Montblanc TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph

MTF · 2017-05-13T14:37:32Z

Explore the Montblanc TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph. MTF reviews its dual-oscillator movement, 1/1000s precision, and limited 18-piece edition.

MTF

WPS member · Montblanc forum

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MTF provides a retrospective look at the Montblanc TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph, a standout release from SIHH 2017. This article revisits the technical marvel of its dual-oscillator movement and its unprecedented 1/1000th of a second accuracy, offering a deeper dive beyond the initial trade show buzz.

Now that the chaos of the watch trade shows are over and we've had time to digest the new watches offered, here are some second thoughts.

One spectacular offer from Montblanc is the TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph, a monopusher chronograph equipped with two oscillators.

TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph

In the hullabaloo of SIHH 2017 our Moderator-at-Large captured a couple of live photos and noted the limited edition is only 18 pieces.

TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph

Based on a specialised movement launched in 2012 in a super high-end, concept watch, handmade at Montblanc’s Villeret workshops, the two oscillators were an elegant solution to address normal timekeeping and measure short epochs of time. The first oscillator for running time, beats at the measured rate of 18,000vph used traditionally in marine chronometers, while the second balance wheel beats at 360,000vph that allows accurate chronograph timing events to 1/100th of a second.

The new TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph takes it down another order of magnitude to 1/1000 second. It has a gear multiplier device that divides time to 1/100th of a second. When the stop/start button is pushed, it activates a display for 1/100th seconds on the normal chronograph scale surrounding the dial and 1/1000th second from the linear scale in the window at the top of the dial.

The monopusher start-stop-reset button looks like a modern trigger of high performance timing systems like those for motorsports with a racy red inset. It could be a portent of Montblanc's entry into motorsports.

Montblanc will not say how time is further divided from 100th to 1000th of a second. Obviously, the chronograph oscillator runs at "only" 360,000vph so a direct measurement of 1/1000th second is not possible. The second piece of evidence is that the 1/1000th seconds display does not show anything until the stop button is pushed. We're postulating a mechanical calculator device with another level of gear multiplier...

Do we have any mechanical engineers out there?

Reading the chronograph has been optimised. Elapsed hours, minutes and seconds are shown on the subdial at six o’clock. The 100th of a second is shown by the red central hand pointing at the scale on the circumference of the dial. The 1000th of a second is indicated in the window at the top of the dial. The chronograph power reserve is displayed at 3 o'clock and the smoked glass cut outs at 9 o'clock allows you to see both oscillators...well...oscillating.

The watch is large at 46mm diameter but that is actually smaller than the original concept timepiece. The titanium case is covered with a black DLC coating and the bezel forged from ceramic. The lugs arch out from the case like cantilevered bridges and are inspired by the original TimeWalker skeletonised lugs.

By taking the technical ideas from the original uber expensive Villeret watch and industrialising them into a Montblanc wristwatch, it is more "affordable" although CHF 175,000 sounds a lot to me. Still, only 18 people need to be convinced.....

Regards,

MTF

Key Points from the Discussion

The TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph uses a gear multiplier to achieve 1/1000th second timing, distinct from chronographs that achieve high precision solely through high-frequency oscillators.
Unlike some high-frequency chronographs with separate power supplies, the Montblanc Calibre MB M66.26 features two independent going trains for timekeeping and chronograph functions, each with its own power reserve.
The chronograph's power reserve can be extended by hand-winding its mainspring even while the chronograph is running, a notable feature for extended timing sessions.
The Montblanc TimeWalker 1000th of a Second Chronograph takes precision a step further than previous 1/100th of a second chronographs, building on similar dual-oscillator concepts.
Montblanc's strategy under Mr. Cerrato aims to infuse 'soul' and 'epic' appeal into its diverse watch collections, leveraging Villeret's expertise for high-end complications like this TimeWalker.
The limited production of only 18 pieces makes this highly technical timepiece exceptionally rare and unlikely to be widely available.

The Discussion

skyeriding

May 13, 2017

But before we get into that, lets simplify with a different example, to make it easier to understand. You can skip this whole section if you want to get straight to the point: ==================================================================================================== Imagine a normal chronograph with a balance wheel at 2.5Hz, or 5 beats per second. This means that the chronograph has a precision of 0.2 seconds as the smallest timescale it can measure. A normal chronograph is "stopped" w

Mitch K

May 13, 2017

The TAG Mikrograph and the Mikrotimer both have separate power supplies. The Mikrograph has a routine 46 ish power reserve for the time function and about 90 minutes for the 1/100 chronograph. Whereas it is interesting that it seems that Montblanc seems to divide the 100th of seconds into tenths the Mikrotimer is purer in that it's chronograph vibrates at 3.6 million vps and is truly counting the thousandths. Of course the chronograph in the Mikrotimer has a power reserve of about 3 1/2 minutes

MTF

May 13, 2017

Calibre MB is hand wound 488-component movement with separate going trains for the time and chronograph functions. Time keeping power reserve is about 100 hours and chronograph power reserve is rated on the dial indicator as 45 mins. But you can extend the chronograph power reserve repeatedly by hand winding its mainspring while the chronograph is running. Regards, MTF.

Mitch K

May 13, 2017

and not functionality. Cheers

KMII

May 13, 2017

I was hoping it would be you explaining You have a talent for demonstrating how complex mechanical arrangements work in a way that non-technical people grasp it, too Thanks!

KMII

May 13, 2017

And a truly fascinating concept watch - taking things a step further from the TimeWalker Chronograph 100 of some years ago, which had a similar basic layout but was limited to 1/100 of a seconds precision.

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