In the world of high-end horology, there are "manufactures," and then there is Minerva. To own the Montblanc Villeret 1858 Vintage Pulsographe is to own a piece of a dying art – a watch created in a workshop where the 19th century never truly ended.
Having done the blog for the Lange 1815 Chronograph, I thought it would be good to follow up with another rich heritage chronograph and it is none other than the Minerva driven column-wheel chronograph Montblanc Villeret.
The Montblanc Villeret 1858 Vintage Pulsographe is a watch that represents a significant milestone in modern horology. It is essentially a "Minerva" watch wearing a Montblanc badge – a product of the Institut de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie in Villeret, where ancient tools and hand-finishing techniques are preserved like a living museum. With its rose gold case and the obsidian-like depth of a Black Grand Feu enamel dial, this piece is widely considered one of the most beautiful "doctor's chronographs" ever manufactured.
The Villeret 1858 Legacy: A Minerva in Disguise
The "1858" in the name refers to the year Minerva was founded in Villeret. When the Richemont Group acquired Minerva in 2006 and integrated it into Montblanc, they didn't just buy a name; they preserved a sacred workshop. The Villeret 1858 collection is the pinnacle of that acquisition. Unlike mass-produced luxury watches, these pieces are made in limited quantities (often limited to 18 or 58 pieces) because the finishing is so labour-intensive. In the Villeret atelier, watchmakers still use traditional tools – some over a century old – to hand-polish parts using local gentian wood and horsehair.
The View Through the Sapphire
Just like the 1815 Chronograph, turning the watch over is like stepping into a miniature cathedral of steel and gold. The architecture is dominated by the sprawling levers of the horizontal clutch and the instantaneously recognisable iconic "Devil's Tail" – a hand-polished arrow that serves as the calling card of the Villeret artisans. Every bridge is made of German silver, hand-bevelled with internal angles so sharp they catch the light like a diamond.
Early Year Villeret Collection
The first collection of four watches in Collection Villeret 1858 was released limited numbers - 1 unique piece in Platinum, 8 pieces in white gold and 58 pieces in red gold to signify the year 1858. Initially, all Collection Villeret 1858 timepieces were encased in precious metal. And following in the tradition of traditional watchmaking, the balance wheels of the 1858 timepieces beats at the classic 18,000 vph (or 2.5 Hertz).
The white gold version of the Vintage Pulsographe featuring a white Grand Feu enamel dial.
The Architecture of the Soul: Calibre 13.21 – The Minerva Pedigree
While the name on the dial says Montblanc, the soul of this watch is pure Minerva. Founded in 1858, Minerva became the "Master of Chronographs." This Pulsographe is powered by the Calibre 13.21 which was launched in 1923, a direct evolution of the 13.20 – the movement that proved wristwatches could handle the complexity of a chronograph.
1. The Column Wheel: The Mechanical Brain
The Calibre 13.21 is a column-wheel chronograph. While modern chronographs often use "cams" (which are cheaper to manufacture), the column wheel is a hand-finished "pillar" that coordinates the start, stop, and reset functions. Because of the column wheel and the perfectly tensioned springs, the "click" of the monopusher (integrated into the crown) is arguably the smoothest in the world – crisper than a Patek and as buttery as a Lange.
2. The "Devil’s Tail" (The Flèche)
The most famous signature of a Minerva movement is the "Devil’s Tail" (or the Minerva Arrow) which is the end of the chronograph blocker lever.
This tiny component is hand-filed into a sharp, pointed arrow shape showcasing the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship that goes into this movement. It serves no mechanical purpose other than to act as a "signature" of the master watchmaker. It is a flex of finishing skill – polishing those internal angles to a mirror finish is one of the hardest tasks in watchmaking.
3. Horizontal Clutch & Large Balance Wheel
The 13.21 uses a horizontal clutch (lateral coupling). This allows you to see the gears physically engage when you start the timer. Combined with the massive, slow-beating balance wheel (18,000 vph) and the Philips terminal curve hairspring, the movement feels like it belongs to a different century. It is a sprawling, mechanical landscape of bridges and levers.
4. The Hidden Insignia
If one is not careful, we can miss this hidden insignia and the Calibre number found at the bottom of the movement plate located beneath the balance wheel.
So, we know about the Devil's Tail but did you know the Minerva arrow is also inscribed onto the movement plate?
And as you have already witnessed, no effort is spared on the Montblanc Villeret. Even the base plate is well decorated (perlage). As long as the eye can see, it will be decorated.
The Monopusher "Cycle" vs. Two-Pusher Freedom
In a standard two-pusher setup, the top button (at 2 o'clock) handles start/stop, and the bottom button (at 4 o'clock) handles the reset. You can start, stop, and then start again without resetting - perfect for timing a football match.
The little details on the Montblanc Villeret series including the the mother-of-pearl logo on the crown.
The Pulsographe Monopusher (with its singular rectangular button at 2 o'clock) follows a strict linear logic – Start, Stop, Reset. You cannot "pause" and restart. This forces a rhythm on the user. For a doctor in the 1930s (the inspiration for the Pulsometer scale), this was a safety feature. It ensured that every new pulse reading began from zero, eliminating the risk of a "combined" reading that could lead to a misdiagnosis.
The Dial: The Eternal Depth of Grand Feu Enamel
This timepiece features a Black Grand Feu Enamel dial, which is a rare and difficult feat. "Grand Feu" (Great Fire) involves dusting a gold or copper plate with glass powder and firing it in a kiln at temperatures exceeding 800°C. At these temperatures, the dial can crack, bubble, or warp instantly. Black enamel is particularly difficult because any tiny dust particle or imperfection shows up immediately. Unlike painted dials, enamel will never fade, patina, or lose its lustre.
It has an "inky" depth and a liquid-like sheen that provides the perfect high-contrast background for the rose gold Pulsometric scale. And when viewed at the right angle, the dial reflects light like a mirror.
The "Doctor's" Aesthetic
On the wrist, the rose gold case provides a warm weight, but it’s the Black Grand Feu enamel dial that steals the show. It isn't just black; it is a bottomless, ink-like void that makes the white numerals and the pulsometer scale pop with surgical clarity. Designed to help physicians measure a pulse over 30 pulsations, the scale is a romantic nod to a time when a watch was a critical tool of the trade.
The Doctor’s Watch: A History of the Pulsometer
Before the digital age of heart-rate monitors and finger-clip sensors, a physician’s most important tools were their ears, their hands, and their watch. However, in the early 20th century, measuring a patient's heart rate was a clumsy exercise. A doctor would have to find a pulse, look at a standard watch, and count beats for a full 60 seconds. Alternatively, they could count for 15 seconds and multiply by four – but in a high-stress medical emergency, mental math is the last thing a doctor wants to do.
1. The "Graduated" Breakthrough
The Pulsometer scale was invented to remove the math from practicing medicine. It is essentially a "calculating machine" printed on a dial. By adding a specific scale – usually calibrated to 15 or 30 pulsations – the watch does the division for you.
When a doctor starts the chronograph at the first beat and stops it at the 30th, the chronograph hand points directly to the patient's heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) on the outer scale. It turned a one-minute task into a five-second one.
2. Why "Graduated for 30 Pulsations"?
You will notice the Villeret 1858 is "Gradué pour 30 pulsations." This is the "Goldilocks" calibration of medical watches.
15 Pulsations: Faster, but prone to a higher margin of error if the doctor stops the hand even a fraction of a second late. 30 Pulsations: Provides a more stable and accurate average of the heart rate while still being significantly faster than a traditional 60-second count.
3. Minerva: The Specialist of the Professional Scale
Minerva, more than almost any other manufacture, leaned into the "tool watch" era of the 1920s and 30s. While other brands were focused on aesthetics, Minerva was perfecting stopwatches for athletes and pulsometers for physicians.
The Calibre 13.20 (the ancestor of the 13.21 found in my Montblanc) was revolutionary because it allowed this medical scale to be miniaturized into a wristwatch. Suddenly, a doctor didn't have to fumble with a pocket watch; they could keep one hand on the patient’s wrist and the other on the monopusher integrated into the crown. It was the "smartwatch" of the 1930s.
4. The Romanticism of the Scale Today
In the modern world, no doctor actually uses a mechanical Pulsographe to save a life. However, the complication remains one of the most romantic in all of horology. Why? Human Connection: Unlike a Tachymeter (which measures the speed of a cold machine), a Pulsometer is designed to measure a human heartbeat. It is a "humanist" complication.
The Aesthetic of the "Ring": On the Villeret 1858, the pulsometer scale creates a beautiful frame for the Grand Feu dial. It adds a layer of technical complexity that contrasts beautifully with the elegant rose gold case. The red and white numerals on a black, highly reflective Grand Feu enamel dial in a rose gold case can be spotted a mile away – it’s just so pretty.
Which One for Which Day? Montblanc or Lange?
If I attend a formal black tie event, I choose the Montblanc Villeret. The way the light hits the Black Grand Feu enamel is mesmerising, and there is something incredibly romantic about the monopusher. It feels like wearing a piece of history – a watch crafted by a few artisans in a small village using tools their grandfathers once used.
However, if I want to feel the 'weight' of engineering, I slip on the Lange 1815 Chronograph. It's the watch I wear when I want to obsess over the details. I catch myself turning it over at red lights just to see the instantaneous jumping minute lever in action.
The Minerva 13.21 is the 'Soul' of my collection; it’s beautiful, temperamental, and poetic. The Lange L951.5 is the 'Brain'; it is flawless, architectural, and authoritative. One celebrates where watchmaking came from, and the other defines where it has arrived. Having both is not redundant – it is a complete education in the art of the chronograph and chronometry.
Montblanc or Minerva branded Chronograph
Comparing the Montblanc Villeret 1858 Pulsographe to a Minerva-branded chronograph using the same caliber (the MB M13.21 / Minerva 13-21) is a bit like comparing a bespoke tailored suit to the original architect's blueprint. Both are masterpieces, but they represent different eras and different levels of "finishing."
1. The Movement: Architecture vs. Execution
Both watches share the legendary 13-line monopusher chronograph architecture. This movement (Caliber 13.20/13.21) is widely considered one of the most beautiful and historically significant chronograph designs in horology.
Minerva Brand: Original Minerva-branded pieces (especially from the early 2000s) brought this movement into the modern age. The finishing was exceptional – easily rivalling brands like Zenith or JLC.
Montblanc Villeret: When Montblanc (via Richemont) acquired the Minerva manufacture in 2007, they didn't just keep the movement; they elevated the finishing to Patek Philippe or A. Lange & Söhne levels. The Montblanc Villeret 1858 pieces feature labour-intensive hand-finishing, including sharp internal angles, "black polishing" on the steel parts, and the famous "Devil’s Tail" on the chronograph lever (see above picture).
2. Dial Artistry
The obvious difference is in the dial material.
The Montblanc Villeret 1858 Pulsographe almost always features a Grand Feu enamel dial while the Minerva-branded chronographs used high-quality lacquered or metal dials, which are still beautiful but far less expensive and risky to produce than enamel.
BUT...
In the current secondary market, Minerva-branded chronographs often command a higher premium than their Montblanc Villeret 1858 counterparts, even when the movements are nearly identical.
The "Purist" Premium
Collectors of high-end chronographs are notoriously romantic about history. To a "purist," the name Minerva represents an uninterrupted legacy of movement making since 1858.
The Rarity of the "Gnutti Era" (2000–2006)
Most of the Minerva-branded watches you see on the secondary market with the Caliber 13.21 are likely from the Emilio Gnutti era. Just what does that mean? Just before Montblanc bought the company, Gnutti (an Italian billionaire) moved Minerva into the "Haute Horlogerie" space. He limited production to extremely small numbers – sometimes just a few dozen pieces.
Because these were the very last watches to ever bear the "Minerva" name on the dial before it became a sub-brand of Montblanc, they are viewed as "extinct" artifacts. High rarity + a dead brand name = higher collector value.
Case Size and "Wearability"
Montblanc Villeret pieces were often designed to be grand and prestigious, frequently coming in larger precious metal case sizes (41mm, 43mm, or even 47mm) that can feel bulky for a dress chronograph.
Minerva Brand chronographs, on the other hand, were produced in the "classic" sizes (37mm to 39mm) that are currently more in demand with modern collectors who prefer vintage-inspired proportions.
Regardless of whether it is the Minerva branded or Montblanc branded chronograph I believe each has it's own attractiveness although the current sentiment is biased towards the Minerva brand.
Final Thoughts
The Villeret 1858 Pulsographe is a "sleeper." To the untrained eye, it is a beautiful Montblanc. To the watch connoisseur, it is one of the finest hand-finished chronographs ever produced by human hands. It is a reminder that even in an age of silicon and automation, there is no substitute for a man with a file, a piece of gentian wood, and a passion for perfection.
To the average person, it’s a beautiful rose gold watch. To a collector, the Minerva-signed movement and the single-pusher layout represent the peak of 20th-century chronograph design, preserved in a modern case - IYKYK.
One last point for the folks at Richemont to consider - bring back the Minerva branded timepieces. That would be fun!
