Beauty & Style | Tuesday 31 May, 2016 4:25 am |

Classical elegance, outstanding functionality and fine Swiss watchmaking come together with these new Montblanc Star Roman “Carpe Diem” Special Editions,  paying tribute to the famous motto “Carpe Diem” which reminds us of how precious time is.  Montblanc presents three exclusive models in the Montblanc Star Collection — the Montblanc Star Roman Quantième Complet “Carpe Diem” Special Edition, the Montblanc Star Roman Chronograph UTC Automatic “Carpe Diem” Special Edition and the Montblanc Star Roman “Carpe Diem” Small Second Special Edition — all of which are designed to become fine lifetime companions which honour the precious transience of time through refined red gold-plated details.

 

The Montblanc Star Roman Collection distinguishes itself by its traditional and classical design elements thatreflect Montblanc’s design DNA while the mechanical movement with automatic winding inside the timepieces upholds the tradition of fine Swiss watchmaking. The Maison’s heritage of sophistication is expressed in the slim roundish polished stainless steel case with straight horns and distinctive step, which features the same three rings from the iconic Meisterstück fountain pen. The rounded shape of the overall design is reproduced in the sculpted onion-shaped crowns with a precious resin insert depicting the Montblanc emblem. Montblanc's design codes continue across the silvery-white dials with their three-dimensional guilloché “grain d’orge” patterns in the centre of each model and the eponymous red gold-plated Roman numerals that remind us of the precious time of here and now with classic elegance. Running around the outside of the dial, a black railway minuterie is punctuated by Arabic numerals or five-minute markers.  

 

The leaf-shaped hands of the hours, minutes and date are in plated red gold, while the seconds' hand appears in a blue tone or in plated red-gold with a discrete Montblanc emblem at the extremity of the hand, marking the passage of time with the utmost precision. Each and every timepiece in the Montblanc Star Roman Collections exudes the refinement of Swiss fine watchmaking with perfectly balanced proportions and exceptional mechanical movements.  

 

The Montblanc Star Roman "Carpe Diem" Special Editions are all equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement, which combines the finest quality with authentic complications. Options include a full calendar with a moon phase, a second time zone coupled with a chronograph, or a simple and elegant small seconds. Each Montblanc calibre is manufactured at the Montblanc manufacture in Le Locle to the highest standards of Swiss watchmaking tradition to provide each owner with a timekeeping companion for life.

 

Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

This famous Latin phrase comes from the poem “Ode to Leuconae” by the ancient Roman poet Horace. Carpe diem minimum credula postero translates into English as "seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the next". Now a popular proverb in its shortened form, Carpe Diem, this quotation has been a source of inspiration for almost a thousand years, reminding people to enjoy the present and not waste time dreaming of what the future holds. This idea is also the guiding light behind the new Montblanc Star Roman “Carpe Diem” Special Editions, which pay tribute to the precious passing of time with three timepieces displaying craftsmanship and refined design with the Montblanc DNA.

 

Montblanc Star Roman Quantième Complet “Carpe Diem” Special Edition

To fully appreciate each passing moment in time, the Montblanc Star Roman Quantième Complet “Carpe Diem” Special Edition focuses on each day of the calendar year. Quantième Complet is the French term for full calendar and indicates the days of the week, the date, the months, the hours, minutes and seconds, as well as the phases of the moon.  Presented on a silvery-white guilloché dial with classic red gold-plated Roman numerals, the days of the week and the months are displayed side by side in two windows below the Montblanc inscription, while the date is indicated via a central red gold-plated hand that follows a scale of one to 31 on the periphery of the dial. The phases of the moon are revealed in a subdial at six o'clock with a brilliant gold moon set against a deep blue night sky enhanced by an exploding star pattern.

 

The Montblanc Star Roman Quantième Complet “Carpe Diem” Special Edition is powered by the automatic movement calibre MB 29.12 with a 42-hour power reserve. The timepiece is available in a 42 mm stainless steel case with a total height of 12.17 mm and is fitted with a black alligator strap and a stainless steel triple-folding clasp to underline a classic masculine look.

 

Montblanc Star Roman Chronograph UTC  Automatic “Carpe Diem” Special Edition

What better way to appreciate time than with a chronograph that marks elapsed time on demand.  The preciousness of each second is displayed on an elegant silvery-white guilloché dial with classic red gold-plated Roman numerals and red gold-plated hands. Two large subdials record the elapsed time on a 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock, and a 12-hour counter at six o'clock, while a central blue chronograph hand indicates the seconds. This blue hand features a  Montblanc emblem at its base, acting as a counterweight. Other features on the dial include a smaller subdial at nine o'clock for the running seconds, a date in a trapezoidal window at three o'clock, and a red gold-plated hand with its red arrowhead which marks a second time zone on a 24-hour scale around the outside of the dial.

 

Housed in a 42 mm stainless steel case, the Montblanc Star Roman Chronograph UTC Automatic “Carpe Diem” Special Edition is equipped with the automatic movement calibre MB 25.03 with a 46-hour power reserve. The timepiece is fitted with a black alligator strap and stainless steel folding clasp.

 

Montblanc Star Roman Small Second “Carpe Diem” Special Edition

Pure and classic aesthetics are at the heart of the new Montblanc Star Roman Small Second “Carpe Diem” Special Edition with its silvery-white dial and three-dimensional guilloché “grain d’orge” centre. Red-gold plated accents hark back to traditional dials from the past with red gold-plated Roman numerals and leaf-shaped hour and minute hands, reinforcing Montblanc's heritage of  fine watchmaking. The Carpe Diem motto is brought to our attention via the beauty of a blue baton hand, with a Montblanc emblem at its extremity, which ticks away the seconds of the present moment.

 

The precise automatic movement calibre MB 24.16  powers the hours, minutes, seconds, as well as a date in a trapezoidal-shape window at three o'clock. The timepiece comes in a 39 mm stainless steel case with matching buckle and a classic black alligator strap.