Montblanc unveils 1858 novelties with glacier-inspired dials & 3D engravings

At Watches and Wonders 2023, Montblanc has unveiled new novelties, including new colours to its 1858 Iced Sea collection, reimagined Minerva Chronographs and 0 Oxygen boutique exclusives.

In addition to celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first wristwatch chronograph movement, Montblanc’s new glacier-inspired designs and colours of the 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date is what’s really blowing me away. While Montblanc’s 1858 Iced Sea collection isn’t new to the brand, having only launched last year, Montblanc has introduced a new grey glacier pattern and green coloured dial at Watches and Wonders.

As the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date is the first ever sports dive watch from the brand, this new novelty has lots of close attention to detail, including diving features and fun illustrations. The Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date is inspired by the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France. To really capture the look and feel of the mountain’s glacier, Montblanc has used an ancestral technique called gratté-boisé, to create the glacial texture.

This glacial-ice grey colour of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date looks layered and structured with intricate markings around the dial, which draws attention but doesn’t take away from the hands and time markings. On the caseback of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date, the brand has added a 3D engraving on an iceberg and black scuba diver. The illustration is designed to look like the diver is exploring the glacial waters, and the mix of matte and shiny finishes makes the entire timepiece appear more interesting and attractive.

As a sports dive watch, it’s important that the 41mm timepiece conforms to the ISO 6425 norm. To ensure this, the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date has been thoroughly tested and is shock, magnetic, temperature and water-resistant (to approximately 30 bar).

Alongside these security measures, the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date has also been designed to be visible in all conditions. The brand has done this with its Super-Luminova markings, including the hands, indexes, dials and dots, which glow in a luminescent shade in blue low light.

On to strap options, the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date has a stainless steel bracelet which is interchangeable with a black rubber strap with grey outline. Wearers can easily make this strap switch themselves, without having to go to a Montblanc boutique, and the straps are adjustable.

But that’s not the only new addition to the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea collection. Alongside this new grey colourway, Montblanc has also unveiled a new green glacier dial. This Boutique Edition is meant to capture the emerald green colour that can be seen in some glaciers due to iron oxides present in the ice.

The green 41mm edition of the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date has a fitted black ceramic bezel and a 3D-engraved caseback, featuring a large scuba diver in green. This novelty will be available exclusively in Montblanc boutiques.

The price on the all-new grey Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date timepiece is £2,610 on the Montblanc website.