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Frey, Minerva, Richemont, Valjoux …. What is the connection?
Friends,
On the wrist today … Minerva 38 mm “blue hands” model ref A482 with the Pythagore calibre 48 … with its orginal bracelet.
This neo-vintage piece is rather rare, made by Minerva owner and master watchmaker Jean-Jacques Frey in 1999. Very few were made. I guesstimate about 50 made … possibly less.
Many may not know that many years prior, Frey created the Venus caliber 175 which would go on to eventually evolve into what we today know to be the Valjoux 7750.
The Minerva company would be sold in the year 2000 (first to the Gnutti family and eventually come to be owned by the Richemont group).
Montblanc reserves the use of Minerva movements to its most highend watches only. Don’t be confused seeing the lower-end lines that say Villeret and such with solid casebacks. They do not have Minerva calibres within.
While MontBlanc has treated the heritage of the brand well, we now see the Montblanc logo on the dial instead.
Personally, I love seeing the Minerva logo on the dial and will always treasure this one in my collection. There are somethings that money alone can not buy.
Thanks for reading. Hope you found it interesting. Do share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.
🤝
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Frey, Minerva, Richemont, Valjoux …. What is the connection?
Friends, On the wrist today … Minerva 38 mm “blue hands” model ref A482 with the Pythagore calibre 48 … with its orginal bracelet. This neo-vintage piece is rather rare, made by Minerva owner and master watchmaker Jean-Jacques Frey in 1999. Very few were ...
Very cool Marc!
The proportions look just right, you wear it well. Thanks for sharing !
A lovely model
You can argue with the larger dial but it does provide for a full size, uncut index at 6 and the bracelet comes in handy in warmer climates in this part of the world!
Yes. I know some don’t mind the eaten 6
For me, I prefer no partially eaten numbers on dials. Especially chronographs. 🤝 ...
This is a great one! I agree about not cutting off numerals or indices.
I would rather they not have them, move the subdial, or shrink the numerals/indices looks so much better.
Lovely Minerva, Marc. You are right to make that a permanent piece of the collection.
As an aside, it was a marketing blunder by Montblanc to not use the Minerva name exclusively on its high end pieces. The name Montblanc simply doesn't carry the same weight in the watch world that it does in the world of writing instruments. Recently, Mon...
Thanks Dan
The colab between a collective horology and MonBlanc saw a small Minerva stamp at the bottom to replace 6 o’clock. That’s the closest I’ve seen this far for “Minerva” to make it back on the dial. Picture from Revolution I agree… it was and is a mistake fo...
Ah yes, from 2024
I see what you mean now. https://www.watchgecko.com/blogs/magazine/montblanc-1858-the-unveiled-minerva-monopusher-chronograph Thanks for the reminder about this one. 🤝
Frey/Venus rumor
The Venus cal 175 is not designed by André Frey, He has never worked for Fabrique d'Ebauches Vénus S.A. Before Minerva, André Frey worked for Lip in France. Minerva used a Venus cal 175 ebauché in the Heritage model in 1998. The connection between André F...
Thanks Livius … I stand corrected but …
I was too fast to write my original post and also failed to make it more clear and accurate. I based my claim on the link of Frey on this and another post (which I’m tying to find). Either way, it was not accurate for me to generalise the link of Frey to ...
Frey Minerva
I love the Frey era Minervas! Your 38 mm is a beautiful watch. I bought my 34 mm Pythagore 25 years ago. Best Regards Livius ...
Fantastic ☀️
Lovely dial. Has all the classic simplicity that we have come to appreciate from the Frey pieces from the late 90’s. A collectors item. Congratulations 🤝
I know that feeling ... sometimes we just have to go with our gut feeling
I have a "hit list" now and when I see one on the list, I don't hesitate. 🤝
Very nice model!
Never seen this one before. I think those blued steel hands look much nicer on this watch than those vintage-pilot style skeletonized hands on the model with the black dial. Still regret letting mine go. That dial was crazy. ...
Oh, do you mean the Pythagore "Aviator" ... with the cathedral hands?
Source: www.watchprosite.com / I actually quite like this model (hands too). Just that I prefer the 38 mm to the 34 mm. I also had the one you had ... the salmon dial with Arabic numerals. On bracelet too. But I sold it just a few months ago as I ...
Exactly!
Cathedral hands, thats the name. Before my post i searched for a name of the hands but couldn’t find it.
Venus 175 - Valjoux 7750 connection
The 7750 was originally derived from the Valjoux 7733, not the Venus 175. Anton Bally was the original designer of this iconic movement. I don't believe there is any connection between the 7750 and the Venus 175. ...
Thanks … please see my response to deBalzac
And chime in there too please. I’ll be glad to hear a bit more and together we can clarify if there was any connection between Frey and Venus or Valjoux company/calibres. 🤝
Wonderful 👏
At 43 mm case diameter it certainly packs a punch. 💪 We remember that pocket watch calibres were used for this one yes? From the internet … “The watch is equipped with the original Minerva caliber 17'22 (diameter 39.25mm). The movement was developed in th...
TimeZone Interview with Jean-Jacques Frey, President of Minerva Watch Company Interviewer: Richard Paige @ TimeZone.com October, 1998
A good read people.timezone.com l 🤝
The Minerva history told by Jean-Jacques Frey in 1993
http://ninanet.net/watches/mhist/mhist.html