Vertical Limit: The New Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Watch Is an Ode to Climber Reinhold Messner

Timepiece makers often create unique watches to mark special occasions, such as birthdays of well-known people. Most of these special watches are limited-edition timepieces that feature distinctive design aspects capturing the essence of the persons being honoured — their accomplishments, personality or preferences. Mountaineer and Montblanc Mark Maker Reinhold Messner will turn 80 this year. In honour of his legacy, Montblanc has put forth the new 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition of 290 (Ref. 132303), a number that alludes to the 29,031-foot summit (the world’s tallest) that Messner has ascended multiple times.

Born in 1944 in the hilly region of South Tyrol in Northern Italy, Messner is widely regarded as one of the world's best high-altitude climbers. As the climber of all 14 of the world's summits rising above 8,000 metres, Messner's route up the renowned Seven Summits is known as Messner's List in the annals of mountaineering history. Along with fellow climber Peter Habeler, he was the first to ascend Mount Everest without the use of oxygen. Among Messner's many accomplishments are travelling the full length of the Gobi Desert by himself, crossing Greenland on foot, and criss-crossing the whole length of Antarctica solely on skis. Reinhold and his wife, Diane Messner, formed Messner Mountain Heritage in 2020 with the goal of conserving traditional mountaineering. After two centuries of mountaineering, the two will travel the world giving presentations, filming documentaries, and hosting public debates on how people view the mountains. Messner has won various recognitions, such as the Patron's Medal from the Royal Geographic Society, one of the most distinguished honours recognised by the British Monarchy.

The limited-edition 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen timepiece comes in a 44 mm polished titanium case topped with a bidirectional fluted satin-finished black ceramic bezel with cardinal points, two chronograph pushers that include the start/stop pusher at 2 o’clock and the reset pusher at 4 o’clock, and a crown at 3 o’clock. The red sfumato dial is inspired by the red glaciers found in Antarctica. It is handcrafted using a special technique called gratté boisé; the creation of each dial takes four times longer than that of a standard dial. This worldtimer includes a date window at 3 o’clock and two 3D turning globes with the Northern Hemisphere at 12 o’clock and the Southern Hemisphere at 6 o’clock. There are two subdials — a 12-hour subdial at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute subdial at 3 o’clock, both with red-tipped hands. The periphery of the dial has a 60-minute track with Arabic hour markers. 

Manufacture Calibre MB 29.27 that runs the watch has a 46-hour power reserve. This movement has a rhodium-plated mainplate with circular graining and satinated finishing on the bridges. Turning the watch over showcases the distinctive coloured engraving of K2. The picture was taken from one of Messner's own photographs that he took during his first ascent of the peak in 1979. In keeping with the source image, the picture is produced through an intricate laser-generated oxidation process that structures the metal with matte and shiny finishes to add more contrast and produce a three-dimensional relief.

There is no oxygen within the brand-new 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition due to its unique casing. There is also no oxygen inside the movement, which stops oxidation and avoids fogging that can happen when temperatures are drastically changed. A zero-oxygen certificate attesting to this technology is included with every watch. 

The engineers at Montblanc have selected highly particular oils that work at temperatures as low as -50°C in addition to the ‘zero oxygen’. The lubrication of a watch movement's components is certainly crucial for maintaining precision, particularly when operating in high temperatures. The lubricants used for this piece guarantee the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen's ability to operate without fail in extremely challenging conditions. Finishing the watch is a black interchangeable textile strap with a rope pattern and red stitching; it also has a titanium and stainless steel triple-folding clasp with a fine adjustment system.