Buffed and bronzed for the outdoors.

You probably wouldn’t be seeing a more colour coordinated chronograph this year. Awash in shades of brown, bronze and champagne, the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph is one thoughtfully executed beauty that is designed to withstand both smart casual and outdoor sartorial conundrums.

A watch that exudes a vintage/classic vibe as much as it expresses robustness, the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph is on-point on several counts. The brush-finished bronze case, which will acquire a unique patina over time, is a clear draw. Framing a sunray champagne dial with old-school cathedral hands, as well as bi-compax chronograph interface and fonts, the retro appeal is strong, too, giving nods to old Minerva chronograph designs without trying too hard switch things up with a ‘modern spin’.

The watch looks pretty enough to belong on a Cruise collection catwalk, but there is more to it than its dashing demeanour. The caseback, for example, is fashioned in bronze-coated titanium so as to eliminate the possibility of skin allergies that bronze might cause. Inside the watch is the automatic Calibre MB25.11, a modified version of the Sellita SW500, an industry standard comparable to the Valjoux 7750.

That’s not all, the entire watch is put through Montblanc’s punishing 500 Hours test, which subjects timepieces to extreme wear-and-tear performance assessments. So don’t be fooled by the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph’s hipster-on-a-glamping-expedition disposition – this handsome camper is as tough as they come.

Case	42mm bronze
Dial	Sunray champagne, Super-LumiNova numerals, cathedral hands
Movement	Automatic Calibre MB25.11
Strap	Cognac aged calf leather
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Power  Reserve	48 hours
Price	S$7,500