Introducing: The Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 And Iced Sea Automatic Date Bronze And Burgundy

Sometimes when you’re successful, you get a street or a park named after you. When a watch becomes a bestseller, it gets its very own collection. Well, that’s what happened at Montblanc, anyway. In 2022, the brand introduced the Iced Sea dive watch in the 1858 collection. Now the coolest of divers stands on its own. And there are three new models in the collection. The most impressive is the Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810, a chronometer-certified diver that can brave depths of 4,810 meters — as deep as Mont Blanc is tall. Two more new additions are the Iced Sea Automatic Date with a bronze case and a steel version with a burgundy dial.

Do you want the full spec list or the story-telling? Well, sometimes the specs do the story-telling. Such is the case for the Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 (ref. MB133268). The basis is the 0 Oxygen concept, which is specifically for watches meant to function faultlessly in harsh conditions. Well, the deeper you go, the harsher the conditions underwater become, so the 0 Oxygen concept makes sense when it comes to diving watches. It simply means that the case is devoid of oxygen. But constructing a watch that won’t fog is not an easy task. The tolerances are extremely tight, but the result is worth it. A case without any oxygen in it also prevents the possible disastrous effects of oxidization.

The downside to the interesting and impressive 0 Oxygen concept is that you can’t see it. Therefore, each Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 comes with a certificate as proof of this technology and guarantees that it has been successfully encased without oxygen.

High and low with the Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810

The “Deep 4810” in the name of the watch refers to two things — the (approximate) height of Mont Blanc and the water resistance of the watch. Of course, it’s very symbolic to launch a dive watch that can survive the pressure at 4,810 meters. I guess that it could also go the extra 190 meters to reach a depth of five kilometers without disintegrating. Anyway, the watch’s 0 Oxygen case is titanium and measures 43mm wide and 19.4mm thick. Because the watch will spend more time on the surface than in the dark depths of the deep sea, the case, with a muscular guard shielding its screw-down crown, shows curved lugs revealing a polished and satin finish for a luxurious look.

In the last few years, Montblanc has made quite a few watches displaying stunning case backs. The laser-etched depiction of the Gobi Desert’s famous Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia on the titanium case back of the 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858 is three-dimensional, colorful, photo-like, and simply stunning. The Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 also has an impressive case back to show. There’s a 3D engraving of the view divers see when diving underneath the ice. Laser-generated oxidization structures the metal with both matte and shiny finishes. The result is a creation that mixes contrasts of color and texture.

Aluminum, not ceramic

Let’s return to the front of the watch, where the unidirectional dive bezel is. This bezel insert is not in all-too-popular ceramic but black anodized aluminum instead. It also has blue-glowing Super-LumiNova on the indexes and circular pip. The aluminum bezel insert combined with the domed sapphire crystal with a double antireflective coating gives the watch a look that’s both a tad retro and familiar but also modern. The blue dial, which, as with all the Iced Sea timepieces, came to life through the gratté-boisé technique, also helps in that regard.

The blue dial, with its sfumato effect, is inspired by one of the Mont Blanc mountain’s largest glaciers, the Mer de Glace. The dial mimics the network of crystals that have been frozen in time for millennia. Please leave your thoughts on the use of the sfumato effect and distinct pattern on the dial of what is, in essence, a serious tool watch in the comments below.

Speaking of essence and instrumentality, inside the Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 beats a five-day ValFleurier Baumatic movement modified by Montblanc in Villeret. The automatic movement is called MB 29.29, and it is a COSC-certified chronometer. The watch comes on an interchangeable black rubber strap with a steel folding clasp with a fine adjustment system. Now for the price. The deep-diving Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 will set you back €8,900. Does that price match the specs, looks, and image of the watch? Again, share your thoughts in the comment section, please.

Sweet: the Iced Sea Automatic Date with a bronze alloy case

In the winter of 2022, I tried out the green version of the Iced Sea, and this spring sees the arrival of two new variations. First up is the version with a 300m-water-resistant 41 × 12.9mm case in a bronze and aluminum alloy (ref. MB133300). That alloy is 50 times stronger than normal bronze, but it still patinas like normal bronze. The black and brown unidirectional aluminum bezel matched with a black glacier-textured dial gives off a sweet root-beer-like vibe. The rose-gold-coated hands and Arabic numerals with beige Super-LumiNova might also have something to do with that.

The watch comes on a black interchangeable rubber strap with a brown outline and a bronze-coated steel folding clasp with a fine-adjustment system. And the bronze-coated titanium screw-in case back shows a 3D engraving of an iceberg and a diver. The price of this non-limited addition to the newly formed Iced Sea collection is €3,850.

Unexpected: the Iced Sea Automatic Date with a burgundy dial

Did you know that glaciers sometimes turn red? I didn’t. They do. No, not because of the blood of unlucky alpinists — that’s such a morbid thing to think! But in Antarctica, there is Blood Falls, an outflow of an iron-oxide-tainted plume of saltwater that flows from the tongue of Taylor Glacier. So it’s not blood but iron oxide that colors the ice red. And because that happens, there’s now a 41mm Iced Sea Automatic Date (ref. MB132291) with a burgundy rather than a blood-red-glacier dial. This stainless steel watch has a black anodized aluminum bezel insert but shares its measurements, general design, and water resistance with the bronze version. And I almost forgot to mention the automatic MB 24.17 (Sellita SW200-1) that powers both watches. However, this burgundy-dial model comes on a steel bracelet instead of a rubber strap. The tapered bracelet has a brushed finish on its center and outer links with a polished finish on the intermediate ones. It also features a folding clasp with a fine-adjustment system. Finally, the price of this iteration is €3,350.

Spot the difference

The fact that the Iced Sea watches are no longer part of the 1858 collection led to an aesthetic change on the dial. Out goes the retro logo with the mountain in the middle, and in comes the modern logo also used on watches from the Star Legacy collection, for instance.

Now let me know what you think — not necessarily about the different logo but maybe something about the breathtaking and special depth the Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 can reach. Or how about your thoughts on its chances against luxury divers with well-established brand names on the dial? And what about the red-dial and bronze-cased new versions of the Iced Sea Automatic Date? Just let me know.