Introducing A New, Limited-Edition Run For Montblanc's User-Friendly Perpetual Calendar

It's hard to believe it's been two years since SIHH 2019. The SIHH fair is, of course, no longer with us, having been replaced by the larger Watches & Wonders showcase in 2020. But what remains are the watches we saw that year, and today, one of my favorites from the final SIHH showcase is getting a second chance in the spotlight.

It's the Montblanc Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar, which I believed to be one of the show's sleeper hits. You might even remember Jon's excellent Hands-On with the first edition of the watch. It balanced vintage design cues without going overboard, brought in a compelling calendar complication, and was offered at a relatively – compared to traditional QP expectations, at least – approachable and fair price, at under $15,000 in stainless steel.

It's been relatively quiet on the QP front for Montblanc since that inaugural watch was released, but that changes at Watches & Wonders 2021, with the introduction of a new 18k rose gold Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar. It's a limited edition of 100 watches with a warm gradient brown dial that breathes new life into a watch – and collection, in general – that I really believe more people should pay attention to. (Remember this guy? I'm telling you, the Heritage lineup has some serious hidden gems.)

Life comes at you fast. One day you're checking out perpetual calendars in Geneva, and the next you're sitting at home cycling between the same three hoodies for weeks at a time, praying that your next video meeting is scheduled through Zoom and not Microsoft Teams (sorry not sorry, Teams loyalists).

A difference in setting doesn't change how I feel about the Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar in general, of course. Though I would've liked to see a second stainless steel execution produced alongside the new polished rose-gold model, we can't get everything we want during trade show season.

And what I would really like out of this announcement is for more people to take notice of just how clever Montblanc's technical execution of the perpetual calendar complication is. Beneath the lacquered dial's pretty face are the brains behind the operation – the self-winding Manufacture caliber MB 29.22.

Montblanc states that its 259-component perpetual calendar module took three years of close research and development, in which the company's watchmakers decided to remove all levers out of the movement architecture and instead rely on just wheels and three independent cams (the cams are what keep track of how many days are in each passing month). The base three-hand movement of the MB 29.22 is one that is shared throughout the Richemont Group (Montblanc's parent organization) and assembled at the Val-Fleurier facility, but the perpetual calendar module is patented by Montblanc and is currently exclusive to the brand.

Eliminating the levers from the movement enables the Heritage Perpetual Calendar's unique value proposition. Unlike basically all other QPs on the market today, with the Montblanc Heritage Manufacture, you can adjust the time both forward and backward without issue, which removes the pain point of having to reset the watch after its juice has run out, a frustration that's natural to any complicated calendar. Montblanc also smartly incorporated a specific safety feature that prevents the calendar functionality from being adjusted in between 6:00 PM and 12:00 PM, in order to avoid accidental damage from user error. And in addition to the traditional calendar features (including the day, date, month, moon-phase, and leap year indications), Montblanc has added a second time-zone display for good measure via the central, short skeletonized hour hand and the 24-hour display integrated into the nine o'clock sub-dial.

Montblanc's convenient approach to complicated watchmaking is something I think we really should see more of in the luxury watch industry as a whole. And when it comes in as conventionally attractive a package as the Heritage Manufacture QP, it's hard to find fault with the presentation. Speaking of the watch's good looks, the limited-to-100-piece 18k polished rose-gold edition features a well-proportioned 40mm × 12.25mm case profile with curved lugs and a box-style sapphire crystal that is – as far as I can tell – identical to the 2019 releases. The dial is where the newness shines.

In line with the rest of Montblanc Heritage collection in recent years, the new Manufacture Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition is aesthetically inspired by vintage Minerva wristwatches from the 1940s and '50s. The dial is domed with recessed sub-dials and features two distinctive surface finishes, including a central sun-brushed element and a grainé finish on the outer hour ring. Montblanc also applied a gradient brown tone with multiple shades featured, growing from a light beige in the center of the dial to a rich chocolate color on the periphery. To finish the dial, there are several layers of translucent lacquer added to realize a unique, attractive sheen. And the moon-phase display is coated in rose gold.

Montblanc has become known for intricate dial executions in recent years, and the new Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition 100 doesn't disappoint in that regard. Add in the exclusive, user-friendly calendar complication, and I think Montblanc won't disappoint the 100 individuals who end up with one of these on their wrist.

Brand: Montblanc
Model: Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition 100
Reference Number: MB 128669

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 12.25mm
Case Material: 18k rose gold
Dial Color: Domed "burnt caramel"-colored dial with grainé hour ring and sunray finishes, 18k rose gold-coated bent dauphine hour- and minute-hands, 18k rose gold-coated curved skeletonized second time-zone hand, 18k rose gold-coated 24-hour-hand, 18k rose gold-coated baton date, 18k rose gold-coated day- and month-hands, black lacquered leap year-hand, historical Montblanc logo at 12 o'clock
Indexes: 18k rose-gold-coated applied Arabic numerals and dots as hour markers
Lume: Yes, Super-LumiNova on dot hour markers and hour and minute hands
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Brown Sfumato alligator strap with 18k rose gold pin buckle

Caliber: Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB 29.22
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, month, moon-phase, leap year, second time-zone, 24-hour display
Diameter: 25.58mm
Thickness: 5.80mm
Power Reserve: Approximately 48 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 77
Chronometer Certified: N/A
Additional Details: Certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500; 378 total components

Price: $27,200
Availability: June 2021
Limited Edition: Yes, 100 pieces.

As you may know, the HODINKEE Shop is an Authorized Dealer for Montblanc, so if you’re looking to pick up the new Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition, you can register your interest now in the Shop.