Luxury watchmaker Montblanc has announced four new editions of its reputed 1858 collection. The new models will be launched later this year in key international markets including India, said Camilo Daza-Tapia, the Hamburg-based Head of High Artistry Business Development at Montblanc International GmbH. Of the four variants, two will be 1858 Automatic models, and there will be a 1858 Chronograph and 1858 Geosphere each.

Montblanc’s 1858 collection is inspired by the world of mountain exploration. It reinterprets the Minerva pocket watches and chronographs from the 1920s and 1930s that were meant for military and mountaineers and boasts of high accuracy, legibility and robustness for use in extreme conditions. The new Montblanc 1858 watches evoke the spirit of the past in a modern way, expressing the discovery and back-to-nature trends.

`Reconnecting through nature’ was the theme at the preview of the four new editions. The watches were presented at the historic Wildflower Hall hotel near Shimla, Himachal Pradesh to a select group of watch enthusiasts including collectors and media personnel. Located at a height of 8,250 feet in the Himalayas, the Wildflower Hall is set amidst thick cedar forests with spectacular views of mountain ranges and panoramic valleys.

In attendance, and taking the nature theme forward, were Montblanc’s three newly appointed Mark Makers for India. Young and with a bent towards nature, they are people who have made a mark in their respective fields. Mumbai-based actor Arunoday Singh is well-known for his love of the great outdoors. Karuna Ezara Parikh is a model, poet and television host from Delhi. And photography buff Abhijeet Singh abandoned a career in advertising to set up home in Manali where he teaches rock climbing and acroyoga, a combination of acrobatics, yoga and Thai massage. Over the next one year, the three will promote the brand through events, ad films, social media, etc.

The two new 1858 Automatic models come in a choice of a full-bronze 40mm case (previous versions had a steel case and a bronze bezel) paired with a khaki-green dial, or a steel case with a black dial. The new 1858 Chronograph comes in a 42mm full bronze case with khaki-green dial, providing an ideal backdrop for the bi-compax counters. And finally, the 1858 Geosphere, which is dedicated to the world’s Seven Summit mountaineering challenge, the holy grail of mountaineering adventures, is now also available in this new bronze/khaki colour scheme.