Marie de Pimodan
Montblanc celebrated the 80th birthday, in September this year, of Mark Maker Reinhold Messner with a very special watch: the 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Chronograph in a limited edition of 290 pieces, in reference to Everest’s altitude of 29,031 feet. Born in South Tyrol, Messner is a living legend; a man who has scaled heights to become probably the greatest mountaineer of all time. As a high-altitude pioneer, Reinhold Messner has taken on every one of the world’s most hostile and challenging climbs. He was the first to conquer Everest solo, without supplemental oxygen. He was the first person to ascend all 14 over 8,000-metre peaks without supplemental oxygen, completing his exploit in 1986. Nor do his achievements end there. This modern-day explorer made the first crossings of Antarctica and Greenland without a snowmobile or dogsled, and completed an epic solo trek across the Gobi Desert. Reinhold Messner’s remarkable career is a succession of landmark accomplishments. For his 80th birthday, Montblanc has chosen one: his ascents of K2, Messner’s favourite of all the eight-thousanders which he first climbed in 1979. The back of this limited edition features a superb reference that caught Sophie Furley’s expert eye. Read on for more…
Steven Rogers
Powered by the Montblanc Manufacture Automatic Chronograph Calibre MB 29.27, the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition manages to pack a wealth of displays onto its dial while maintaining clarity and intuitive legibility.
Central to its design is a worldtime complication featuring turning globes for the northern and southern hemispheres, a 24-hour scale and a day/night indicator. Beyond its practical applications for tracking time zones, this feature symbolically captures the essence of an ace mountaineer – someone who has conquered the world’s highest peaks and traversed continents in pursuit of adventure.
The chronograph covers familiar territory, with a central seconds hand, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock. Completing the suite of displays is a discreet date window, ensuring practicality without compromising the clean aesthetic.
Beneath the dial lies the 266-component self-winding movement that boasts a 46-hour power reserve. And it is ready to perform even in the most demanding environments thanks to its zero-oxygen technology and use of special oils.
Mathieu Rotzer
The dial of the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen is an absolute showstopper. The red sfumato glacier pattern immediately caught my eye—it’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The texture, inspired by Antarctica’s red glaciers, feels so vivid and dynamic. I love how much detail went into this, from the gratté boisé technique to the luminescent numerals and ruthenium-coated hands that give it a bold yet refined look. The hemispheres with their white meridians add such a cool, adventurous touch. Honestly, it’s a dial that keeps you coming back for another look, and it’s a shame I can’t keep this one forever!
Allissa Pataki
One of the coolest things about the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen Limited Edition is the Zero Oxygen Technology that Montblanc developed for it. Basically, this process involves sealing the watch in a vacuum environment and replacing oxygen with a special gas mixture. This provides key benefits for mountaineers and adventurers operating in harsh climates. By eliminating oxygen, the movement not only avoids fogging caused by drastic temperature changes, but also prevents the oxidation of components. To top it off, each watch comes with a Zero Oxygen certificate.
But Montblanc doesn’t stop there. Their engineers (who think of everything!) have gone a step further by crafting special lubricants for extreme conditions. As you might know, the movement of a watch relies on the lubrication of its components for precision and functionality. These new oils are specifically designed to perform in temperatures as low as -50°C, ensuring the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen can thrive in some of the harshest climates on Earth. Perfect for the winter season ahead (although let’s hope it doesn’t get that cold)!
Sophie Furley
The 44mm case of the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen timepiece comes in titanium, which is a great choice for alpinists thanks to its light weight. What I also like about this timepiece is its black ceramic, bi-directional, fluted bezel, which creates a nice frame around the burgundy dial. It is also practical for tracking ascents if you want to see how long you have been climbing. The real surprise though is the case back which features a 3D colour laser engraving that is produced using a special technique that gives a result just like a photo. For this model, Montblanc has used one of Reinhold Messner’s very own photographs from the top of his favourite mountain, K2. He took the photo once he arrived at the summit. How cool is it to have the view from Messner’s camera on your wrist?
