jrwong23 (aka watchthebin)
[Purist]
13960
Owner’s review: Montblanc Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel – Part Three
Finally! I now have the time to complete Part 3
of my owner’s review on my Montblanc Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel.
Apologies for the delay as I was in back-to-back business travels, followed by
a vacation last week with the family. I promise you that Part 3 will be the
most exciting part, especially for chronograph lovers! 
I once did a comparison of my Montblanc Villeret
chronograph with my Lange Datograph and you can read my comparison of the two
high end chronograph watches here:
(note: I have since sold my PT Datograph to fund
my current pink gold black dial Datograph as I prefer the warmer combination of
pink gold with black dial)
I won’t repeat my comparison of the two “kings or at least princes of highly-finished
chronographs” as you can read my previous review. To summarize, the Datograph
is like a sexy trophy wife with looks that excite especially the golden patina
of its lavishly decorated movement, with bridges of German silver, along with
generous use of blued screws and gold chatons – one can easily appreciate the
Datograph’s movement and admire its beauty.
The Minerva calibre 13.21 (see above) is what I will describe more as a virtuous wife. The movement bridges are also constructed in German silver, as per all movements from Montblanc Villeret but they are rhodium plated so the golden patina does not show. There are also no blued screws although gold chatons are used for decoration. The net effect is we do not get a movement that shouts for attention on first look but if you admire the movement carefully using a loupe, the inner angles and decoration, the V-bridge, the signature Minerva arrow, all contribute to a visual treat, on par with the Datograph’s finishing. To be honest, I prefer the details on the calibre 13.21 over my Datograph slightly – see some of the details captured in my macro shots below.
The beautifully finished V-bridge, which is found in all Montblanc Villeret chronographs. This V-bridge is crafted from German silver too, something not everyone knows.
The Minerva arrow – a detail I love and that makes Minerva movements so charming. Nico, please stop saying it is the devil’s tail! It’s the Minerva Arrow!
One thing I like to compare on chronographs is
the pusher feel. Both the Datograph and the Montblanc Villeret chronograph have
very smooth and soft pusher feel (by comparison to other chronographs), so I
will say they are on par here. To nitpick, let’s also look at the consistency
of pusher feel for all 3 actions – start, stop and reset. Here, I will say my
Montblanc Villeret is a tad more consistent than my Datograph – all 3 action of
start, stop and reset on the monopusher calibre 13.21 feels exactly the same.
The Datograph has a slightly harder start, a softer stop and a softer reset
too. But this is only on pusher feel, something only a WIS like me will bother.
To be fair, the Datograph has a flyback mechanism and also an exact changing
minute chronograph counter and these are technical details the Montblanc
Villeret lacks.
Some of you will also know that this Montblanc
Villeret is my favorite travel watch. I will let the pictures below speak for
themselves. Other than the beautiful movement, which can entertain me a lot on
the planes and in hotel rooms, the black enamel dial, the hunter back and the
fact that it is a very discreet watch (Montblanc brand and white gold do not
attract the wrong attention) are all good reasons why this is my favorite
travel watch. Besides, it is also very versatile on business trips, formal
enough to wear with a suit and casual enough for the weekends in jeans.
Maiden trip to India. This was my second or third week owning this watch and I couldn’t even part with it for a few days hence I wore it to India in Jul/Aug 2013.
Trip to Paris in 2014 – first time meeting Nicolas and Fx on that trip.
Very recent trip to London in Feb 2016. The watch
is my faithful companion on these long haul flights.
On my wrist in Madrid. The thick sapphire glass reminds me of those vintage plexiglass crystals.
On my wrist in Madrid. The thick sapphire glass reminds me of those vintage plexiglass crystals.
Other than business travels, the watch is also a
faithful companion for me at work.
And on the weekends, dressed down with casual clothes. It is indeed a very versatile watch.
Before a long and tiring conference call.
And on the weekends, dressed down with casual clothes. It is indeed a very versatile watch.
Finally, I would like to address a topic which
perhaps is senstive to some of the current Montblanc Villeret owners. Up until
2014, Minerva movements were exclusively used in Montblanc Collection Villeret
watches. In SIHH 2014, the Heritage Spirit Pulsograph was launched, limited to
90 pieces, with the monopusher calibre 13.21, i.e. the same calibre in my
watch.
As a Villeret owner, how do I feel about this
move? Initially, I wasn’t that happy to be honest and some of my fellow
moderators on PuristSPro namely Nicolas, Fx and Mike will
know that. I felt
that this will make the Montblanc Villeret calibres less exclusive. However, I
did some comparisons and noticed that the watches in the Montblanc Villeret
collection are still in a league much higher than the regular Montblanc
collections, even if they house Villeret movements (eg in the Heritage Spirit
Pulsograph and the more recent 1858 Tachymeter Chronograph with the calibre
16.29).
Here are some of the differences I observed:
1. Watches in the Villeret collection all have
solid gold dials. The regular Montblanc watches do not.
2. Many of the Montblanc Villerets have grand feu
enamel dials too. This is not the case for the regular Montblanc watches.
3. The case construction of the Villeret watches
are always in precious metal and many of them have the secret hunter back like
mine.
4. All Montblanc Villeret watches use solid gold
hands (or blued steel). Regular Montblanc watches, even in gold cases,
typically use gold plated hands (or blued steel)
5. The collection Villeret watches are either piece
unique/bespoke, limited to 8 or 18 (no more LE 58 in recent years). The
Heritage Spirit Pulsograph is LE 90 and the 1858 Tachymeter is LE 100 in steel
and LE 100 in red gold. Hence the Villeret watches are still a lot more
exclusive.
6. Villeret collection watches in recent years only
focus on grand complications (ExoTourbillon, split second chronograph with
Tourbillon, Metamorphosis II, etc).
The above observations reassured me that
Montblanc is still committed to making the Villeret collection highly
exclusive. Hence as a Montblanc Villeret owner, I now feel this is a good thing
– to own a chronograph watch in a Villeret case!
Of course, I am also happy to say that without
the change in direction, I would never be able to purchase the watch below....
The 1858 Tachymeter Chronograph in steel with
the lovely blue dial and Villeret calibre 16.29! Nico has received his in
Hamburg and I should be getting mine in Singapore in April! The calibre 16.29
will be a fantastic big brother movement to my calibre 13.21. I am patiently
waiting for it to arrive in the next few weeks.
This is the end of my three part review of my
Montblanc Villeret Chronograph grand feu enamel watch. I hope you like the
review!
Cheers
robin
This message has been edited by jrwong23 on 2016-03-23 05:51:02
More posts:
Owner’s review: Montblanc Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel – Part Three
Finally! I now have the time to complete Part 3 of my owner’s review on my Montblanc Villeret Chronograph Grand Feu Enamel. Apologies for the delay as I was in back-to-back business travels, followed by a vacation last week with the family. I promise you ...
Thank you!
Excellent set of reviews Robin. As I have a similar watch to yours except in rose gold and therefore limited to 58 pieces, your set of 3 reviews will be a invaluable reading reference for me. Thanks again. Sham
My pleasure to share Sham
Hope you like the reviews and I am sure you can see your rose gold Montblanc Villeret chronograph grand feu enamel in these articles too. I am sure you are enjoying the Calibre 13.21 a lot, like me If you have some time, feel free to share pics of your lo...
Many things to say, Robin.
First of all, thanks for these comparisons with the Datograph. They both belong to the category of fine Chronographs, with a big C, along with another one, the JLC Duometre, of course. We tend to forget the MB Villerets, and we are SO w(r)ong. Compared to...
Nico could read your mind....
He knows you want another watch too.... And another ... And another :p Cheers Robin
Thanks my friend
I can\'t wait for my 1858 Tachymeter too! If you know someone high up please plead for them to send to Singapore piece 100/100 asap! :p The JLC Duometre is an amazing modern chronograph and I know Jerome once said that was his proudest product when he was...
A fitting third part!
Not only did you go through the chrono comparison, which was helpful but also your personal thoughts on the use of the movement in other collections, which I found very helpful. A lovely watch by all means - was glad to have been able to play with it in S...
Glad you could play with the watch my friend
During your last visit to Singapore And thanks for your kind words. Glad you found the reviews useful Cheers Robin
Nice macro shots and write up Robin
Trophy wife or virtuous wife, your analogy was amusing and quite apt!
Thanks NT!
Lol it\'s quite apt indeed. The Dato is really sexy whereas the MB Villeret needs you to spend more private moments to appreciate it, like a spouse with lots of inner values (hidden by that secret hunter case back too!) Cheers Robin
lovely pixs and an enjoyable read !
Thanks for taking the time to share your personal experience and opinions of your Montblanc Villeret. Super cool seeing it on your wrist ! Cheers !
Thanks Chuck! I know you like this movement too :)
And you were so sharp to observe my special polishing Cheers Robin
