Montblanc

An on-the-wrist appreciation of the Grande Seconde Au Centre Retour-à-Zéro begins with an overview of the watch itself. The R-à-Z is an immaculately executed three-handed watch equipped with a flyback re-set mechanism that allows the owner to accurately a...  

Thank you Art for not only the perfect review, but perfectly agreeable review. I say agreeable because I share the exact same sentiments as you regarding the undeniable qualities of this Montblanc Villeret timepiece. Regarding the case size, your thoughts... 

. . . despite its large size", is precisely the reason why the R-à-Z succeeds aesthetically, even on my slender wrist. Thank you, Patrick, and hope to see you soon at one of our gatherings . . . most cordially, Art

captivating watch. I liked your comparison to a pocket watch, very true indeed. Thanks for real quality writing and great photographs. Best, Tim

. . . it was a pleasure to "borrow" the R-à-Z for a spell, partly because it exudes a pocket watch aura . . . cordially, Art

Wonderfully written. After wearing this 47mm refined beast on the wrist for an entire month, has your view on large watches changed at all? Do you think you are more tolerant of watches of this size? Cheers, Anthony

. . . skirted the "invisible barrier", and this particular R-à-Z is probably the most successful due to, as Patrick points out, its aesthetic delicacy. Still, when all is said and done, my instinctive preference would be for the standard model in a 4... 

Thanks Art for the in-depth on-the-wrist review. The 47mm case size is huge, but I'm glad to see that Montblanc designed the retour-a-zero with a proportionate sized movement. Regards, ED-209

. . . that explains why I felt so comfortable with it. It isn't a large watch for the sake of being large, rather, it's large because its form follows its function . . . cordially, Art

Thanks for the wonderful on the wrist review. The two second deviation is impressive. Perhaps the proprietary mainspring wire The inhouse created balace wheels, escape wheels, the anchors and the chrono column wheels. Each one custom mated to its partner ...  

. . . has the goods in spades! Cordially, Art

Great article and pics. But from my point of view this is a truly 100% Minerva and not a Montblanc watch. Minerva was acquired by Richemont some years ago and integrated into Montblanc. What a pity :-( The watch would be more attractive with the name Mine... 

and wrong at the same time. Biowatch, Since your first post on 11/5/2008 you have said the same thing. In the last year and a half, has Montblanc not proved itself a capable partner with the financial resources to allow Mr. Cabiddu and the other wonderful...  

Hi Mike, don't worry. I don't take your comments personally Minerva is one of my favourite watch brands. I own 4 Minervas's (two Chrono's with the wonderful 13-20 and two Pythagore from the late 90/early 2000 with the calibre 49) and for me they produced ... 

This watch is also my fav from the Villeret line, but I am still disturbed by the excess and unnecessary text on the dial. I think a small change there would increase the enjoyment several-fold. Don

. . . coming from the moderator's Moderator, your kind words are deeply appreciated . . . most cordially, Art

Thanks Art, It has the feel of a Regulateur, which I like, but with greater legibility. Emotionally I like the idea of Regulators: the separation of hours, minutes and seconds to facilitate the accurate reading of time. But in practice I find them difficu... 

People have asked me what "Claytons" refers to and I have now realised that the description has not translated well internationally. Claytons is a non-alcoholic mixer that had a successful advertising campaign in the 1970's in Australia and New Zealand wi...  

. . . researching "Clayton's regulateur/tor" and all I could find was a hydraulic project in South Australia!! I can be elliptical at times, but dam, that was a stretch ;-) . . .

--and prescriptive from Dr. No. Thanks for the personal travelogue with the watch. I think you know I'm a fan of the MB Villeret line. m

Enjoyed the pics!

loved your ... allow me to call it watch reading DR.NO , a watch with its own atmosphere.. i like. Faisal

. . . many thanks, Art

I would like to see it in the metal one day but I suspect 47mm is too much for me. Do you think that the upholstered section between the lugs adds anything to the aesthetics of this watch? As you state, you may only use MB straps with this piece. Regards,... 

. . . consider it an enhancement per se. My sense is that it's the an artful solution to the problem of concealing the latch. If the Grande Seconde didn't have a hinged back and there was no latch to conceal, then the gap between the lugs would be caverno...  

Having seen the watch in person on more than one occasion now, I would have to agree that it's not a watch for the family beach outing or running around town getting groceries. It's a watch to wear with a suit or on more elegant occasions. There's a serio... 

. . . my planned action video of wearing the R-à-Z while surfing hadn't been interrupted ;-) . . .

...What an elegant watch! The alligator covered bridge between the lugs is a small detail that makes such a huge difference in my opinion in contributing to the watch's elegance with smooth continuous lines. Sorry for the delayed feedback. Great review!

I have just fallen on this superb article, Art, and I must say that I was delighted to read it. I am not shocked at all by the size. Minerva made some big watches, and why not seeing them nowadays? The movement is just superb, the dial is great looking, a... 

. . . if one ends up in your collection, Nico. "I couldn't help myself, Amalie - the Devil in So Cal made me do it!" :-)

There is no place for a second Devil... ;) Best, Don Nico.