The New and (Very) Opulent Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Versailles

Montblanc’s mastery of métiers d’art and mechanical innovation comes together once more in its most opulent creation yet, the Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles. Since introducing the Exo Tourbillon in 2010, a patented construction that positions the balance wheel outside and above the tourbillon cage, Montblanc has revisited this remarkable regulator in several editions, each time pairing it with artistic crafts and themes drawn from European cultural heritage. The Château de Versailles edition celebrates one of France’s most legendary courtly events: the Yew Tree Ball of 1745, or Bal des Ifs, held in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. One look at its dial, and you are transported back in time, masked to mingle amongst the guests in costume, perhaps to recognise Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, and King Louis XV and eight of his gentlemen. An opulent, fairly unusual watch that, nevertheless, impresses with its details.

The Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon is housed in a 44.8mm case crafted in 18k yellow gold. Beyond its precious metal construction, the case is a canvas for traditional engraving. A laurel wreath motif encircles the bezel, a reference to Apollo. The caseband depicts an allegorical scene after François Lemoyne, showing Louis XV as a Roman emperor guided by Minerva and Mercury, with the Gates of Janus closed, symbolising peace. Measuring 15.5mm in height, the case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the front and a sapphire exhibition back, while the crown is set with a Montblanc-cut diamond weighing approximately 0.11 carat. Water resistance is 30m.

The antique-looking dial is a masterwork of layered craftsmanship and materials, reinterpreting the Hall of Mirrors on the night of the masquerade. The base plate is 18k white gold, covered with black enamel and decorated with gold paillons to evoke the glint of candlelight on mirrored walls. Architectural elements are recreated with opaline Cacholong stone and Sarrancolin marble, the same material sourced for Versailles in the 17th century. The parquet floor is rendered in miniature oak marquetry. A sapphire plate etched with chandeliers and masked figures overlays the scene, the delicate outlines recalling Charles Nicolas Cochin’s etching of the ball. 

At 12 o’clock, the time display pays homage to clocks of Louis XIV’s era, using champlevé enamel to create a white dial with blue Roman numerals. A finely openworked 18k gold frame tops the display, and skeletonised yellow gold Baroque-style hands indicate the hours and minutes. The centre is capped with a detailed Apollo head in gold, its form generated from a three-dimensional digital scan of Versailles’ Salon de Vénus, then miniaturised and laser-engraved to capture the expression of the Sun King’s emblem. It’s an acquired taste altogether, yet the execution is spectacular.

At six o’clock, Montblanc’s patented Suspended Exo Tourbillon dominates the lower half of the dial, with the flange of the aperture fine-decorated with fleur-de-lys motif. The Exo construction places a large screw balance above the tourbillon cage, allowing it to oscillate independently while reducing the cage’s size and inertia. The balance, measuring 14.5mm and fitted with 18 regulating screws, is secured by a single-arm bridge that arcs across the aperture, engraved with the Menerva signature. The mechanism completes one rotation per minute, doubling as a small seconds indication, and its elevated position above the dial allows the viewer to observe the pulsation of the balance wheel in three dimensions.

The movement behind this spectacle is the Montblanc Manufacture calibre MB M16.68, a manually wound calibre measuring 38.3mm in diameter and 6.45mm in height, composed of 218 parts. Beating at a traditional 18,000 vibrations/hour, it offers a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. The screw balance is paired with a hairspring featuring a Phillips terminal curve. Finishing is executed by hand to haute horlogerie standards, with Côtes de Genève stripes, circular graining, mirror-polished steel, and finely bevelled edges with sharp interior angles, visible through the sapphire back. And, of course, the classic Minerva arrow on the click spring.

The watch is fitted with a grey calfskin strap with alligator print and gold-coloured stitching, secured by an 18k yellow gold triple-folding clasp. Limited to just eight pieces worldwide and certified by Montblanc’s Laboratory Test 500 Hours, the Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles is delivered in a bespoke presentation box created by Parisian cabinetmaker Elie Bleu and fitted with a Reuge music mechanism. The coffret re-enacts the Yew Tree Ball with miniature parquet and marble detailing, while playing music by Jean-Philippe Rameau composed for the Dauphin’s wedding festivities in 1745. Price is to be confirmed.

More details at www.montblanc.com.