Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Bronze Limited Edition Reference 125583 - Vintage Charm with Modern Sophistication, A Review (plus Video)

I have been eyeing the Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph in bronze for a couple of years now. On display at the AWG shop in Mid Valley, every time I visit the shop, I saw it slowly gaining patina on the bronze surface. I was very intrigued by the monopusher concept but the bronze material for the casing was a stumbling block.

Recently, AWG was refreshing their stocks and decided to put a ridiculous sale price for the model. The discount was so substantially that I can reconsider even with the bronze material.

As the watch was made in 2020 and was quietly sitting in the shop for 5 years, I had to make sure that it was in working order before taking ownership. It worked flawlessly and I still get the two year warranty by the brand. Sweet!

After making the necessary paperwork, the first Montblanc watch joined the collection.

The Brand History

The history of Montblanc starts in 1906 and the company was formally registered in 1908 under the name SIMPLO in Hamburg, Germany. SIMPLO soon became a manufacturer of fountain pens. SIMPLO produced the first fountain pen carrying the Montblanc name in 1909. In 1913 the brand officially registered the white Montblanc logo, which represents the snow-covered peak of the Montblanc mountain with its six valleys. The first store selling Montblanc products exclusively opened in 1919 in Hamburg. In 1934 the company was renamed Montblanc Simplo GmbH, which is the official name to this day.

Montblanc Meisterstück (masterpiece) fountain pen

Montblanc became part of the Dunhill Group in 1985. In 1993, the Dunhill Group merged with Cartier and was renamed Groupe Vendôme, which Richemont bought in 1998.

In 1997, Montblanc revealed its first watch collection. The brand intended the style of these watches to reflect the aesthetic of Montblanc’s writing instruments, namely the Meisterstück fountain pen, which also provided its name for this first collection.

 

 

In 2006, the Richemont Group injected the Fabrique d’Horlogerie Minerva SA, which the Group had just bought into a subsidiary of Montblanc. Founded in 1858 in Villeret, Minerva gained significant recognition as a producer of innovative professional chronographs during the 1910s to the 1930s. This injection gave the necessary boost in terms of skillsets to make Montblanc watches, timepieces to be reckoned with.

The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Collection Series

The 1858 collection, draws inspiration from the professional Minerva watches from the 1920s and 1930s. When the watch I bought was first launched in 2020, there were three models under the monopusher chronograph sub-series. There are two steel versions having the same looks, one with a leather strap while the other is with rice-bead style bracelet while the third and final model is with a bronze case featuring rose gold-coated and beige luminescent hour and minute hands paired with a NATO strap. All versions features the same 42.0 mm case with a thickness of 14.7 mm. 

 

Reference: 125581 (steel on leather), 125582 (steel on bracelet)

 

Reference: 125583 (bronze)

 

The Watch

Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Bronze has a 42.0 mm wide case with a thickness of 14.7 mm. Strictly speaking, only the main casing is made out of bronze while the screw-down case-back is made out of titanium and coated with bronze. The design of this watch is a reinterpretation of the Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Calibre 13.20 from the 1930s. First introduced in 1923 as a monopusher, the Calibre 13.20 was reconfigured to a bi-pusher configuration in the 1940s.

The black dial features a beige 60-second railway track, a telemeter scale, two sub-dials and beige Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals. It has a bi-compax design that harmoniously blends modernity with the codes of the past, a nod to the bi-compax chronograph counters of the first Calibre 13.20 Monopusher Minerva models. It also features rose gold-coated and beige luminescent cathedral hour and syringe-like minute hands. There is a large white chronograph seconds hand and white counter hands to create a nice contrast. The watch really has a great vintage feel.

The sub-dial on the left tracks the running seconds while the sub-dial on the right is the 30-minutes chronograph counter. Meanwhile, to consolidate the vintage spirit of the watch, the Montblanc logo is from the 1930s, and a domed box sapphire crystal protects the dial. A small statement, "SWISS MADE" can be discretely found on the beige running track. 

It is very seldom you find a watch with only the brand highlighted on the dial. Although the two sub-dials took away or truncated some of the Arabic numerals, the dial remains symmetrical. Very pleasing on the eyes.

At 3:00 is the integrated crown with the sole chronograph pusher at the center. At the center of the pusher is the brand logo. As the name suggest, a monopusher chronograph is a stop-watch operated by one pusher only. Every time you press it, the chronograph first starts, then stops and eventually resets to zero – all with the same button. The crown is not a screw-down crown yet it has a 100 meter water resistance rating. The crown has three positions; the first (closest to the casing) is the standby position where one can manually wind the watch,; the second (pull-out to first stage) engages the date wheel, and; the third (pull-out to second stage) engages the main hands.

This timepiece came with a beige NATO strap (as stated in the formal literature by the brand). Do note that it is not a typical NATO (that goes freely under the spring bars), instead, this strap attached more like a regular strap. This strap wore great and comfortably with a wide steel buckle covered in bronze layer, signed with "MONTBLANC".

The lug width is 22.0 mm but there is no pass-through lug holes to facilitate ease of accessing the spring-bars. I think this is a wrong design direction. Not having the holes makes it more complicated to get at the spring-bars and hence heighten the risk of accidentally scratching the bronze surface with tools used. 

To be able to see the engraving on the case-back, one needs to take off the strap. When you take the strap off, an engraved, solid case-back with an image of mount Montblanc comes to light.

The case back of the bronze version is made of titanium and features a bronze-coated “Spirit of Mountain Exploration” engraving (see below - note that the photo is a stock photo from the internet). Do take note the Montblanc does not provide a running limited edition number for each watch. Instead, they print the basic serial number and state that it is "EDITION 1 OF 1858" on the case-back despite the fact that there is a rectangular box at 6:00 that can be used as the place to etched the actual special limited edition number. Instead, the number '1858' is etched instead. For the price the brand set this watch at, I expected them to at least do this one important thing to make it exclusive. Even Orient watch does this special number etchings for their limited edition timepieces.

Photo taken from the website: https://en.ch24.pl/review-montblanc-1858-monopusher-bronze-live-photos-price

The 1858 Monopusher Chronograph is powered by the Montblanc Caliber MB. 25.12 automatic movement. This movement is based on a Sellita SW500 movement. The cam-operated chronograph movement is most likely derived from the Sellita caliber SW510 MP movement and has a power reserve of 48 hours with a frequency of 28,800 BPH.

The caliber MB. 25.12 movement features central hour and minutes and small seconds at 9:00. The chronograph has a central elapsed-second hand and a 30-elapsed minute-counter at 3:00. Do note that the Sellita caliber SW510 MP is based on the 7750-architecture. Hence, the caliber MB. 25.12 is not comparable to the iconic Minerva movement.

 

Above is a photo I took of the watch with the luminous paint in all its glory. The Super-LumiNova paint is bright and makes the numbers clearly seen. Nonetheless, the elimination of some of the luminous markers to fit in the sub-dials does makes the dial appears incomplete.

The Wearing Experience

The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher in bronze offers a distinctive wearing experience that blends vintage charm with modern sophistication. This watch, inspired by Montblanc's Minerva heritage, features a warm bronze case that develops a unique patina over time, making every piece truly individual to its wearer. The monopusher chronograph functionality adds elegance to its operation, providing a seamless and refined mechanism for timing events.

The design of the bronze case ensures comfortable wear throughout the day, while the rich tones of the case pair beautifully with a variety of strap options, such as aged leather, enhancing its versatility for different occasions. Its historical aesthetic, combined with contemporary watchmaking craftsmanship, appeals to enthusiasts who value both tradition and innovation.

Overall, wearing this watch feels like stepping into a classic era while still embracing the sophistication of modern horology. Below is the video of the watch on my wrist.

Specifications

Brand: Montblanc

Model: 1858 Monopusher Chronograph
Reference: 125583, limited edition of 1858 timepieces 

Dial: Black
Case Material: Bronze
Diameter: 42.0 mm

Thickness: 14.7 mm

Lug Width: 22.0 mm

Lug-to-Lug Length: 52.0 mm

Weight: 93 gm
Crystal: Sapphire crystal
Case Back: Titanium case-back with bronze-coated “Spirit of Mountain Exploration” engraving
Movement: Montblanc caliber MB. 25.12 automatic movement

Jewels: 27 

Frequency: 28.800 BPH

Power Reserve: 48 hours, 
Water Resistance: 100 meter (10 Bar)
Strap: Beige NATO strap with slotted spring-bar slit and bronze-coated stainless steel pin
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, 30-minute chronograph, central chronograph seconds
MSRP: RM24,700
Vendor: AWG, Mid Valley Megamall

Purchase Date: 25 March 2025

Purchase Price: RM12,350

Warranty: Two (2) years

Serial Number: FTLJ3F4V5

Photo Gallery