The watch division of Montblanc is enjoying a remarkable growth. In it’s ten years of development it has grown to achieve a turnover of 15% of the Montblanc Group. Translated into watches this amounts to some 100,000 watches a year, sold through the group’s 350 boutiques and other conventional watch retail outlets.

Montblanc and Minerva
At a recent presentation of the brand’s latest models, Jean-Marc Pontroué, General Manager of Watches, Leather and Jewellery, explained that Richemont’s recent acquisition of the 149 year-old Minerva manufacture in Villeret has been placed under the management of Montblanc.
Currently, 70% of Montblanc’s production in its Le Locle facilities is automatic watches (thus 30% quartz) at prices ranging from 1,000 to 25,000 euros, with an average sales price of 2,000 euros. However, the Minerva workshops, with 22 watchmakers, will be used for the production of Limited Edition timepieces that range from 35,000 to 200,000 euros with an anticipated average sales price of around 50,000 euros and a maximum turnover of some 500 pieces annually. Jean-Marc Pontroué anticipates that the Villeret facilities will also be used to produce special haut de gamme movements for other brands – although unspecified, one assumes they will be within the Richemont Group.

New models
For this year’s SIHH, Montblanc has created several ladies’ timepieces, namely the Star Lady Moonphase Automatic Diamonds, two different versions of the Ministar White Gold Lady and the Profile Lady Elegance Diamonds. Of these only the latter is equipped with a quartz movement, the others highlight the brand’s intentions to concentrate on mechanical automatic movements for the ladies.




STAR LADY MOONPHASE AUTOMATIC DIAMONDS
Stainless steel watch (36 mm) an automatic movement and set with diamonds. Mother-of-pearl dial set with brilliant-cut diamonds and a Montblanc Diamond. Date indicator at 6 o’clock, moonphase at 10 o’clock, crown set with mother-of-pearl logo, galuchat strap, water-resistant to 30 metres.



MINISTAR WHITE GOLD LADY
18 carat white gold watch equipped with a mechanical automatic movement. Case and dial set with black and white Top Wesselton VVS diamonds, white or black satin strap, crown set with a Montblanc diamond, water-resistant to 30 metres.



TIMEWALKER CHRONO AUTOMATIC
18 carat red gold watch (43 mm) equipped with an automatic chronograph movement (COSC chronometer). Black dial, appliqué indices and hands in red gold, crown set with mother-of-pearl Montblanc star, alligator strap with ardillon buckle, water-resistant to 30 metres.


Needless to say, the male of the species has not been forgotten. There’s a new TimeWalker Chrono Automatic (43 mm) in 18 carat red gold, the Star Gold XXXL Chrono GMT Automatic in 18 carat white gold and a hefty looking Sport Chrono Tantalum Automatic (44 mm) that will keep most sportsmen happy.
The overall effect of these new Montblanc timepieces is that the brand is moving further upscale with a more sophisticated appearance for ladies’ watches and more complications for the men’s models. Having now confirmed their role as one of the Group’s successful watch brand’s, Montblanc will certainly reap further rewards by creating more complicated timepieces for the benefit of seasoned collectors and watch aficionados.


Source: Europa Star April-May 2007 Magazine Issue