Introducing Montblanc's Magical Mystery Tourbillon: The Star Legacy Suspended Exo

Watch internet truism #5789: It's incredibly easy to be dismissive of a tourbillon.

I think every watch enthusiast, at one point or another, discovers a biography on A-L Breguet somewhere on the World Wide Web, decides they are now a veritable scholar, and has remarked to a friend:

"Don't you know a tourbillon is only horologically relevant in a pocket watch? What a waste of money!"

(Don't lie – you've definitely said it.)

I'll admit, it's something I may have uttered during my first year or so of learning the watch-writing ropes. But I've come to recognize the tourbillon as perhaps watchmaking's most beguiling anachronism. And to dismiss it with a heavy hand as an oligarch's personal folly discredits the many mechanically intriguing, intellectually stimulating, and – most importantly – emotionally resonant developments happening in the genre these days.

Take a look at what Greubel Forsey and Roger Dubuis have accomplished in recent years. Or, for even more esoteric examples, Antoine Preziuso and Purnell. Jaeger-LeCoultre has the Gyrotourbillon. MB&F? The appropriately named Thunderdome. And Zenith, the Defy Fusée Tourbillon. Ulysse Nardin, A. Lange & Söhne, F.P. Journe; the list goes on. But your list might not include Montblanc, and that should change. And it's because of watches like the just-announced Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon, which is the latest timepiece equipped with the company's proprietary execution of a one-minute tourbillon. Here's what you should know.

First revealed in 2010 after three years of research and development, the Montblanc Exo Tourbillon takes its name from its unique construction that allows for the movement's balance wheel – a large, stately looking affair with 12 screws that beats at 2.5 Hz with a blued Phillips terminal curve hairspring – to oscillate outside its traditional position in the tourbillon cage, which makes a full rotation once per minute. As you may have guessed, the "Exo" in Exo Tourbillon refers to external.

In the new Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18, the positioning of the balance is pushed to the next level – literally. The balance has been raised precisely 3.2mm higher than the rest of the dial, where it looks to be physically suspended in mid-air from the rest of the tourbillon cage, something made possible by a dedicated tourbillon bridge with a single, curved arm.

While I have not yet been fortunate enough to go hands-on with the new Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon in hand, previous in-person Exo Tourbillon experiences have always left me slackjawed in amazement at a regulating organ that appears to be levitating by its lonesome.

Now some of you might be wondering if there is any horological benefit to the Exo Tourbillon, or if it simply looks really freaking cool.

And according to Montblanc, the answer is yes.

This is what you should tell any friends who drop the anti-tourbillon spiel on you. The Exo Tourbillon design is said to be far more energy-efficient than a conventional tourbillon execution – if there is such thing – as the cage is naturally smaller and more lightweight, thanks to the displaced balance wheel. Further, Montblanc balances the tourbillon with a pair of gold pillars to keep it running in equilibrium. And since the regulating organ is placed outside the continuously rotating tourbillon, the balance is no longer impacted by the cage's inertia.

While the tourbillon will undoubtedly be what catches most collectors' eyes, there are plenty of other details to appreciate. There's a domed hour and minute sub-dial at 12 o'clock, with black Arabic numerals and a concentric snailed finish, to indicate the passing time, while the rest of the dial is rendered in stunning aventurine. A blued seconds hand is attached to the one-minute tourbillon for precise time-telling. The case is expectedly precious, crafted out of 18k white gold, with a sapphire crystal on the front and back, revealing the hand-finished, Minerva-crafted manual-wind Montblanc Manufacture caliber M16.68.

Movements from Minerva aren't known to be aesthetically disappointing, and the one inside Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon is an excellent example of why these calibers garner such praise. Note the intricate côtes de Genève, the sumptuous chamfers of the bridges, and the location of the signature Minerva arrow on the mirror-polished pawl.

There are plenty of disappointing tourbillons out there. The new Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18, however, is not one of those.

Brand: Montblanc
Model: Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18
Reference Number: MB 127767

Diameter: 44.8mm diameter
Thickness: 15.03mm thickness
Case Material: 18k white gold, polished case
Dial Color: 18K white, silvery-white with sandblasted finishing and aventurine, domed hour and minute-counter with an azuré motif in the center, and an opaline decoration on the external ring, 18K white gold leaf hour and minute-hands
Indexes: Black Arabic numerals in 12 o'clock sub-dial
Lume: N/A
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Blue Sfumato alligator-skin strap with an 18K white gold triple folding clasp

Caliber: Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB M16.68
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds (in tourbillon), patented one-minute suspended Exo Tourbillon with one arm-bridge at six o'clock
Diameter: 38.3mm
Thickness: 10.60mm
Power Reserve: Approximately 50 hours
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 18,000 vph
Jewels: 19
Chronometer Certified: N/A
Additional Details: Certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500; screwed balance wheel measures 14.5 mm in diameter; 218 total components

Price: $107,500.00
Availability: May 2021
Limited Edition: Yes, 18 pieces.

As you may know, the HODINKEE Shop is an Authorized Dealer for Montblanc, so if you're looking to pick up a new watch, don't forget to check the Shop.