Hands-On: The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Limited Edition
A day at the races. If the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Limited Edition looks intriguing and makes you want to read the hands-on review, I suggest you play Queen’s successful 1976 record. Just don’t play it too loud, as the record opens with the energetic rock hit “Tie Your Mother Down,” and before you know it, you’ll be singing along at the top of your lungs. Anyway, back to the watch with a dial depicting a horse race on Champ-de-Mars in 1821. This timepiece tells an origin story in the most graphic, detailed way. Let’s dive in.
If you’re into highly detailed dials, the new Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Limited Edition might be to your liking. Montblanc invites you to experience the 1821 horse races on Champ-de-Mars through the brown-toned dial. It depicts a 19th-century illustration of four jockeys with their horses crossing the finish line at the Parisian racetrack where Nicolas Rieussec once stood with his invention, the inking chronograph.
Hands-on with the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Limited Edition
Alongside the nostalgic image, there’s also quite a bit to read — “Académie des Sciences de Paris” and “Chronographe Nicolas Rieussec,” for instance. This luminescent French text on the flange reminds us that the academy validated Rieussec’s invention in 1821.
Other details include rose-gold-coated Arabic numerals, leaf hands, pinion covers, screws, and a matching lozenge-shaped chronograph bridge, all perfectly complementing the dial’s brown tones. We also find white minute and chronograph scales, a brown skeletonized 12-hour GMT hand, and a day/night aperture at 9 o’clock. The chronograph works like any other Rieussec model, but this original concept still deserves our attention. This 19th-century-themed limited edition of 821 pieces — 1,821 was a bit too unlimited, I guess — features two domed brown discs with 60-second and 30-minute scales. These rotate when the chronograph is on, and the double-tapered chronograph bridge with a luminous pip indicates elapsed time.
The details continue
In the spirit of “you can never have enough details,” the strap’s lining shows a 1821 map of Paris. Montblanc’s artistic director Marco Tomasetta designed this brown calf leather strap, having drawn inspiration for its pointed shape from the maison’s pen nibs.
The latest version of the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph has a 43 × 15.01mm stainless steel case with a 51mm lug-to-lug. These numbers make it a large watch that sits prominently on the wrist. However, since it’s quite theatrical, potential buyers probably appreciate that. This isn’t a watch you want to slip under your cuff; it’s an eye-catching conversation starter.
A watch with stories to tell
Owners can enthusiastically share the story of Nicolas Rieussec, who created an instrument that lived up to the word’s literal meaning. Derived from the Greek chronos (time) and graphos (to write), the term materialized in Rieussec’s inking chronograph. He tested his on September 1st, 1821, at the Champ-de-Mars racetrack in Paris. A fixed nib deposited tiny drops of ink onto two rotating counters, one recording up to 30 minutes and the other 60 seconds. This allowed Rieussec to mark the exact moment horses crossed the finish line. He subsequently presented his invention to the Academy of Sciences (hence the text “Académie des Sciences de Paris” on the dial), which recognized him as the inventor of the inking chronograph.
Montblanc’s Rieussec watch concept is watertight: a writing-instrument specialist created a chronograph that merges artisanal worlds with a historically accurate twist.
Another nice talking point is the movement inside the latest Rieussec watch. Inside the steel case beats the automatic MB R200. This in-house monopusher chronograph caliber includes a column wheel and vertical clutch to handle the timing functions, ensuring that the elapsed-time discs start smoothly without unwanted wobble when the mechanism is engaged. Two barrels connected in series provide a generous 72-hour power reserve, while the movement beats at a conventional 4 Hz.
It’s a handsome movement, too, with a distinct architecture and lovely finishing details. The graphic Clous de Paris motif on the rotor, for instance, originates from the geometric design of Paris’s cobbled streets. We also find Côtes de Genève, blued screws, and polished bevels on the movement’s bridges.
Racing to the finish line with the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph
If I had to pick one word to describe the latest Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph, it would be “details.” For €9,200 / US$9,800 / CHF 7,900, you get a highly detailed, themed watch. I think it’s a bit over the top, bordering on histrionic. Also, I just wouldn’t know what to wear with this golden-brown creation with jockeys on the dial. That said, Montblanc executed the many themed details to a tee. The story has no plot holes, and the chronograph movement has a strong, distinct personality. Again, this Rieussec execution is a very original creation. Especially in the world of chronographs, that’s not the easiest to achieve.
You could argue that a 43mm watch is a tad big these days. After all, most watch enthusiasts crave smaller ones, as our comments section shows. But for the cinematic Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Limited Edition, shrinking doesn’t make sense. I think you’ll agree that an epic historical spectacle should be enjoyed on a big screen, not on your phone. Well, that’s how I see this watch.
This is a preferred-position post. Learn more.
