Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a Jade Dial
Following the launch of the one-of-a-kind 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a blue agate dial for the upcoming Only Watch charity auction, Montblanc has unveiled a limited edition in bronze with a nephrite jade dial. The eight-piece edition was created for Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR), a big watch fair in Mexico City attended by most major brands, explaining the green dial with red accents – a nod to the Mexican flag. Though the bronze-and-green livery has been applied to multiple models in the 1858 range, the new SIAR edition adds a fascinating point of departure, with the dial being a semiprecious stone rather than the usual lacquered brass. The dial is essentially a thin slice of nephrite, a mineral better known as jade. It’s usually dark green, but sometimes also yellow or white; white nephrite is known as “mutton fat” jade in China and highly prized. The other mineral also known as jade is jadeite, but it’s harder, denser and often found in brighter colours. Mechanically and aesthetically, the watch is as retro as it gets. The design of the dial was inspired by a pilot’s chronograph produced by Minerva in the 1930s. It has a double chronograph scales – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the centre. The rose-gold plated cathedral hands and Arabic numerals are coated with faux-aged lume, as on the regular production model. The red seconds numerals and hand adds a rich contrast against the pleasingly busy dial, ...
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