Montblanc?s reasoning for entering the watch business and acquiring the erstwhile Minerva manufacture is fairly easy to comprehend. Watchmaking can be a lucrative trade and there?s nothing wrong with the 112-year-old writing instrument and leather goods company wanting to tap into it. As conservative as the Swiss watch industry can be, there?s at least a hope that the spirit of industry and competition is amplified when prestigious marques intend to throw funding into watchmaking as a whole. On the other hand, even with other entrenched luxury brands, such as Ralph Lauren, Hermès, and Chanel, there has been an unfortunate amount of side-eye given by some established collectors who, despite those brands? investment, not only into watchmaking but haute horlogerie as a whole, still aren?t given the time of day.
Let?s rewind for a moment. Montblanc officially entered the watch industry 21 years ago. According to WatchTime lore, way back in 1997, after the first line of Montblanc watches was released (inspired by the iconic Meisterstück pen line), the Montblanc CEO at the the time, Norbert Platt, endured a press conference where journalists riffed on the watch with questions like, ?Where do you fill it with ink"? To circumvent such sarcasm from the normally-quite-genial (I promise) watch and fashion press, Montblanc continued slowly expanding its watchmaking capabilities until purchasing the aforementioned Minerva marque that had fallen into disrepair in 2006.

In the p...