Hands On The Montblanc Chronométrie Quantième Annuel Vasco Da Gama Watch
Montblanc took us on a voyage through time and space this year at Baselworld, giving us a beautiful bird’s eye view of the Earth with the Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, a world time function watch, and paying homage to one of the men who discovered some of its continents with the Chronométrie Quantième Annuel Vasco da Gama.
“In these novelties we have tried to give back the pleasure of traveling to the traveler by offering a little bit of creativity and beauty,” said Montblanc’s CEO, Jérôme Lambert during an lenghty interview at SIHH 2015. “The representation of time and travel is also aesthetically very interesting.”
The Chronométrie Quantième Annuel Vasco da Gama is the latest addition to the Vasco da Gama collection, which has highlighted the Portuguese explorer’s greatest discoveries. And the brand’s latest annual calendar – from the French Quantième Annuel – would have been the perfect the perfect tool aboard the São Gabriel, the ship used by Vasco Da Gama on his first voyage to India (1497-1499).
The Chronométrie Quantième Annuel Vasco da Gama displays the day, month, and date on a beautiful silvery white sunburst dial, and adjusts automatically from month to month, with the exception of February’s end date. A moon-phase display is also embedded in the watch at 6 o’clock, among a starry firmament depicting the Southern Cross – in red – and other stars which seafarers would have seen when traveling through the Southern Hemisphere. The 40mm watch contains a slew of additional references to Vasco Da Gama, including the explorer’s signature and a sketch of his legendary flagship, both of which are engraved on the sapphire crystal in the case back.
Montblanc has also decided to offer the Chronométrie Quantième Annuel Vasco da Gama in limited edition of 238 watches in red gold to allude to the height of the “Cape Point Peak” lighthouse, which stands 238 meters tall on the edge of South Africa’s southernmost point. It was the last frontier of European-known waters before Vasco Da Gama’s first trip to India. Meanwhile, a steel version is also available, limited to 316 pieces.
Photo Credit: Haute Time. For more information, please visit the official Monblanc website.
