Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Stainless Steel
$
19,000 Reasonable Prices
A rare example of a Minerva monopusher chronograph from a golden era of the manufacture.
Description
A rare example of a Minerva monopusher chronograph from a golden era of the manufacture. Created in the early 2000s, the company was helmed by Emilio Gnutti and creative director Demetrio Cabbidu. Under their guidance, the company produced a series of beautiful watches inspired by the manufacturer's own history. This ref. M132001 is a monopusher chronograph example with a hinged caseback that features a clever opening method, continuing the spirit of Minerva's early work.
Worth Reading
This Minerva Chronograph ref. M132001 is a rare specimen that was made in the early 2000s, after the company had been taken over by Emilio Gnutti, and come under the creative direction of Demetrio Cabiddu. This era of Minerva pieces was particularly creative, with in-house calibres used in an attempt to revive their heritage. This ref. M132001 is a monopusher chronograph cased in stainless steel, and it bears the original “Minerva” signature on the dial.
Minerva continues to thrive at the intersection of "vintage" and "modern" eras – sheets of metal are still cut with old Minerva stamps, and many of the older movements are still housed in new watches made today. The chronograph calibre that powers this watch is the Minerva cal. 13-21, which is based off a calibre made in 1923, the monopusher cal. 13-20, though thoroughly redesigned and updated.
The design is that of a two-register chronograph, taking direct inspiration from vintage pieces with its two tone dial configuration. The dial is symmetrically divided by two sub-dials, displaying 60-second and 30-minute intervals respectively, and both have been engine turned. The centre section is a brushed silver that bears the Minerva signature and "Fait Main A Villeret", and is enclosed by a burnished chapter ring that tracks the hours. A silvered tachymeter scale runs around the outermost section of the dial, with indications in dark blue and a seconds counter with red numerals. Each of the hands found on the dial are blued steel, further adding to the watch's vintage stylings.
Turning over the watch, you are met with a hinged caseback, which can be opened through a particularly ingenious method. The original accompanying straps of the piece, as seen with this example, have a small metal attachment on the ends closest to the lugs that fit neatly into the sides of the caseback, allowing you to pop it open smoothly and with little effort – an especially thoughtful and unusual addition that also speaks to the detail and care that went into this watch, harking back to a more personal era of watchmaking. Opening the caseback reveals a beautifully finished, rhodium-plated movement, with polishing found throughout each of the components, beautifully bevelled edges, and perlage on the baseplate.
The History of the Minerva Manufacture
Minerva’s story begins in the year 1858, founded by brothers Charles and Hyppolite Robert, in the small town of Villeret, located in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. The company - initially called H & C. Robert Watch Co. - started off by using third-party movements, which they built into pocket watches. However, the brand soon came into its own and began to produce watch movements in 1895. Somehow always in step with the changing times, they began focusing on sports watches, and as a result, chronographs, becoming one of the first manufacturers to move into the chronograph wristwatch market. Their renown for accuracy in timekeeping led them to become the official timing partner of the infamous 1936 Olympic Games, held in Germany. The name “Minerva” was actually a trademark they used for their top-of-the-range movements, and the company officially rebranded to “Minerva SA, Villeret”, in 1929.
Between 1929 and 1989, the company passed through various hands until it reached the Frey family, led by Jean-Jacques Frey and his father, Andre Frey. They continued to produce noteworthy work, such as the “Pythagore” watch models which positioned the movement bridges in such a way that they adhered to Pythagoras’ Golden Rule, and carried on manufacturing the company’s high-quality mechanical chronographs. Crucially, the company was even able to survive the 1970s Quartz Crisis, because of its ability to produce in-house components in addition to the accuracy and precision of their pieces. In 2000, the company was sold on to Emilio Gnutti, with an overhaul of the structure that instated a new director, Beppe Menaldo, and a new master watchmaker, Demetrio Cabbidu. Eventually, Minerva was taken over by Richemont and absorbed into the Montblanc Manufacture. Since then, Montblanc has embraced its manufacture’s inheritance, proudly proclaiming that the movements in Montblanc watches are derived from Minerva. They have even produced an entire line of watches, Collection Villeret 1858, in tribute and celebration of their heritage.
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