Simon Messner Ascends Mont Blanc With A Montblanc 1858 Geosphere For Company

Simon Messner, son of Reinhold Messner has followed in his father’s footsteps with an ascent of the Mont Blanc, with a Montblanc 1858 Geosphere on his wrist.

In 2018, Montblanc launched the 1858 Geosphere—a manufactured timepiece with a new way of displaying the indication of the world time in a bold way with two recognisable turning discs representing the northern and southern hemispheres.

And in 2020, Montblanc introduced an 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition entirely dedicated to Reinhold Messner, the legendary climber and explorer.

The limited edition timepiece harmoniously combines bronze, blue, and rose gold-coated elements, giving it a true vintage aesthetic reminiscent of the mountaineering exploration tools from the past—and thanks to a creative and inspiring collaboration with Reinhold Messner, the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Messner Limited Edition piece was born.

As an acclaimed mountaineer to climb all 14 of the world’s peaks and the first climber to undertake a solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, it is only natural for his kids to tend to do what their fathers did before them. Now in his late seventies, Reinhold has passed his passion and baton on to his son Simon.

Born on 8 November 1990, Simon Messner and his three sisters have been mountaineering since a very young age. Like his father, he shares a passion to preserve the tradition of climbing, taking all necessary measures to protect the mountain environment by using as little equipment as possible and having never used supplemental oxygen on his ventures.

Many different goals can be set while mountaineering, but for Simon, the most important thing is the experience gained. The idea of racing to reach all of the world’s summits is not what drives him the most, it is more about being as close as possible to the mountain in the purest sense

To underline his respect for mountaineering and the environment, he ascended Mont Blanc last month, going back to where it all started for the German company, with the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen LE1786 strapped to his wrist.

He set off from France’s L’Aiguille du Midi and climbed via Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit, to reach the Mont Blanc—a route that is mapped out on the case back of this limited-edition timepiece using Montblanc’s three-dimensional laser engraving technique that is so realistic, it resembles a photograph of the Mont Blanc at sunset.

In addition to that, Simon has tested the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen LE1786 and its zero-oxygen construction all the way up to the 4,810-metre summit, which is only the second model to be devoid of oxygen, after the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen LE290.

The exclusion of oxygen has several benefits for explorers who need their equipment to work in the harshest environments. With zero oxygen inside the movement, it not only eliminates fogging, which can occur with drastic temperature changes at altitude—but also prevents oxidation.

Without oxygen, all the components last far longer and will provide greater precision over time. The LE1786 timepiece is adorned with the manufacturer’s new blue glacier pattern dial, inspired by the glacial lakes of the Mont Blanc Massif during a trip to the Alps.

Powered by Montblanc’s MB 29.25 automatic movement and comes fitted with a blue Sfumato calf leather strap with beige stitching, the timepiece comes in a 42mm bronze case with a bi-directional knurled ceramic bezel with cardinal points.

Not only that, Simon has also documented his adventure and filmed the final stretch to the summit—Montblanc customers will be able to join him in the brand’s boutiques and witness this incredible feat with virtual reality glasses, giving them the incredible feeling of being on the mountain with him.

(Images: Montblanc)