It was not just the new entrants to its vintage-inspired Heritage collection that Montblanc unveiled earlier this week. Two new additions have been introduced to its Star Legacy line. These classically-styled watches take their style cues from Minerva pocket watches made during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
The new additions include the Star Legacy Automatic Date and Star Legacy Chronograph Day&Date, two new models featuring pebble-shaped cases, onion crowns, and the “star” guilloché pattern on their dials from which the series draws its name. The new watches will be 43 mm in size — the first time the brand has used this case size within the collection — and will be available in steel with either ivory or anthracite colorways. The ivory models of both use 18K rose gold-coated accents, while the anthracite colorway opts for black rhodium coating.
The Star Legacy Automatic Date has a 43-mm, polished steel case with a small onion crown drawing inspiration from historical Minerva pocketwatches from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. On the dial of the model, we find a white or black outer minute ring marked at each 5-minute mark with small Arabic numerals and red accents at each 15-minute position. Just within these markers are small dots of lume, while large applied alternating roman numerals and tick marks are used for the hour markers within those. At the 3 o’clock position we find a small date indicator, while sweeping over the “star” guilloché dial are two leaf-style hands for the hour and minute and a simple pointer for the seconds.
Inside the Automatic Date is the MB 24.17 automatic movement (base movement Sellita SW200-1), which features a 38-hour power reserve. Pricing on this model is still unavailable, with the watch expected to fully release this spring. It will be available on the choice of either a black or brown Italian leather strap, or three-link satin-brushed steel bracelet.
The Star Legacy Chronograph Day&Date also uses a similar 43-mm polished steel case with its distinct onion crown. The case also features partially rounded, rectangular pushers for its chronograph functions. On the dial of this watch, we find a similar outer minute ring contrasting with the guilloché dial, with the same style of applied numerals at the hour markers as on the Date Automatic.
Distinguished on the Chronograph Day&Date is its namesake day-and-date indicator at its 3 o’clock position, and three vertical subdials — a 30-minute counter, running seconds, and 12-hour counter — at the top, left, and bottom of dial, respectively. Passing over the dial are another pair of leaf-style hands, though the chronograph seconds counter is tipped with a red accent matching the quarter-hour accents on the minute ring.
This watch uses a self-winding MB 25.07 chronograph movement, which uses a Sellita SW500-1 as its base, and is capable of a 48-hour power reserve. While the Automatic Date starts at €2,950, the chronograph model is priced at €4,350
