Montblanc

I had this watch over 10 days and wore it almost daily (except for the hot weekends in Singapore when I am outdoors). I found that the watch, like most references in the Montblanc Star collection is causal enough to wear with jeans and also formal enough to wear to the office with business attire. It is not a formal dress watch for say, black tie events, as it is considered too thick and complicated (looks of the dial) but for 90% of occasions, this watch is versatile enough. It even goes well with berms and tees! 

Gradually over the next few days, my love for the watch developed as I started appreciating its finer qualities more and more. The aesthetics of the watch, including the asymmetrical dial design also started to sing to me as I find it quite refreshing and bold vs being predictable (which is rare for me as I am very much into dial symmetry).  In the end, the dial’s looks won me over. My only small complaint will be the date sub-dial overlapping the numerals ‘1’ and ‘2’ but it is not a major issue for me as I also love the details on the date sub-dial. The date sub-dial is highly legible and I didn’t have problems reading the date from the watch when it’s on my wrist.

Blued date indicator hands with a red crescent – in line with the moonphase theme of this watch. The nice details make up for the date sub-dial overlapping the numerals ‘1’ and ‘2’

After seeing so many different lines in Montblanc’s watch collection, I think the Star line is more avant garde (except for the Star Classique which is quite formal in design) whereas the new Meisterstuck Heritage series has become the classical line for Montblanc.

Let’s look at the watch in more details.

The case and dial design are very consistent to the Montblanc Star’s design DNA which I had covered in an earlier post. The onion shaped crown with the Montblanc emblem, the Arabic numerals on the dial,  the feuille hour and minute hands and the round case with the distinctive stepped lugs and domed sapphire crystal. I like it when a reference in a series is consistent with the design DNA and I applaud Montblanc for combining classic cues in its Star line with hints of avant garde design cues.

One feedback I made on the Star line was the “over-branding” on the Star watches. Besides the Montblanc branding on the dial and the emblem on the crown, the words “Montblanc” and “Meisterstuck” also appear on each side of the case. In the earlier Star models, the sides of the case were showing the 3 rings of the Meisterstuck fountain pen and hence the labels “Montblanc” and “Meisterstuck” were on each side of the case.

 To my pleasant surprise, on this new Star Twin Moonphase, these words on either side of the case are now removed, making the case much cleaner looking from the sides. I like this change a lot and hope that all future Star models will continue this trend. There is no need for over-branding as Montblanc is already a much stronger watch brand today, compared to 1997 when it first started.

The twin moonphase sub-dial has the Montblanc emblem in the center of it and it is also from here the emblem’s ‘guilloche waves’ radiates outwards to the bezel. I like this feature a lot and the guilloche pattern is nice to look at either up close in macro views or from afar as it reflects lights playfully with different angles.

The twin moonphase indicators are very legible and look pretty nice. I can clearly see the moonphase display from both the northern and southern hemispheres. A poetic complication indeed.

The Montblanc Star Twin Moonphase is equipped with a new movement exclusively used by Montblanc, i.e. the Montblanc calibre MB29.13. The automatic calibre has a Sellita movement as its base, with a Dubois-Depraz module, which is developed exclusively for Montblanc's use. The finishing of the movement is very basic and doesn’t look that fantastic overall to be honest. As the Star collection is positioned as one of Montblanc’s entry level collection and at this price point, I would say it is of an acceptable finish. My macro shots actually made me appreciate the finishing of the movement more, even if industrial and basic (still looks quite nice to me under the lens).

Conclusion

After wearing this watch for 10 days or so, I must admit even though it was not love at first sight, I can see myself attracted to this watch and its poetic complication. The beautiful guilloche dial and blued feuille hands are features I can look at and smile. I like blued hands and the Star’s feuille shaped hands are especially appealing to me, maybe as they are broader in shape and hence brings out the blued hands even more aesthetically.

I did find myself looking at the dial many times whenever I wore this watch. It also sat very comfortably on my wrist, even though it looks a tad too big for my very small wrist (39mm is my sweet case size). A black dial at 42mm would have made it look smaller optically for me. It became my faithful companion for work and lunch/dinners mostly during the review period.

It is an attractive watch, with a twin moonphase complication at an accessible price point. I tend to say the Star collection is the entry level watch collection for Montblanc but from a pricing accessibility perspective, it will face competition from its new sister line, the Meisterstuck Heritage series, which is also very competitive priced. From my observations, I believe both lines have their roles to play for Montblanc’s watch category. The Star line remains distinct with an established Montblanc design DNA with both classical yet avant garde looks. The Meisterstuck Heritage line on the other hand, has very pure classicism in its design DNA and it’s very traditional in looks and feel. 

Here’s my overall assessment of the watch:

What I like:

> Good looking watch with an excellent guilloche dial that reflects light beautifully

> Bold and refreshing asymmetrical dial layout and design (something different)

> A pretty rare twin moonphase complication at an attractive price point

> Intuitively positioned pushers for the date and moonphase settings

> Consistent design cues with the Star collection minus the over-branding on the case sides

Areas that can be improved/wishlist for future Star collection watches:

> A smaller case size for gentlemen with smaller wrists, say 39mm?

> Would have been great if the date sub-dial didn’t overlap with the ‘1’ and ‘2’ hour indicators

> Would have preferred the word “Automatic” below the Montblanc label on the dial to be removed.

Hope you have enjoyed this review.

Thank you Montblanc HQ and Singapore for allowing me to review the new Star Twin Moonphase.

Cheers

robin