These days, when you hear “outdoor lifestyle”, you don’t think of 19th-century typefaces, luxurious gold cases, cathedral hands, and sun-treated dials. But there was a time when the Minerva brand, which infused Montblanc with all its technology, produced watches specifically for the exploration of the earth in the early 20th century. The current Montblanc 1858 collection is a modern riff on the Minerva history of this era.
Now, Montblanc has updated the collection with a watch made in Montblanc’s proprietary gold alloy, “lime gold”. Made of 18-carat gold, silver, and iron, it has a subtle green sheen that complements the halo-green tones present on the dial.  
The 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 18 revolves around a duality. From the outside, you can see a playful aesthetic in the green accents of the dial and the green luster of the case. But its interior is full of business. Minerva and Montblanc are making exceptional movements.
To thoroughly appreciate Montblanc replica watches, it is helpful to know their history. Minerva was founded in 1886 to focus on the manufacture of precision chronograph movements. By 1923, Minerva created the Calibre 13-20 with a Breguet balance spring and column-wheel chronograph drive system. By the 1930s, Minerva created the 19-09CH and 17-29 movements for stopwatches.
These two movements provided the inspiration for the design of the modern Montblanc MB M16.31 movement inside the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 18, which has historically been the star of the show when it comes to the Montblanc 1858 collection. It’s a feast for the eyes, with alternating finishes and the usual look of a high-end, turn-of-the-century pocket replica watch movement, because that’s what it’s based on. Turning the watch over, there is a sense of dimensionality that jumps off the page. The German silver-colored bridges coated in 18-carat gold stand tall and nicely set off the Phillips overcoil balance spring.
Montblanc is rooted in the impressive watchmaking tradition of Minerva, which is part of the brand’s core identity. But the addition of the lime gold case represents something interesting and fresh, showing that Montblanc is willing to take risks with the brand rather than focusing solely on the sedate traditions of Minerva.
The 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 18 is the swan song of former Montblanc director Davide Cerrato. It was the last fake watch he developed before leaving the brand. Now, Laurent Lecamp, the newly appointed General Manager, is going to continue leading the field. We are curious to know if the Lime Gold is just a curious postscript for Cerrato or a sign of a new direction.