The more time I spend in watches, the less interested I become in what the industry calls "halo" pieces. You know, those mega-comps that cost as much as a home in downtown New York, that you hear about exactly twice – when announced at Basel or SIHH, and when they sell at auction for a fraction of their original retail price. I am far more interested in great watches for reasonable prices that people can actually buy, wear, and enjoy, and that seems to be Montblanc's MO these days. We showed you this new annual calendar chronograph from Montblanc about two weeks ago, and I made a point of seeing it first thing at SIHH 2016 because, shit, it's annual calendar chronograph for $10k. Here are some live pics and thoughts.
First, they nailed the dial. It's a very complicated watch, with a lot to display, and the dial is more than completely legible. Each sub-register is very well spaced relative to the 42mm case size – something we've criticized in the past on the perpetual calendar – and it's clear Montblanc is paying attention.
The devil is in the details with complicated calendar watches, and while I believe this $10,000 5960A competitor does everything well, the one thing I don't love is the physical moonphase display. There is no moving moonphase disc, just four stationary discs around which a hand rotates. Feels less high-end than I would like, but that is me really getting picky on what is surely a fantastic watch.
The other place where one could complain if one were so inclined is the height of the case. This watch is of modular construction – we know that and have accepted it, it's what makes this watch possible at this price. So because of that, you get a slightly beefy case. It's terrible at all, and in fact with a steel case, it almost feels right with the 42mm diameter. This is a watch meant to be worn, and the depth supports that. However, purists will be bothered by how high on the case the pushers sit relative to crown, again indicating the calendar mechanism was sandwiched on top of the chronograph mechanism.
As for the finish, it's not over the top, but it's not horrible either – again, totally in line with the pricing of this watch. There is a nice open case back, which I suspect a lot of people who will be purchasing this watch will really enjoy.
Most importantly of all, this Montblanc Annual Calendar Chronograph sits very well on the wrist, as seen here. I tend to like smaller, thinner watches, and didn't find any issue with this on my wrist. It does also come with a nice Montblanc butterfly deployant clasp that again, is a nice touch for the money.
The Montblanc Annual Calendar Chronograph is priced at $10,450 and will hit stores later this year. If you're interested, I'd recommend you contact your Montblanc dealer soon because these will be hot. More here.
Follow HODINKEE's live SIHH 2016 updates here, and in our mobile app, and you can read all SIHH stories here.
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