I would like to come back to one of the Montblanc novelties of the year: the Meisterstück Heritage Moonphase. The question you may have is to know why I wished to have a deeper look on this watch. After all, when we do a quick summary of the 2014 Montblanc offer, the Hritage Moonphase is seldom nominated. The reason is very simple: I like it! Actually and to avoid any misunderstanding, I prefer this watch to the Perpetual Calendar.
The great asset of the Heritage collection is its timeless design which manages to combine very traditional aesthetic details with very shy and subtle Montblanc reminders. In fact, Montblanc wished with this collection to attract new customers with a neat and classic style which avoids some "obvious" Montblanc elements like the Star collection may contain. And the result is pretty convincing. I will not tell you that everybody will be surprised by these watches because they don't have any daring or bold feature. But if you look at them carefully, you could be charmed by their quiet elegance.
The challenge for Montblanc was to manage to define a "spirit" or a "DNA" for this collection. The Montblanc achieved this objective thanks to several common points that are shared by all the watches of the collection from the two hands automatic to the Pulsograph Limited Edition:
- the large and thin applied XII on top of the dial
- a well proportioned case with curved lugs
- a white silver-coloured bombé dial with sunray finish
- the applied red gold-plated or rhodium-plated indexes
- the dauphine hands
- the domed sapphire crystal
All these elements create the identity of the Heritage collection whose roadmap is to become the vector of the new Montblanc watchmaking ambition. I had the chance to handle the 5 watches which make the collection and at the end, I think that one of the best option is the Moonphase one. I will explain you why.
Without any doubt, the most beautiful and the most interesting watch of the collection when it comes to horological contents is the Pulsograph Limited Edition. But we are not in the same price range. The two entry level watches (the two hands automatic or the date automatic) are nice but a bit too much on the understatement side. Two watches remain: the Perpertual Calendar and the Moonphase.
We already spoke a lot about the Perpetual Calendar and about its very affordable price. But a price is not the only component which makes a watch desirable or not. In my mind, a watch has to be appreciated without knowing its price and the question of the budget which is required to purchase it comes later. The Perpetual Calendar has its own charm but I found that the Dubois-Dépraz module (powered by the Sellita SW300) too small for the case even if the later was not that big (39mm).
The Heritage Moonphase uses the same recipe with the same Sellita movement which powers the Dubois-Dépraz module. But this time, the dial seems to be more balanced. It is due to the larger subdial which bears at the same time the moonphase and the date indicators. Even if the top of the subdial is very close to the center of the dial, its own diameter is big enough to make it also closer to the bezel. And I understood why the Perpetual Calendar gave me this strange feeling: with the full subdial, the watch is more balanced while the half-subdial creates a too large space at the bottom of the dial.
I also appreciated the complications of this watch, this combo of the date and of the moonphase, a mix between a useful and a poetic indicators. The Heritage Moonphase offers at a more affordable price than the Perpetual Calendar the pleasure to have the moonphase which decorates the dial. But the watch a similar issue than its more complicated sister: there is no second hand. So if you like animated dial, forget it.
On the wrist, the feeling of balance remains thanks to the good diameter (39mm)/thickness (10,24mm) ratio and I was quite seduced by its classic charm. To be frank with you, this kind of watch is not on my radar screen, I look for something more exciting. But thanks to its dial finishings which are good for the price and its reasonable interpretation of a classic design, the Heritage Moonphase may seduce customers who look for a sober and a timeless watch without spending a very high budget.
Thanks to the Montblanc team for the warm welcome at the SIHH.
Pros:
+ nice dial finishings which combine sunray finish with applied indexes
+ a more balanced dial than on the Perpetual Calendar watch
+ a timeless design
+ a reasonable price tag
Cons:
- the lack of the second hand may disturb people who look for animated dials
- the finishings of the movement are basic
