Triple time with Montblanc’s Tourbillon Cylindrique Geospheres Vasco da Gama watch

The frequently exalted haute horlogerie qualities of heritage and innovation come together in this year’s Montblanc Tourbillon Cylindrique Geospheres Vasco da Gama. Championed by its 157-year-old Villeret manufacture, Montblanc manages to combine the elements of world time and cylindrical hairsprings – usually reserved for only the finest marine chronometers – into 18 limited edition and evocative pieces in 47mm-diametre red gold.

Montblanc’s CEO Jerome Lambert, who followed the timepiece’s development every step of the way, likens it to a continuous level of achievement. “At the maison, we want to single ourselves out through technical performance, to share our passion for fine watchmaking,” he says, adding, “But even I was positively surprised with the case, dial and to see it finished on a wrist. It really captured our technical abilities.”

Being right on the money, this timepiece’s capabilities include maintaining three time zones, as well as showing the passage of day and night via a cross section of the earth’s northern and southern hemispheres.

Its 18k gold dial segues into the convex, polished tourbillon bridge. Beneath this is the cylindrical hairspring – where the elastic metal is wound in equal and concentric diameter versus the ever-larger whorls on most other hairsprings. A direct result of a cylindrical hairspring is its ability to better resist gravitational forces, as each circle of the hairspring, being of equal weight, is subject to the same amount of pull. Then, as a final flourish, the master watchmaker spends over seven days to confer an immaculate, polished finish to the tourbillon bridge, ensuring perfect aesthetic harmony with the glinting globes and dial.