At this stage in the game, bronze watches aren’t anything new; Panerai, Oris and Tudor have all played a role in pushing the patina-friendly metal mainstream. But until now, bronze has been the playground of tool-like dive watches, serious timepieces licked by salt and spray until a fine verdigris of adventure forms on the rugged case. Well, the latest wonder from Montblanc’s Villeret collection is set to challenge our perceptions of what this ancient metal means to watches. Far from a rough-and-ready diver, the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter is a superbly refined monopusher chronograph, dripping in old-world charm, replete with historic logo, cathedral-style hands and a dial layout that wouldn’t look out of place on the wrist of a silk-scarf-and-shearling-wearing aviator. The bronze case amplifies all of these details, bathing the whole ensemble in a warm golden glow. The harmony between the case and the champagne dial is particularly pleasing. And while the use of bronze to evoke history isn’t new, Montblanc has smartly avoided concocting a contrived marketing narrative linking this frankly trendy material to some sort of nautical origin story. They’ve simply created a very handsome heritage piece, and clad it in a metal that – visually and culturally…
The post INTRODUCING: Montblanc pioneers refined patina with the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter in bronze appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.