amanico[JLC Moderator]
338393
Montblanc SIHH 2015: Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum Comparative Review.
Feb 03, 2015,03:46 AM
The new Montblanc World Time has a long, very long but poetic name: Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, and provoked some strong and long discussions, when the first official pictures were posted.
I am sorry to say, but the official pictures didn't give justice to this watch. The dial looked flat, the colors were a bit dull, and well... Not a lot of appeal.
Seeing it in the real just gives you the wish to be able to fight with the SIHH jungle to take some pictures and to handle the watch, which I managed to do for a few minutes.
With this Orbis Terrarum, Montblanc is now entering the quite exclusive world of World Timers.
Is it a positive first attempt? Let's see the watch in the détails, now, and let's compare it to its most famous contenders, to try to bring an answer.
1/ The Orbis Terrarum:
- THE DIAL. Certainly one of the most characteristic part / detail of this Montblanc watch, and undisputably one of the most discussed.
Some claimed that Montblanc got its inspiration from the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony World Time dial.
But we could also say that Vacheron ( and Vacheron is fair enough to say it, by the way ) got its inspiration from the Lambert Projection map, which doesn't date from yesterday.
Here is a quote found in Wikipédia about the Lambert Projection Map:
Here is the link to Wikipédia, for those who want to know more about that matter.
If we now keep in mind that this watch was thought under Jérôme Lambert's reign, I find this homonymous wink very humoristic, personally.
In the Montblanc, the dial is made of Crystal, and represents the Earth viewed from the North Pole.
Then, surrounding the Earth, we have the 24 cities of the World, the 24 hours ring, and the minute ring. Exactly like the Vacheron World Time.
BUT, at the contrary of the Vacheron contender, the map of the Earth takes more place, the dial seems to be much better balanced.
Now, the originality of the Montblanc World Time is that, in addition to the 24 hours ring, the dial shows how the day and the night are evolving over the continents.
How is it possible? The system works thanks to the multi layer dial construction: A main dial, made of sapphire with the continents cut out, and a second day and night disc, half blue, half transparent, which turns underneath.
Some personal observations:
=> I would remove Moscow from the Cities of the World to replace it by another one, since the capital of Russia often changed its mind abouth its time zone, though. So, we don't know if it is or will be the correct time zone. I lost track, here...
=> I would have preferred this dial WITHOUT the external minute ring. I would have located it just after the map of the Earth, or I would have suppressed it. I don't think it brings something interesting.
=> I love a lot the day and night coloration of the continents. It adds even more poetry to the watch, in my opinion.
The Dauphine shaped hands are faceted and polished.
The sapphire glass receives an anti reflect coating.
- HOW DOES IT WORK?
Through the pusher, adjust your home city, or the city you are travelling in, in front of the read triangle at 6 o' clock.
The crown will be used to set the time.
Of course, when you are travelling, you use the pusher to find the right time zone. While using the pusher, olny the hour hand moves, not the minute hand. One pression, one hour.
A big difference with the Vacheron, you " only " have 24 different time zones, not 37, with the Montblanc.
One good point: The minute hand doesn't " shake " when you press the pusher to change the time zone, or to adujst it.
- THE CASE:
Two cases, in fact. Rose Gold, or stainless steel.
I find the case elegant, even if I would have loved to see slimmer lugs. The proportions are good, with a diameter of 41 mm and a 12 mm height...
Not bad...
The case is water resistant to 3 bars ( 30 meters ). Not the worse, nor the best.
A rectangular pusher, quite massive, at 8 o clock, but not unpleasant to see, and a nicely shaped crown compliment the watch.
- THE MOVEMENT.
The Calibre MB 29-20 is a Sellita base, + a World Time module.
Montblanc completely developed, in internal, this module as they were inspired by their experience in multi layer movement construction from complications such as the Metamorphosis or the Rieussec Rising Hours.
It is, of course, automatic, like all its competitors, beats at 28 800 vibrations per hour, and offers a power reserve of 42 hours.
2/ The Contenders.
- Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time.
Among all the World Time we'll see here, this is the most sophisticated, with its 37 different Time Zones ( 24 different hours + 13 half hours or quarters, written in red
.
Another big advantage is that the time and the world time can be set through the crown. No pushers, here.
The dial is inspired by the Lambert projection map, then the Cities of the World ring, then the 24 hours ring, then the minute indexes.
The case is 42, 5 mm big, 11, 62 mm high, in rose gold or platinum. It is water resistant to 3 Bars.
The movement is automatic, Cal 2460 WT, beating at 28 800 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of 40 hours. It is a modular construction, and has a centrale second hand.
The retail in rose gold is a bit over 40 000 Euros ( 42 000, as far as I know ).
Let's compare the Montblanc to this Vacheron, since a lot of people saw a strong point of comparison between these two watches.
The only thing you can compare is the dial, which is organized the same way: the main dial is the Lambert projection map, then the cities of the world, then the 24 hours ring, then the minute indexes. And, below the main dial, the night and day disc.
In both cases, I don't like this outer minute ring, so...
Now, the dial of the Vacheron seems to be finished with more care, but it is very cluttered, which is the counterpart of the 37 cities of the world. Cluttered and small, if you pay attention to the main part of the dial.
The Montblanc has a better balance, I find. I wish Montblanc would remove this useless minute ring, or locate it before the cities ring.
One thing I much prefer, on the Vacheron, are... The Hands, which I find very nice.
As for the cases, I prefer the Montblanc one. Much smaller ( 1, 5 mm smaller, to be precise ) a tad thicker than the Vacheron ( 0, 38 mm higher ), it seems to be, curiously much better proportionned, and less thick. Very curious, as the figures say the contrary.
I would have preferred slimmer lugs, on the Montblanc.
As for the movements, the Vacheron is better finished and more noble, undisputably. Still, I was expecting something more refined from Vacheron. It beats at 28 800 alternances per hour, and offers a power reserve of 40 hours.
The retail is strongly in favor of the Montblanc offer, which, in the same metal is around 3 times less expensive than the Vacheron, and even 8 times less expensive in steel!
Objectively, the Vacheron is more sophisticated, better finished, but their respective price has to be taken in consideration. The Montblanc is far from being a looser, here.
- Patek Philippe 5130.
No map of the Earth, here, but a soleillé decoration for the main part of the dial, plus the 24 hours ring and the cities of the world. No minute indexes. And a retail around 40 000 euros, in gold.
If you want to have a continent, you have to go for an enamel version ( 5131 ) which is even more expensive. Count 10 000 Euros more, for an enamel version.
The main part of the dial is smaller on the Patek, better balanced on the Montblanc.
The pusher is the only weak point of the Patek. Not very pleasant to use, and each time you press on it, the minute hand shakes.... At the contrary of the Montblanc.
For the rest, Patek is the clear winner: The case has superb proportions ( 39, 5 mm big, 9, 4 mm high ), the lugs are a model of sensuality, the water resistance is a tad less good ( 25 meters ), and the movement ( Cal 240 HU ) is my favourite among all the World Time we are reviewing, with its micro rotor. 21600 vibrations per hour, and a power reserve of 48 hours, which is the longer, here.
Once again, the price is in favor of the Montblanc, by far. The Lambert projection map is a good alternative, too.
- Girard Perregaux WW TC Small Seconds.
This Girard Perregaux, which was unveiled circa 2010 with its small seconds, is superb. The dial is a model of classicism and elegance.
The case is superb, too. And, like the Montblanc, available in steel. The dimensions are very much my taste, with a 41 mm diameter and 11 mm thickness. It is water resistant to 50 meters
The movement is all in house, from the base to the module, offers a power reserve of 46 hours, and beats at 28 800 alternances per hour. Automatic, of course.
There was a sublime enamel version called John Harrison, without small seconds, but the price belongs to another league...
See through case back, which was not mandatory, here, I think.
The price of the steel version was around twice the retail of the Montblanc, which makes both of them close competitors.
- Louis Vuitton Escale World Time:
Undisputably, the most original World Time of all those we saw in this comparative article.
This is the third World Time to allwo its owner to set the time and the world time through the crown. But the originality is in the way you read the time.
You first set your reference time, then the time, and the rings of the hours,and of the minutes turn around the big yellow Arrow.
The dial is crazy, very appealing, I must say.
The case is 41 mm big, 9, 75 mm high, nicely shaped. Available, as far as I know, in white gold only. No see through case back, so I didn't find any picture of the movement. But I would be curious to see it!
The automatic movement has been developped and assembled by the Fabrique Du Temps LV Manufacture, beats at 28 800 alternances per hour, and has a small 38 hours power reserve.
The Montblanc is wiser, more conventional, and... 10 times less expensive, in steel, 3 to 4 times less expensive in rose gold.
- Tissot Navigator 160th Anniversary:
Now that it is another original World Time, much more than the photo suggests.
First of all, you don't have a pusher. All the settings are done through the crown, a screw in crown.
Then, this is the dial which bears the cities of the world which turns, synchronized to the hour hand, and not the ( fixed ) 24 hours ring.
Last, but not least, this is the only Chronometer among all the World Time we reviewed, here, with a hacking second hand.
The movement has been taken from ETA, Cal 2893-3, a good old and accurate " engine ". .
The case is 43 mm big, and... 9, 62 mm high... Which gives a strange feeling of " flatness ". 3 or 4 mm smaller, the proportions would maybe have been better. When you think that the original, born in the Fifties, was 36 mm big...
A World Time Fan will have to get used to the system offered by Tissot, but he will be pleased to know that this is the most affordable one, with a retail around 1200 Euros in steel and 6200 Euros in Rose Gold! Unbeatable, but less sophisticated than the Montblanc offer.
CONCLUSION
The Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum is certainly not the most refined world time of the current market, but it offers to the world time lovers a smart and very good first step in the magic universe of this kind of complication.
Serious, pretty well made, very attractively priced, and original with its night and day double indication, it doesn't lack charm, either.
Some details could be improved, such as the proportions of the lugs, this damn minute ring, and the hands, maybe, but at least you have a true world time.
Far from being ridiculous, considering the competitors. And it has a big merit: It reminds us that a watch doesn't have to cost a kidney to be interesting. Something, which, we, Watch Lovers, tend to forget...
Let me tell it straight: Among the Heritage line, this one is certainly my favourite. I well see myself travelling with it on my wrist, without fearing dings, hairlines, or whatever you want. A true toolwatch for world timers?
Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,
Best,
Nicolas
This message has been edited by amanico on 2015-02-03 06:01:29 This message has been edited by amanico on 2015-02-09 03:44:59 This message has been edited by amanico on 2015-02-12 05:23:41