Montblanc in recent years has garnered significant attention for its historically inspired collections. From the Heritage GMT and Pulsograph, to its vast 1858 collection, the brand has staked out its place in the market by channeling the vintage designs of historical Swiss maison Minerva, which Montblanc and its parent company Richemont acquired in 2006.

This week, Montblanc has unveiled the second of its 2021 novelties, the 1858 Split-Second Chronograph Limited-Edition 18. The new watch takes the original 1858 Split Second Chronograph design that we first saw in 2019 ? itself drawing inspiration from a 1930s Minerva military chronograph (pictured below) ? and updates it with an 18K ?lime gold? case and dial.

The release comes on the heels of another 1858 collection launch earlier this month, the 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins LE100, and signals the Montblanc’s sustained interest in the 1858 series. (It also likely hints at more vintage-Minerva-influenced models to come at next month?s digital Watches & Wonders event.)
The Case

A closer look at the chronograph reveasls a large 44-mm by 14.20-mm brushed and polished case, produced from a special alloy dubbed lime gold. The alloy is composed of primarily 18k gold and silver, with smaller amounts of additional iron, which blended together provide the distinctly pale yellow-green color of the watch. Other case details to note include the unusual chronograph pusher positioning, with one rec...