Montblanc’s Villeret Luxury Watches Keep The Minerva Soul

The home of traditional Swiss watch company now owned by luxury brand, Montblanc. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

VILLERET, Switzerland — In the Swiss watch industry, it could be said that the more things change the more they stay the same. This is particularly true for the watch company known today as “Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret.”

The company was founded in 1858 as the H. & C. Robert watchmaking factory by brothers Charles-Yvan and Hyppolite Robert inside the family house in this picturesque village on the edge of the Jura mountains. The company took on the Minerva name in 1923 and kept it for 84 years. 

Some of the components that make up a watch movement. All pieces are made in house in the Swiss watchmaking tradition. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

Almost from the beginning the company, which moved from its residential workshop to a true manufacturing facility across the street in 1887, produced in-house movements, particularly its chronographs that were so accurate and efficient they were used in the battlefields of World War I and II and to keep time for the events of the 1936 Winter Olympics. It was one of the first companies to produce a chronograph pocket watch, one of the first to produce movements for wristwatches, and one of the first to build a chronograph that could track hundredths of a second. The company also produced chronographs and classic watches for the general public. Needless to say the brand’s heritage and quality of their movements produced a loyal following.

A watchmaker creates one of the individual components of a movement. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

The company’s biggest change happened in 2000 when Italian investor Emilio Gnutti purchased it and changed its mission to produce haute horlogerie timepieces in-house using the same hand-made techniques and the philosophy of the brand. The new owner brought in Demetrio Cabiddu as its technical director. Then a change of seismic proportions happened in 2006 when luxury goods conglomerate, Compagnie Financière Richemont, purchased the company and from my understanding assigned the watch manufacturer to Montblanc—one of the many luxury brands it owns.

The balance spring (also known as a hairspring) is attached to the balance wheel to control the speed at which the wheels of the timepiece turn, and thus the rate of movement of the hands. These items are hand-made inside the factory. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

In the new atrium on the top floor of the historic manufacturing facility, Cabiddu, who is extremely passionate and protective of the company’s heritage, said he had some sleepless nights wondering what Montblanc, which was new to the staunchly traditional Swiss watch industry, was going to do with the company and its heritage. 

A skilled watchmaker attaches the balance spring to the balance wheel and then sets it over a timing device with a reference balance. She checks the difference in beats and bends the spring until they match.  Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

“Of course I was very worried, I was scared,” Cabiddu said in French through a translator. “There was a need to preserve the heritage and credibility of Minerva and this 150 years of expertise.” He added, “People who don’t have fear are people who don’t have a conscience.” 

Some of the older equipment in the factory includes this large stamping machine. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

It turned out that there was no need to fear. Montblanc, the German company with its own 106-year history as a manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, not only bought into the legacy of Minvera, but in some cases expanded upon it. 

Another example of the early equipment that is still being used in the Villeret factory is this vertical drill. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

In fact, Montblanc’s inexperience in the Swiss watch industry “turned out to be an advantage,” Cabiddu said. “Montblanc trusted us. In hindsight it turned out to be the best choice.” 

Before Montblanc took control of the company, it was known for 84 years as Minerva. The toolboxes still carry the name and according to technical director, Demetrio Cabiddu, still maintains the Minerva heritage. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

There were some changes. Most obvious was the name change to reflect the location of the company. “Losing the name was a solution I had to take,” Cabiddu said. “Today I laugh about it a lot more. I used to cringe (when hearing the new name). In hindsight it was probably the right thing to do as we move into the future.” 

Two persons are dedicated to working with clients all over the world to create hand-drawn models of bespoke watches they would like to own. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

Montblanc also renovated the manufacturing facility. However, restoration is a better way to describe the work. Apart from the new, modern atrium with a view of the countryside, a fresh coat of paint and some structural repairs, little appears to have changed. 

Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Tachydate

Montblanc renamed the building the “Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie,” and created a foundation under the same name, which Montblanc said in a statement is, “dedicated to classical fine watchmaking and the upholding of traditional skills and special complications,” adding that it “supports young watchmakers through internships, commissioning research on the history of traditional watchmaking and initiates new developments with traditional techniques in watchmaking.”

Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique

It isn’t clear to me how this institute or foundation operates. What is clear is that it hasn’t changed the focus of the company. Villeret is a watch manufacturer that employs 36 full-time workers and four consultants and produces between 200 and 250 limited-edition hand-made timepieces per year, Cabiddu said. Everything is done in house with the exception of the dials, hands, straps and cases. 

Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Régulateur Nautique Timepiece

Large stamping machines and vertical drills that date back approximately 80 years share the building with modern CNC and CAD equipment. Some machines are so old parts aren’t available anymore so watchmakers have to hand-build the parts and even the tools to repair the equipment. The company produces chronographs, tourbillons and classic watch lines. In addition, it creates bespoke timepieces for private clients. Two designers are dedicated to creating hand-drawings of the timepieces based on specifications of these collectors. 

The company was founded in 1858 as the as the H. & C. Robert watchmaking factory by brothers Charles-Yvan and Hyppolite Robert in the house across the street from the current manufacturing facility. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

With its trademarked V-shaped bridge and a small arrow, the highly polished movements were always a site to behold. However, the outside of the watches were traditional and one dimensional. Montblanc added variety to the overall appearance of the timepieces, Cabiddu said.

The company, formerly called Minerva, was known for its chronograph movements. Here is some the company's earlier chronograph pocket watches. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

“Our movements were always beautiful,” he said. “Montblanc added a diversification of the aesthetic.” 

The company still does repair work on antique watches that were built prior to Montblanc's ownership of the brand. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

But still he describes the timepieces they make as “understated luxury,” and added that Montblanc’s own history shows that it respects and enhances this philosophy. “Montblanc is not really big with being in your face.” 

This philosophy of beauty could certainly describe the town that now shares the company’s name. Very little seems to have changed in the countryside outside the building, yet its prosperity shows that it is able to adjust to changes in the world while maintaining its heritage. Looking out from the atrium just across the street is the yellow-colored house where the watch company was founded more than 150 years ago, now occupied by a new family. Beyond the house cows graze on a sheet of green. Past the meadow are the Jura mountains covered with the flaming reds, oranges and yellows that represent the leaves of autumn on this late October day. If that’s not enough, above the cliffs in the powder blue late afternoon sky is a crescent moon.

It’s a scene that one could easily describe as understated luxury.

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Luxury Ladies’ Watches with Beauty, Brains and Brawn

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Florilège

The masculine world of watchmaking is showing a newfound respect for women by producing luxury timepieces that are beautiful and built with quality in-house movements and, in some cases, multiple complications. This was evident at the recent Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), the exclusive annual tradeshow for luxury watches held in Geneva.

The majority of the 16 brands exhibiting were proudly displaying their feminine side and it’s about time. In my own humble way, I lobbied a few watchmakers to build lady timepieces that are comparable to men’s, though my reasons were selfish. I wanted my wife to stop wearing my watches and damaging the leather straps by tightening them around her much smaller wrist.

Some of the watches below certainly depict feminine themes but there are a few that have a masculine edge to their design. All are powered with mechanical or automated movements. In most cases these movements are superb; comparable to haute horlogerie produced for men. These are not jewelry watches with quartz movements. This group of new timepieces shows that the brands are on the right track when it comes to developing product for modern, active women. At least now, women have more choices.



Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Florilège
The venerable Swiss luxury watch brand has gone all out to attract women this year. It created three new collections of haute horlogerie for women culminating with the elaborately decorated timepieces that make up the Métiers d’Art Florilège (top picture). This three-watch collection pays tribute to the delicacy of 19th Century English botanical illustrations, in particular, Robert John Thornton’s landmark illustrated guide, The Temple of Flora, published in 1799. The botanical renderings on the watch dials combine the artistic crafts of enameling, guillochage and gem-setting (the video above depicts the process). The timepieces are powered by a Vacheron Constantin manual-winding caliber 4400 movement. The three watches in the collection are the Queen, White Lily and China Limodoron. The Métiers d’Art Florilège is available in a limited series of 20 collector’s watches with the bezel set with round-cut diamonds and 5 more with the bezel set with baguette-cut diamonds for the Vacheron Constantin Boutiques.
 

Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Pétales de Roses
The Hamburg-based luxury brand introduced a number of new models of the Montblanc Princess Grace of Monaco Collection—ranging from one that can transcend from casual to formal to two haute joaillerie pieces. They compliment the jewelry line under the same name by designer Susie Otero. All of the watches are 34mm and all contain the self-winding movement MB 4810/409. One of the high jewelry pieces is the “Pétales de Roses” (rose petals). Invisible joints connect individual petal contours to create floral loops that form a linked bracelet. The entire ensemble is made from 18k white gold set with 533 brilliant-cut diamonds. The white mother-of-pearl dial is adorned with rose petals made of 79 brilliant-cut diamonds. The face is surrounded by 130 brilliant-cut diamonds while the bezel that bears 44 baguette diamonds.

Second Authentic Jewelry Watches from Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858
Montblanc’s haute horlogerie manufacturing brand, Villeret 1858, also produced a line of high-performance ladies’ watches using the same hand-crafted Swiss techniques that it employs for its men’s counterparts. The company has long been known for its hand-crafted movements and it didn’t spare any of the skill and technique to produce it mechanical hand-winding calibre MB2.00 for this ladies timepiece. The 36mm watch has a mother-of-pearl dial with black Roman numerals. The seconds are shown on a subdial at 6 o’clock. The concave polished bezel is adorned with 144 brilliant-cut diamonds with a total weight of 0.93 carats. Production will be limited to 58 pieces.

Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerine Enchantée
The famed Parisian jewelry brand also went after women’s market in a big way with three collections of watches combining artistic techniques with in-house movements. The Ballerine Enchantée added a nothing “poetic” step by adding a double retrograde movement with time on demand. The dial depicts a golden ballerina, sculpted in relief and set with diamonds, emphasizing her waist and face. At the push of a button on the bezel, the outer veils of her tutu come to life, taking the appearance of butterfly wings. The first veil that rises indicates the hours and second veil the minutes. They remain in place allowing enough time to read the time and then return simultaneously to their initial positions (the video below demonstrates how it works). Several shades of blue on the dial in the background are created with layers of enamel in guilloche patterns. The bezel of the 40.5 mm white gold case is set with diamonds.

Audemars Piguet Ladycat Royal Oak Offshore chronograph
It’s the 20th anniversary for the Royal Oak Offshore and with it the Swiss luxury watch brand introduced new ladies’ pieces including this 37mm chronograph. The stainless steel case of this limited-edition timepiece reveals the Royal Oak Offshore logo on the back. The bezel is set with diamonds. The black dial with its “Mega Tapestry” pattern includes pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. The self-winding caliber 2385 movement is an integrated chronograph movement that provides separate hour, minute and second functions, displayed on the dial at 9 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock, respectively. The date display appears at 5 o’clock.

Baume & Mercier Linea
The 27 mm case of the new Linea automatic is engraved in steel or in steel trimmed with gold. Its mother-of-pearl dial has a date window at the six o’clock position and can be set with 11 diamond hour markers. The Linea’s automatic movement displays hours, minutes and seconds. One of the signature details of this iconic collection is interchangeable bracelets that include leather and satin in several colors. 

Cartier Crash
Housed in its iconic asymmetrical case and dial, Crash appears in a limited edition of four new models adorned for the first time with a bracelet composed of drops in white or pink gold, or gem-set. In reference to the year of its creation (1967), this year’s pieces are produced in 267 numbered pieces for the models with gold bracelets and 67 numbered pieces for the models with gem-set bracelets.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 Jewelry
This is another high jewelry piece with a superb movement, in this case the mechanical calibre RD821. This piece from has a bracelet adorned with 708 brilliant-cut diamonds, totaling 4.25 carats, which form two symmetrical rows on either side of the polished center. The bezel is set with 48 diamonds totaling 0.99 carats. The pink gold extends onto the Roman numerals of the dial and on the circle around the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock.

Parmigiani Pershing Chronograph 002 CBF
This 42mm chronograph contains the PF334automatic winding movement. The tinted mother-of-pearl dial contains a small seconds subdial at 3 o’clock a 12-hour subdial with date window at 6 o’clock and a 30-minute subdial at 9 o’clock. The polished rose-gold bezel is set with set with 56 brilliant cut diamonds.

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