Montblanc celebrates the 150th anniversary of Minerva this year with a special collection of watches, including a wristwatch with a zero-reset centre seconds, likely to be the first and only of its kind (Lange zero-reset is subsidiary seconds). A bigger surprise will come later this year, when Montblanc unveils something special for the 150th anniversary. October 2008 will also see the reopening of the Minerva atelier - guests are welcome to visit.

- SJX

Press release:

Montblanc “Collection Villeret 1858”

The latest additions to the Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858

to mark the 150th jubilee of Minerva

and a special surprise for autumn 2008

This year Montblanc is celebrating a major jubilee - it has been 150 years since the foundation of Minerva, a small manufacture specializing in handcrafted watchmaking, in Villeret. The company soon began focusing its attention on timekeeping and has since developed the chronograph to the peak of perfection. Only a handful of watch manufacturers can look back on such a long, uninterrupted history, and over the years Minerva has held fast to the working methods traditionally associated with Swiss watchmaking at its best. This is the art of haute horlogerie, which is practiced largely by hand. Only a select group of master watchmakers today are familiar with the procedures and techniques required for this rarest and most exclusive form of watchmaking. Important components like the generously sized balance with its high moment of inertia are made in-house, the active length of the tailor-made balance springs is counted by hand as it was in bygone ages, and the “Mise en Fonction” of the chronograph control carried out meticulously by hand for each individual movement. Almost two years ago, in order to preserve its authenticity, Minerva joined forces with Montblanc, which is likewise dedicated to the preservation and practice of manufacturing traditions handed down from one generation to the next, in all its business activities. Montblanc is celebrating the occasion with exclusive jubilee additions to the Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858, which will be unveiled at this year’s SIHH (Salon de la Haute Horlogerie) in April 2008. And for autumn 2008, Montblanc has a special surprise up its sleeve to mark Minerva’s 150th jubilee.