Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Yellow Gold Minerva The Unveiled Chronograph Limited Edition 30
A richer expression of Minerva's reversed monopusher chronograph, now dressed in full yellow gold and warm brown.
Minerva‘s Unveiled Chronograph series is an exercise in turning conventional watchmaking inside out. Instead of hiding the movement under the dial, which would require taking the watch off the wrist to admire its calibre through the display caseback, the manufacture reverses its architecture, making the chronograph mechanism and its distinctive hand-finished components the main attraction on the dial side. The watch first materialised in 2023 and has since been offered in more compact and differently styled editions. This latest version takes the larger size and gives it an altogether richer personality, combining a solid 18k yellow gold case with a brown-coated version of the reversed calibre.
The Gold Case
At 43mm in diameter and 14.78mm thick, the case has undeniable presence. That size is not arbitrary, however. There is a considerable amount of mechanics to expose, and the case is the necessary frame, creating an appropriately generous view of the calibre. The full 18k yellow gold construction features Minerva’s signature fluted bezel, a detail rooted in the manufacture’s 1930s chronographs. Satin-brushed and polished surfaces define the case, while chamfered lugs give the otherwise imposing profile some elegance.
The sapphire openings in the middle case are among the most interesting details. Through them light enters the movement from the sides, and they offer views of the pillar-mounted architecture from angles rarely available on a conventional watch. The fluted gold crown incorporates the monopusher.
A domed, box-shaped sapphire crystal protects the dial, and the solid gold caseback features a laser engraving of the historic Minerva manufacture in Villeret, where the brand has been based since 1858, as well as the RFV (Robert Frères Villeret) logo with Minerva’s arrow. Water resistance is 30m.
The Transparent Dial
As with its predecessors, the dial is deliberately minimal. In fact, there is barely a dial at all. A skeletonised sapphire outer ring carries the Super-LumiNova hour markers, while three open rings cross the centre of the display. At 9 o’clock, a yellow-gold hand indicates running seconds. The 30-minute chronograph counter with a yellow-gold-coated hand with a white arrow is positioned opposite, at 3 o’clock.
The central area is occupied by the yellow-gold-coated hour and minute hands with white luminescent Super-LumiNova and the central chronograph seconds hand in white, all sitting above the exposed movement. The effect is quite unusual: instead of reading the time and then looking through a display back to admire the mechanics, the column wheel, going train, and balance in operation, the two experiences happen simultaneously.
The new colourway works really well. The brown-coated German silver plates and bridges provide a warm backdrop, while the yellow-gold-coloured going train and gold case add contrast. It is considerably more luxurious in appearance than the cooler executions of the Unveiled concept, in contrast with the blue-accented, more modern 2024 edition.
The Reversed Minerva Calibre
The Calibre M17.26, a hand-wound monopusher chronograph with column wheel and horizontal coupling, comprises 291 components, measuring 38.4mm in diameter and 7.7mm thick. As with the case that protects it, the size allows careful examination without magnification, though bringing a loupe can enhance the experience.
The unusual construction comes from reversing the movement so that its regulating organ, going train, bridges, and chronograph components are visible from the dial side. Minerva’s signature V-shaped bridge dominates the view, finished in the same brown tone as the plates. The going train is yellow-gold-coloured and circular-grained. The bridges and plates receive extensive hand-finishing, including carefully executed bevels.
The movement beats at 18,000 vibrations/hour (2.5Hz) and offers approximately 50 hours of power reserve. The chronograph functions through the single pusher integrated into the crown: one press starts it, another stops it, and a third resets the mechanism.
Thoughts and Price
This latest Unveiled Chronograph is given a considerably more luxurious appearance without changing much of its technical attraction. The combination of a full yellow gold case with brown-coated movement components and an exposed chronograph mechanism gives the watch a warmer, perhaps even more mature character.
Limited to 30 pieces, it is a celebration of what makes Minerva special: traditional chronograph construction, unusual mechanical architecture and an approach to hand-finishing that rewards close inspection. Worn on a brown sfumato alligator leather strap, closed with a yellow-gold triple-folding clasp with fine adjustment system, this edition of the Unveiled Chronograph is priced at EUR 84,000. For more, visit montblanc.com.
