Montblanc

Who are Montblanc?

Montblanc is a German company based in Hamburg, founded in 1906 to make fountain pens and owned since 1993 by the Swiss luxury group Richemont. It still makes writing instruments, leather goods and fragrances (Richemont), but this page is about its watches: how it began making them, the collections, who owns the company, and what to check when buying a pre-owned Montblanc in the UK.

Montblanc has made watches only since the late 1990s, and they are made in Switzerland rather than Germany: at Le Locle, and at Villeret, home of the old movement maker Minerva, which Richemont bought in 2006 (Wikipedia; Richemont). Much of Montblanc’s watch design draws on Minerva’s history, which goes back to 1858 (Europa Star).

The history of Montblanc watches

Montblanc’s watch history is short compared with its pens. The key dates are Dunhill’s purchase of the company (1977), Richemont ownership (1993), the Le Locle watch company (1997), the purchase of Minerva (2006), the 1858, TimeWalker and Star Legacy collections (2015 to 2018), and Minerva’s return as a separate signature in 2026.

A pen company. Montblanc was founded on 22 March 1906 as a fountain-pen maker. Wikipedia says it began in Berlin, with the Berlin engineer August Eberstein making the pens and the Hamburg banker Alfred Nehemias providing finance, and moved to Hamburg in 1907 as the Simplo Filler Pen Co. Richemont’s own page gives Hamburg as the founding city. The company took the name Montblanc, after the highest mountain in the Alps, in 1934 (Wikipedia).

New owners. Alfred Dunhill Ltd bought Montblanc in 1977, and Montblanc became part of Richemont in 1993 (Wikipedia). Richemont placed its luxury businesses in the newly created Vendôme Luxury Group that year and bought out Vendôme’s minority shareholders in 1998 (Richemont).

Into watches. Wikipedia says Montblanc entered the watch market in 1996 and set up Montblanc Montre S.A. in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1997. It also says the Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph was the first Montblanc-branded watch made entirely at Le Locle.

Minerva. In 2006 Richemont bought Fabrique d’Horlogerie Minerva, which it describes as specialising in high-end mechanical movements (Richemont). Minerva had been based in Villeret since 1858 and was known for chronographs (Europa Star). Montblanc released a Collection Villeret 1858 in 2007 and set up the Institut Minerva to train watchmakers (Wikipedia).

The current collections. The 1858 collection, based on Minerva watches of the 1930s, was announced in November 2015 (Time+Tide). The TimeWalker was relaunched in 2017 with motorsport chronographs, and the Star Legacy collection followed at SIHH 2018 (Haute Time). The 1858 Iced Sea, Montblanc’s first sports dive watch, arrived in 2022 (Watchonista). Laurent Lecamp has led Montblanc’s watch division since 2021 (Europa Star).

Minerva returns. At the start of 2026 Montblanc announced that Minerva would be managed separately within the company (Europa Star). From June 2026, pieces made in Villeret are signed Minerva and pieces made in Le Locle are signed Montblanc (Wikipedia).

What is Montblanc known for in watches?

In watches, Montblanc is known for chronographs and mountain-themed sports watches drawn from the history of Minerva, the Villeret movement maker that Richemont bought in 2006, and for making its watches in Switzerland despite being a German company. The details below are each sourced.

Minerva chronographs. Minerva’s chronographs date back to 1858 (Wikipedia). The TimeWalker range draws on Minerva’s chronograph work, and its Rally Timer edition refers to a Minerva stopwatch of the 1960s (Haute Time). Richemont’s 2026 annual report describes Montblanc applying “Minerva technical savoir faire” to its watches.

Mountain themes. The 1858 collection is based on Minerva watches of the 1920s and 1930s made for military and mountain use (Time+Tide; Goldsmiths). The Iced Sea dial is textured to suggest the Mer de Glace, the main glacier of the Mont Blanc massif, using an engraving technique called gratté-boisé (Watchonista).

Swiss-made watches from a German company. Montblanc’s watches are made in Le Locle and Villeret, in the Swiss Jura (Goldsmiths). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers ask who made a movement, which matters for Montblanc because its range runs from Villeret-made Minerva chronographs to watches made at Le Locle.

Which Montblanc watch collections are there?

Montblanc’s current watch range includes the 1858 collection, which takes in the Iced Sea dive watches and the Geosphere world-time models, the Star Legacy dress watches, the TimeWalker sports chronographs and the Nicolas Rieussec chronographs. The collections table gives a one-line description of each.

A few points help when you are reading listings:

• 1858 covers several watches. The 1858 name is shared by automatic three-hand watches, chronographs, Geosphere world-timers and the Iced Sea dive watch (Time+Tide; Watchonista; Richemont Annual Report 2026). Check the full model name.
• Minerva-signed watches. From 2026, watches made in Villeret are signed Minerva (Wikipedia). Before that, Escapement says, Minerva spent about two decades making double-signed watches for Montblanc, so an older Villeret-made watch may carry both names.
• Retired names. Wikipedia lists Meisterstück Sports (2000), Metamorphosis and Boheme among earlier Montblanc watch collections, so these turn up second-hand.

Who owns Montblanc?

Montblanc is owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, the Swiss luxury group listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It joined Richemont in 1993. Richemont reports Montblanc in its “Other” business area, alongside brands such as dunhill and Chloé, rather than with its Specialist Watchmakers. Montblanc’s chief executive is Giorgio Sarné.

Richemont was founded by Johann Rupert in 1988 through a spin-off from the Rembrandt Group (Richemont). Its 2026 annual report lists Montblanc’s head office at Hellgrundweg 100, Hamburg, and describes it as a house of writing instruments that also makes leather goods and watches (Richemont Annual Report 2026). Montblanc’s previous chief executive, Nicolas Baretzki, served until 2023, and Sarné took over on 15 November 2024 (Wikipedia).

Richemont’s other watch brands include Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, IWC Schaffhausen and Panerai (Richemont Annual Report 2026). The group also owns Watchfinder & Co., the pre-owned watch specialist founded in 2002 (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

Buying a pre-owned Montblanc watch in the UK: what to check

Check that the serial number on the watch matches its guarantee card, which collection and movement the watch has, whether it was made in Villeret or Le Locle, and that it is not recorded as stolen. Then decide what guarantee you need: Montblanc’s own, or the seller’s.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which papers come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Model, movement and maker. Ask for the full model name and reference, and what movement the watch uses. A limited-edition Villeret chronograph and a Le Locle automatic from the same collection are very different watches. The edition number should match the papers.

3. Authenticity. Fakes can come with forged papers. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

4. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

5. Water resistance. If you plan to swim in an Iced Sea or another sports model, ask when the water resistance was last tested. Sources differ on the Iced Sea’s rating: Watchonista’s text gives 300 metres while its specification table says 100 metres, so check the caseback and papers. See water resistance explained.

6. Warranty and servicing. Montblanc’s guarantee terms could not be confirmed from its own site. Ask who last serviced the watch. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes:

Source: Richemont, Annual Report and Accounts 2026 (checked 29 October 2026). The report names Watchfinder's manufacturer-certified pre-owned partnerships only for Cartier and Vacheron Constantin, not Montblanc.

For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Are Montblanc watches Swiss or German?

Montblanc is a German company based in Hamburg, but its watches are made in Switzerland, at Le Locle and Villeret (Richemont Annual Report 2026; Goldsmiths).

When did Montblanc start making watches?

Montblanc Montre S.A. was set up in Le Locle in 1997. Wikipedia says Montblanc entered the watch market in 1996.

Who owns Montblanc?

Richemont, the Swiss luxury group. Montblanc has been part of it since 1993 (Wikipedia).

What is Minerva?

A movement maker in Villeret, Switzerland, known for chronographs and dating back to 1858. Richemont bought it in 2006 (Richemont; Europa Star).

Does Montblanc make its own movements?

Montblanc makes watches at Le Locle and Villeret, and the Villeret site is the former Minerva manufacture (Europa Star). Which movement a given watch uses varies by model, so ask the seller for the calibre.

Why do some new watches say Minerva instead of Montblanc?

From 2026 Minerva is run as a separate entity within Montblanc, and watches made in Villeret are signed Minerva (Europa Star; Wikipedia).

What is the Montblanc 1858?

A collection based on Minerva watches of the 1930s, announced in 2015, with mountain and exploration themes (Time+Tide).

Is Montblanc the same company as Mont Blanc the mountain?

No. The company took its name from the mountain in 1934 (Wikipedia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Montblanc or Richemont.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.