The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world, especially on the travel industry which has taken the worst hit. While all the globetrotters are praying for the world to emerge soon out of this terrible situation, Montblanc has released a new iteration of the Star Legacy Orbis Terrarum world time model instilling hope amongst jetsetters of things returning to normal soon. Originally created in 2014, the new Star Legacy Orbis Terrarum is available in 43 mm steel and 18k rose gold versions. In terms of design and construction, the latest iteration features a complete redesign allowing for high visibility and appealing aesthetics. The highlight of the redesign is its rotating, two-layer dial. The upper disc is created out of sapphire crystal that is partially transparent. It is coated with rhodium or rose gold applied directly on it to make the Northern Hemisphere continents and meridians stand out above the seas and oceans to offer a 3D depth to the watch. It is surrounded by a ring depicting the 24 cities.
Underneath the sapphire disc is a rotating day & night disc that changes from light blue for the day to dark blue for the night in the steel version and light brown to dark brown on the 18k gold version indicating day & night in all 24 time zones of the world. At its center is a wave motif accomplished using the flinqué-froissé guilloché technique. A red-tipped triangle at 12 o’clock points towards the city of the owner’s local time zone. The timepiece is powered by an automatic movement equipped with a manufacture complication, developed in-house by Montblanc’s engineers. The stainless steel version is paired with a blue Sfumato strap and is priced at $6,800, while the 18-karat rose gold version comes on a brown Sfumato strap and is limited to 500 pieces, with a price tag of $20,800.
