchmaker by the name of Nicolas Rieussec who invented the chronograph almost two hundred years ago. As a leading writing instruments brand, Montblanc has a natural affi nity towards chronographs (literally, “ writers of time ”, from the Greek words chronos = time and graphein = write), as refl ected in the many models with stopwatch functions in the collection. The patent awarded to Nicolas Rieussec in 1822 describes a timepiece with two rotating discs, on which elapsed times were marked using ink-fi lled, nib-like pointers. The principle was taken up by Montblanc in the Montblanc Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronographs, further developed and given a contemporary interpretation that immediately appealed to discerning watch collectors and genuine watch connoisseurs.  |
