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Montblanc Star Legacy Chronograph Day & Date 43mm
Ref. 126102
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Stepping up in Montblanc's range
Minerva's ghost lives in this line. Montblanc acquired the Minerva manufacture at Villeret and has drawn on its archive of 19th and early 20th century pocket watch design ever since — the Star Legacy being the most direct expression of that inheritance. The guilloché star at the dial's centre is lifted almost verbatim from those original cases, and the ivory field with rose gold-coated Roman numerals and leaf hands reads like a movement from a carriage clock that has been made to wear on a wrist. At 43mm the case is a comfortable fit for the complication count: hours, minutes, small seconds, a full column-wheel chronograph with a 30-minute and a 12-hour counter, and a day-date pair sitting together at three. The blued chronograph hands read clearly against the ivory without competing with the gilt timekeeping hands — a small visual decision that repays the notice. The bracelet earns its place, alternating polished and satin sections in a way that keeps something this dressy from reading as too formal for daily wear. The exhibition caseback makes the argument for the movement directly. The MB 25.07 is built in-house at Villeret, and through the sapphire pane the finishing reflects that origin — a reminder that the case contains something with a longer history than the model name suggests.
- Reference
- 126102
- Brand
- Montblanc
- Collection
- Star Legacy
- Case size
- 43mm
- Case thickness
- 14.76mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Ivory
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- MB 25.07
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
Learn more about Montblanc
Montblanc was founded in Hamburg in 1906 as a fountain pen manufacturer, and the six-pointed white star that marks its products represents the snow-capped summit of the mountain. It entered watchmaking in 1997, initially as a luxury accessory line.
That changed decisively in 2007, when Richemont transferred the Minerva manufacture in Villeret to Montblanc. Minerva, founded in 1858, was one of the great chronograph specialists — it had produced its own monopusher chronograph calibres since 1908, including movements capable of measuring to a hundredth of a second, and had continued making them by traditional methods long after the industry mechanised.
Montblanc inherited that capability along with the tooling, archives, and watchmakers. The Villeret and 1858 collections now house Minerva-derived calibres with their distinctive devil's tail chronograph bridges, screwed balance wheels, and hand-finished components — genuine high horology at a house most people associate with pens.
The volume side of the business, produced at Le Locle, covers the Heritage, Star Legacy, and TimeWalker lines, and the 1858 Geosphere with its twin rotating hemisphere globes has become the signature model.
Montblanc has also pursued smartwatches through the Summit range and remains part of Richemont.
- 1906
- Founded in Hamburg as a fountain pen manufacturer.
- 1997
- Watchmaking begins at Le Locle.
- 2007
- The Minerva manufacture at Villeret is transferred to Montblanc.
- 2018
- The 1858 Geosphere becomes the signature model.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in the Montblanc Star Legacy range (7), Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417), Chronograph Watches (1,131) and Champagne & Cream Dial Watches (159).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 43mm sits at the larger end
- 14.76mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Montblanc Star Legacy alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 126102 | 74239AA70.BVA103 | L28381532 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,500 | £4,500 | £4,600 |
| Case size | 43mm | 43mm | 43mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Fabric strap |
| Power reserve | 48 hours | 48 hours | 72 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £4,500, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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