Montblanc Timewalker Extreme Chronograph DLC - a quick revisit

Aug 27, 2014,03:00 AM
 

Following Mike's sharing on Montblanc's Timewalker collection's design "DNA", here's a quick revisit to the new Timewalker Extreme Chronograph DLC (diamond-like carbon), which was launched in SIHH 2014.

I have personally seen and played with this watch earlier this year, when Montblanc showcased its novelties during the Black and White week in Singapore.

Here was a previous post of my first impressions on this watch:

montblanc.watchprosite.com





What impressed me most about this watch is its very black look, with a Black 4 DLC coating. It is the blackest watch I have ever come across and I feel it makes the watch very handsome and seductive.

The other attraction of this watch, which I focused on my previous post, is the new Extreme Leather used on the strap. 


The new TimeWalker Extreme Chronograph DLC embodies all the iconic characteristics of the TimeWalker watch line: 

Architectonic lines, narrow bezel and the now easily recognizable skeletonised horns, a large, planar dial with Arabic numerals in a distinctive, clearly contoured typographical style and characteristic lance-shaped hands.





Despite the Timewalker line being in its 10th year now, the design DNA of the Timewalker series is still very modern and avant garde in my view. Due to its relatively more accessible price than say the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec and having more variants from simple time/date only to outsourced chronographs and in-house Twinfly chronograph movement, I actually see more Timewalkers in the wild in Singapore compared to other Montblanc watch series.


The new Timewalker Extreme Chronograph DLC is released this year to celebrate 10 years of success of the Timewalker line and to kick off this collection into its second decade. Quite a huge task for this novelty! It must has sufficient special features to distinguish it from other Timewalkers, yet retain the best of the Timewalker line’s DNA.


Here are some features of this new Timewalker Extreme Chronograph DLC which I appreciate.

Firstly, the dial is finished with more details than the ordinary Timewalkers (closer to the details found on the Twinfly Timewalkers with the in-house LeLocle MB LL 100 movement).

The middle stratum, which covers the centre and the periphery of the dial, is embellished with a fine embossed pattern of circular striations.  The chronograph hour, minutes and the seconds sub-dials also have snailed finishing.

See some macro shots I took of the Timewalker Extreme at the Montblanc Singapore boutique.











Secondly, this Timewalker is special with Diamond- Like Carbon (DLC) coating on its steel case and pin buckle (the other being the LE 300 Timewalker Twinfly DLC which I believe is no longer available).


Some information on the DLC process is kindly provided by Montblanc HQ below:

A “DLC” (for the “diamond-like carbon” material) treatment ensures that the toughness of the stainless steel case’s surface has been increased to the utmost.

DLC Process: Miniscule glass spherules are blasted under high pressure to give the steel a microscopic texture to which the DLC coating can almost inseparably adhere, thus producing a fine matte finish on the surface. The same process is used on the other stainless steel components: i.e. the readily grasped crown, the chronograph’s buttons, the midnight-black pronged buckle, and the screwed back with its pane of sapphire crystal.


The colour of the diamond-like carbon coating is described as “Black 4”, which stands for “very black”. As mentioned, I found this Black 4 color very unique (very dark black) and I like the look of it. I did some research on Black 4 DLC and if there were other grading of DLC Black couldn’t find more useful information on this topic.  Any PuristS here who know more please chip in. I have also reached out to Montblanc HQ to find out more as I am very curious on this topic.





Thirdly, this new Timewalker is also the first Montblanc Timewalker (and first Montblanc watch) to use the new Extreme Leather technology for its strap. It is a very unique blend of innovation and traditional leather craftsmanship creating a fire/water and scratch resistant leather strap. More information on this Extreme Leather will be covered in a subsequent post.






The Timewalker collection has watches that are mostly accessibly priced and with outsourced movements, with the exception of the Twinfly (including the lovely LE Twinfly Greytech) and the new Timewalker 100 with the Villeret movement.  The movement for this Timewalker Extreme Chronograph DLC is the MB calibre 4810/507, based on the Sellita SW500 movement (similar to the Valjoux 7750 movement). Nothing special on this finishing - plain and standard as per the standard Timewalker Chronographs. This kept the price of this timepiece close to the standard Timewalker Chronographs (below the prices of the Timewalker Twinfly) and personally, I think this is good for the wider watch consumer community.











If I have to nitpick, it will be the water resistance of this watch. It is 30m, like most other Timewalkers. For a Timewalker Extreme, I wish it were at least 100m, if not 200m for water resistance. That is more in line with the “Extreme” label on the name of the watch. 

As I have very small wrists, I also wish for a smaller Timewalker. The new 39mm Timewalkers are also launched this year and I hope Montblanc will do more with them in 2015 (eg have the Twinfly movement in a 39mm Timewalker case, I would love that!).


What are your thoughts on this new Timewalker or the Timewalker series in general? Hope to hear from PuristS here. smile

 

Cheers

robin


More posts: Collection VilleretGreyTechNicolas Rieussec Chronograph AutomaticNicolas Rieussec CollectionTimeWalker CollectionTimeWalker TwinFly ChronographTimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech

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Comments: view entire thread

 

It is one of my fav Montblanc

 
 By: foversta : August 27th, 2014-10:02
I like this chronograph because it has a very contemporary design which manages to be, I think, timeless. I also appreciate the combo hands&figures. Thanks a lot Robin for this article! Fx

Agree Fx!

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 27th, 2014-20:59
Contemporary and yet timeless - not easy to achieve and in my view, a needed ingredient for the making of an icon. Glad you like the sharing. :) cheers robin

Highly desirable!

 
 By: rnaden : August 27th, 2014-17:38
If I were to get a Montblanc, this would be at the top of the list for similar reasons as you've captured, Robin. The black is really nice, from a distance, it almost looks like resin, which takes it "under the radar". Nitpicking, my two issues would be w... 

Cutting away of 12 and 6...

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 27th, 2014-21:12
I missed that! Probably less obvious to me due to the beauty of the Black 4 DLC. :) Agree Richard I am not a fan of numerals being "cut off" by sub-dials too. If you look at the Timewalker Twinfly, the 12 and 6 are not cut off. See below. I think this des...  

Very cool Timewalker for sure...

 
 By: KIH : August 27th, 2014-18:34
.. and I like it very much. BUT, I, too, with it were a bit smaller..... Don't worry, my friend, the world trend is, I feel, the smaller watches - focusing on Asian market would eventually mean smaller watches for the true connoisseurs, while they keep ma... 

Thanks Ken!

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 27th, 2014-21:14
Richard and I were exchanging views on the same topic on this thread. We shall patiently wait for our smaller sized Timewalkers with nice complications. The fact that MB launched some 39mm Timewalkers this year is a good sign! Glad you like the sharing Ke... 

Very cool case on the Timewalker!

 
 By: blomman Mr Blue : August 28th, 2014-11:24
I no fan of black cases, but this one looks really cool! MB have integrated the logo in a very nice way on the lugs and crown. Thank you for sharing, Robin! Best Blomman

The Timewalker case is cool indeed!

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 28th, 2014-18:41
A techie feeling with a "futuristic space" theme - the side profile looks like a flying saucer on a landing pad :) Yet, it has become an icon in its own right and continues the design DNA into its second decade. A few more decades later, it's iconic statu... 

3 bar WR?

 
 By: Tick Talk : August 29th, 2014-07:08
Geez, that IS extreme ;-) At 3 bar you'd better not wear for more than washing your hands, that WR means no submersion is recommended at all :-(

Agree Dean

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 29th, 2014-07:22
It's not meant for swimming. Can withstand rainy times and washing hands mainly. I agree with you. Hopefully Montblanc will consider a real sports version of the Timewalker in future cheers robin

and not attributed to the crystal back

 
 By: Tick Talk : August 29th, 2014-08:56
Several makers have display back and 200m WR or better. Another "sporty" watch design I just adore, VC's Quai de l'Ile, also offers only 30m WR due to its modular case construction. Interestingly, under current ISO standards it only takes 100m WR to be co... 

and that's why you should stick to this MB :-)

 
 By: mkt33 : September 2nd, 2014-17:19
If you are looking for an "all black" sports watch from Montblanc. I ted to think the MB TW Extreme is a "sporty and fashionable" watch. Best, Mike ...  

Additional info on the DLC Black 4

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : August 30th, 2014-06:55
So Montblanc HQ replied to my query on the DLC Black 4. Montblanc refers to the DLC color on the Timewalker Extreme as Black 4 internally and it is the reference for this color of black. This is not a grading of DLC meaning that Black 2, Black 3, etc do n...