Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Goddess Returns to Villeret on the Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton Limited Edition
Minerva’s fascinating skeletonised version of its Exo Tourbillon welcomes a cameo of the brand’s official Roman patron.
The Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton marks the manufacture’s transition to a standalone brand structure, dropping the previous dual Montblanc branding to focus entirely on its own heritage. Limited to just 18 pieces in rose gold, the watch reveals incredible details of the hand-finished, skeletonised calibre M18.69, combined with classical design elements like the agate cameo that honours the goddess Minerva and longstanding signatures like Minerva’s fluted bezel.
Standalone Status
Establishing Minerva as a standalone brand in 2026 was a smart move. Acquired by the Richemont Group in 2006 to elevate Montblanc’s watchmaking credentials, the decision to let Minerva step out of Montblanc’s shadow and operate independently under its own name clears up much of the confusion created by the dual-branded watches. And although Minerva remains within the corporate umbrella of the Montblanc Maison, liberating the brand restores the elite, ultra-exclusive and hand-finished pedigree that is so admired by high-end collectors.
Exo Tourbillon
The timepiece’s mechanical heart relies on the patented Exo Tourbillon mechanism, introduced in 2010, separating the balance wheel from the rotating tourbillon cage. Developed by master watchmakers at Minerva for Montblanc, the name is derived from the Greek word exo for outside. In effect, the massive 14.5mm balance wheel is elevated on a higher plane, completely outside and above the tourbillon cage.
After appearing in several Montblanc editions, including the opulent Versailles edition, Minerva reclaimed its proprietary innovation for the Exo Tourbillon LE 18 reference, presented in September 2026 with a closed guilloché dial. While the core architecture and technical specifications of Minerva’s manual-winding calibre M18.69 are practically identical to the MB M18.69 fitted inside the 2020 skeletonised Montblanc watch, there are plenty of stylistic upgrades.
Minerva, the Goddess
Registered in 1887, Minerva’s official emblem is Minerva’s Arrow, and in vintage print advertisements, the Roman goddess was frequently featured in profile with her plumed helmet. Recovering the classical view of Minerva, the goddess is depicted on the new watch as a cameo on the hours and minutes sub-dial. Cameos are raised hardstone carvings in relief, usually in a lighter colour stone than the flat dark surface below. Popularised in Ancient Greece and then the Roman Empire, hardstones like agate were carved with deities and mythological figures. The cameo featured on the dial has a polished Persian blue agate stone base surmounted by a white agate stone with Minerva’s profile. The white agate stone is recessed and textured with a laser, then engraved and painted by hand.
Another classical Roman design feature appears on the rose gold-coated tourbillon frame, decorated with a frieze pattern and the name Minerva engraved and filled with blue lacquer to match the Persian blue agate stone of the cameo.
GOLDEN aura
Framing the openworked movement and marking a first for the Exo Tourbillon, the 18k rose gold case bezel features Minerva’s signature fluting, a hallmark of the brand since 1927. The large 44.8mm rose gold case with a height of 15mm is fully polished and features stepped lugs and a fluted winding crown.
The rose gold theme extends beyond the case, and nearly the entire skeletonised movement structure is plated in rose gold, including the sweeping curved bridges, the going train and the suspended tourbillon bridge. Flooded with light from both sides of the case, the 188 individual hand-assembled components of calibre M18.69 can be admired in detail. The airy openworked bridges reveal hand-chamfered angles, while the overall movement features 400 hand-polished inner bevels along with a mix of mirror-polished surfaces, frosting and circular graining.
The 360-degree rotating cage of the 60-second tourbillon features a heat-blued Minerva arrow hand to mark the passing seconds. Secured by a one-arm bridge at 6 o’clock, the mirror-polished Exo Tourbillon cage has the number 10 written in Sumerian. The large 2.5Hz balance wheel is suspended in mid-air above and outside the rotating escapement, revealing its 18 tiny gold regulation screws. The caseback offers an equally engaging view with details like the mirror-polished ratchet wheel and the winding pawl shaped like a Minerva arrow.
The Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton is paired with a Persian blue alligator strap and a rose gold triple-folding clasp. This is a limited edition of 18 pieces; price to be confirmed (expect it to be more than EUR 180,000). More information at montblanc.com.
