Founded in 1858 in Villeret, in the Saint-Imier Valley, Minerva established a longstanding reputation for the development of professional watches and chronograph calibres, many of which remain highly regarded among collectors today.
Despite changes in ownership over the decades, the manufacture has consistently maintained a focus on technical precision and traditional craftsmanship (for a detailed overview, read our feature on the history of Minerva watches).
Since its integration into Montblanc in 2006, following the acquisition by the Richemont Group, Minerva operates today as the high-end manufacture of Montblanc, with its expertise preserved and further developed within the Villeret workshops, where historical savoir-faire continues to inform contemporary watchmaking.
Within this context, Minerva now presents the Unveiled Crownless, a time-only wristwatch that revisits one of the manufacture’s early technical concepts.
As early as 1927, Minerva had explored bezel-based functionality in military watches, allowing pilots to operate timing mechanisms while wearing gloves.
This principle is reinterpreted here in a fully crownless construction, where the bezel assumes both winding and time-setting functions, supported by the newly developed in-house calibre M15.08.
Measuring 33.3 mm in diameter and 4.07 mm in thickness, the movement comprises 139 components and 19 jewels. It operates at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and delivers a power reserve of approximately 80 hours, supported by a large mainspring.
Regulation is ensured by a free-sprung balance with inertia screws and a flat hairspring, while the regulator adopts Minerva’s characteristic arrow shape.
The movement architecture reflects traditional Minerva construction, with rhodium-plated German silver plates and bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève, circular graining and hand-executed anglage.
Additional details such as gold-plated wheels, chamfered edges and diamond-polished pivots contribute to the overall level of finishing, visible through the sapphire caseback.
The absence of a crown gives the case a symmetrical profile. The watch is housed in a 41.5 mm case combining stainless steel with an 18-carat rose gold fluted bezel, with an overall thickness of 11.99 mm.
Finishing alternates between polished and satin-brushed surfaces, while the lugs are shaped to ensure a balanced fit on the wrist. Water resistance is rated to 30 metres / 100 feet.
The bezel itself is bidirectional and, via a discreet lever positioned on the caseback, can be switched between winding and time-setting functions.
When not in use, the mechanism remains visually unobtrusive, preserving the clean lines of the case.
The dial draws inspiration from 1950s Minerva designs, combining a guilloché outer ring with an opaline central section.
Applied hour markers and the Arabic numeral “12” are gold-coated, as are the faceted hands, while a small-seconds display at 6 o’clock provides visual balance.
The overall composition reinforces the symmetry created by the crownless architecture.
The watch is paired with a dark green alligator leather strap with a semi-matte finish, secured by a triple-folding clasp with fine adjustment.
Tested according to the Minerva Laboratory Test 500H protocol, The Unveiled Crownless (ref. 137544) reflects the manufacture’s ongoing focus on combining traditional watchmaking with specific technical developments. It is priced at €39,000 / US$38,000. montblanc.com
