The Montblanc Star World-Time GMT Automatic wins the First Place in the Category Petite Aiguille at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2011

The prize-giving ceremony for the 11th Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG) took place in the Grand Théatre de Genève on Saturday, November 19th 2011. Montblanc is honoured that the Montblanc Star World-Time GMT Automatic won the first place in the category “Petite Aiguille” (price below 5.000 CHF) at the “Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève”. Alexander Schmiedt, Director Category Management Watches Montblanc International, proudly received the “Petite Aiguille 2011” award in Geneva.

The international jury of the 11th edition, composed of watchmaking professionals, awarded the different categories. Created in 2001, and as of this year 2011 under the aegis of the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix Foundation, this event is intended to salute the excellence of worldwide horological production, and annually rewards the finest creations and the most important figures in the watchmaking world. It thereby contributes to promoting horology and its prime values – namely innovation, a will to pass on expertise and the quest for excellence.

Montblanc Star World-Time GMT Automatic

Time-zone watches, which show the time in at least two zones have gained greater relevance nowadays. The Montblanc Star World-Time GMT Automatic is a cosmopolitan instrument designed primarily for businesspeople or bankers who travel the world and at the same time want to keep a watchful eye on the opening hours of e.g. the world’s stock exchanges. This wristwatch puts two different time zones on its dial and at the same time, indicates the time in all the worlds 24 time zones. It does so by purely mechanical means. Ease of operation and outstanding user-friendliness are salient features of the Montblanc Star World-Time GMT Automatic. All functions can be operated via the readily grasped - and for improved security – screwed crown in 3 positions.

When the crown is in its neutral (unscrewed) position, turning it clockwise manually winds the automatic movement and turning it counter-clockwise resets the outer ring which indicates the worlds 24 time zones.  When the crown has been withdrawn to its first extracted position, turning it clockwise resets the date and turning it counter-clockwise triggers the GMT hand (with the red tip) to advance in hourly increments. Finally, when the crown has been further withdrawn to its second extracted position, turning it clockwise adjusts the 12-hour and the minute-hand in the usual manner.

The 12-hour hand is permanently coupled to the movement and shows the time in the wearer’s present location. The smaller GMT hand culminating in a red tip is accompanied by a contrastingly coloured 24 hour-scale indicating whether people are momentarily at work or asleep in the distant time zone. The outer ring simultaneously indicates the corresponding time on all the global time zones when correctly adjusted with the current time and location of the GMT hand. 

Based on a special toothing system, this entirely new setting mechanism, by which both, the flange and the watch movement can be activated, has been subsequently submitted for patent protection. Not only can this device separately control all indicators via one and the same winding-stem, it also disconnects the movement from the wheels of the time-zone and world-time indicators whenever a time-zone correction is made. The movement continues to run accurately while the time zone is being reset. This little micromechanical miracle is safely harboured inside a 42-mm stainless steel case that’s built to cope with the rough treatment a frequent traveller’s timepiece inevitably encounters.