Introducing: The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition
Montblanc began making watches in 1997, but in reality, the brand’s watchmaking history runs a lot deeper. In 2007, the noted penmaker purchased Minerva, a revered Swiss manufacture founded in 1857. Since then, complicated pieces have carried the famous name on the movement and, at times, on the dial. Today’s 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition watches feature an impressive new Minerva annual calendar movement.
Since 2007, we’ve observed Montblanc embrace the abilities of the original Minerva manufacture. The results are the more complicated and limited pieces. At Watches and Wonders 2025, the brand showed off two new watches with the Minerva name on the movement and, interestingly, on the dial. The 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition collection consists of two highly complicated models focused on fine finishing and hand-crafted details.
The 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar
Montblanc produces a wide range of watches spanning the breadth of sport and dress. The new Annual Calendars tend toward the latter, but these aren’t small, basic pieces. Each piece has a 42mm by 13.3mm case with sapphire crystals on both sides. Buyers have the option of a stainless steel or 18K “lime gold” case. Each comes on a blue calf leather strap with a folding buckle made of the same material as the case. Unsurprisingly, the depth resistance is representative of a dressier watch at just 30 meters.
The cases blend polished and brushed surfaces. Fluted steel or lime gold bezels recall historic Minerva models from 1927. The crown is a traditionally styled detail with the brand’s snow-capped mountain logo.
Gorgeous silvery white dials full of details
Both models feature silvery white dials with a central sunray-finished section and outer blasted surface. The steel piece has blued indices and luminous hour and minute hands, while the lime gold reference contains gold-plated details. Note the use of the Montblanc and Minerva names on the dial. For a complicated release, the Geosphere Annual Calendar shows a copious amount of information as simply as possible. The outer edge of the dial rotates and contains the names of the months. A red triangle at the top, another nod to Minerva’s history, points to the month. July has been replaced by the word “Minerva” because the brand name was registered on July 30, 1887. A twin-disc date display at the top of the dial can be adjusted using a pusher at two o’clock.
The colorful globe is perhaps the most notable dial feature on the 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar. Montblanc chose sapphire as the medium, and each is hand-painted on its underside, which takes a specialist over four hours. It depicts the Northern hemisphere (the Southern hemisphere is available by special order) and includes an orange line for Greenwich Mean Time. The globe rotates every 24 hours and has a day/night indicator.
The new Minerva MB M14.58
In addition to debuting a new watch, Montblanc created a new caliber for the Geosphere Annual Calendar. The Minerva-signed MB M14.58 is a manual-winding movement with a frequency of 18,000vph and approximately 65 hours of power reserve. It has 64 jewels and 336 total components.
Montblanc is keen to note the various finishing techniques used in its latest caliber. The rhodium-plated German silver plates contain Côtes de Genève finishing, and the bridges are snailed. Yellow gold plating was used on the gear train. Finally, the bridges and plates contain anglage.
Overall thoughts on the Geosphere Annual Calendar
Montblanc has created a beautiful new model in the 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar. Technically and design-wise, it seems competitive against some of the more historic watchmaking brands. Still, this is a limited edition with 100 numbered pieces of the stainless steel model at $45,500 and 30 pieces of the lime gold version at $59,000. Considering the new movement and complications, the pricing isn’t surprising or out-of-touch compared to other luxury brands.
