Thank you, Don, for this view into . . .

. . . the 'business end' of Montblanc's operations. Minerva has long been one of my favorite manufacturers, and I well remember seeing the last run of watches under their own name several years ago at the lone American dealership; I declined the proprietor's offer of a loupe as the finishing was spectacular to my unaided eyes. This article clearly demonstrates Minerva's depth of manufacturing capability, and I for one respect the traditional approach to watchmaking they exemplify. The continuation of tried and true techniques is of greater personal interest than much of the cutting edge materials and engineering advancements pursued by others . . . cordially, Art

Back to Basics, Montblanc Style -- A Trip to Villeret Part 2

By: mkt33 : April 13th, 2009-18:25

I hope everyone enjoyed the first part of Don's report on the Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie in Villeret. Based on the photos alone it is possible to see that Montblanc's involvement with Minerva is not superficial. A lot of time and re...

Thanks, Don and Mike!

By: dxboon : April 13th, 2009-21:15

I enjoy these behind-the-scenes articles so much. It's interesting how the tourbillon movement is put together and then disassembled completely for finishing. What a time-consuming and painstaking process. The hairspring creation in and of itself was fasc...

Thanks for the insights into the challenges of self-sufficiency...

By: Ornatus-Mundi : April 14th, 2009-05:07

as exemplified by the spiral manufacture. Highly interesting! Did I spot correctly that there is no movement holder ring in the case? Thanks a lot. I wish the Minerva/Montblanc team all the best of success. Best, Magnus

Well seen Magnus! [nt]

By: DonCorson : April 14th, 2009-12:21

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Don, I'm impressed with the technology and equipment Montblanc uses to make hairsprings and I'm very pleased that the Richemont Group has these resources independently if and when not needed from outside suppliers. Thanks for your time and efforts in brin...

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing... [nt]

By: Davo : April 14th, 2009-13:27

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It is not easy doing it this way.....

By: MTF : April 15th, 2009-12:17

Thanks for the report. It is not easy to find watchmakers that can do the whole process for each watch. Most factories now use the 'process station' method, where the watch moves from station to station and each so-called "watchmaker" only adds one proces...

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