Just as climbers travel the world to scale mountains simply because ‘they are there’, watchmakers seemingly invent new ways of doing things simply because ‘they can’.
There is no mountain more sacred to the Swiss than Mont Blanc – it’s the highest in the Alps – so it isn’t surprising that the German luxury goods firm after which it is named has taken inspiration from the 4,805-metre peak in order to create the latest of its Swiss-made watches.
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere O Oxygen CARBO2 LE 1969 references the thinness of the air at such a great height by featuring a case from which every molecule of oxygen has been sucked out.
Apparently more than just a gimmick, the feature is claimed to eliminate “fogging” caused by severe temperature swings and therefore prevent oxidisation of the movement (which can eventually lead to corrosion).
But even more scientifically adventurous is the CARBO2 aspect of the watch. That refers to the fact that the barrel of the case is produced by blending carbon fibre with a powder made from captured waste carbon dioxide to create a tough, lightweight material.
A blue gasket around the dial signifies the “zero oxygen” feature, while a luminous “glacier blue” outline of Mont Blanc made from varnished Super-Luminova decorates the barrel, above which the case is topped by a bi-directional compass bezel made from titanium. And if you’re wondering what the “1969” refers to – that was the year in which Montblanc ambassador and legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner became the first solo climber to scale Les Droites, Mont Blanc’s fearsome north face.
Messner, by the way, is someone who probably appreciates oxygen more than most of us, having been the first person to climb Everest (along with fellow mountaineer Peter Habeler) without using supplemental O2.
The 1858 Geosphere watches are designed to cope with such challenges, while also offering a stylish choice for less fearless travellers who will appreciate the twin revolving globes set into the dial at the 12 o’clock and six o’clock positions.
Respectively representing the northern and southern hemispheres, each globe features day and night indicators and shows the time on a 24-hour scale. A blue line marks the Greenwich meridian, while dots represent each of the 14 peaks on Earth which are more than 8,000 metres high.
£7,900 (limited to 1,969 pieces); montblanc.com
Simon de Burton is a journalist and author who writes for the FT’s How to Spend It, British GQ and Boat International, among others
