Montblanc TimeWriter II Bi-Fréquence
Luxury writing instrument maker a serious competitor in the watch market
When Montblanc first got into making watches in 1997, they were just another luxury brand dipping their toes into the watchmaking market. Their luxury watches have always been great although they haven’t been entirely innovative or ground breaking.
Montblanc TimeWriter II Watch
What most companies do when they get into the watch makig market is more like assemblage than making distinctive timepieces. Essentially, they contract other companies to create branded cases and straps and then tucking in an ETA or Valjoux movement. And BAM! Now you are a watchmaker. That’s not to say the quality isn’t outstanding, it’s just not… theirs.
Fast forward fifteen years after a company has acquired another watch making company and put some serious though into their own line of luxury watches:
Testimony to this commitment and focus on artisan pieces is this year’s Montblanc TimeWriter II Bi-Fréquence watch that measures time intervals accurate to 1/1000th of a second. With an inhouse MB TW 02 movement inside, what truly distinguishes the watch is not just the accuracy, but how easy it is to read, understand and use.
SIHH 2012 may well be remembered as the fair that established Montblanc as not just a contender but a competitor. People now take the brand seriously, and Beghte knows it: “Look at the number of awards we are winning everywhere. Ten years ago, it would have been impossible to think that Montblanc watches could win prizes.” Beghte says Montblanc’s plan is to stay serious about watches, and to keep contributing to the art of horology through movements and special editions.
So there you go. If you have laughed off Montblanc as a watch making dynamo, it’s time to take a second look at a company who has taken luxury writing instruments to the sublime. They might be acheiving the same level of amazing with their TimeWriter watches. They might just be in the running to surpass their competition. Keep your eyes open, folks. It can only get better!
