Montblanc Metamorphosis Collection Villeret transformer watch

The new Montblanc Metamorphosis was one of the most exciting premieres from the young Swiss watch making brand at this year’s SIHH 2010 show.

Coming in a case reminiscent of Dali’s famous melting clocks, the new timepiece also features a futuristic transformer dial. With a push of a slide you can transform the regulateur-style civil time display watch into a chronograph.

In its normal layout, the watch features a “lone” hour hand sub-dial at 12 o’clock, a retrograde minute hand that travels from 8 o’clock to 4 o’clock and back, and the third sub-dial with a hand indicator displays current date.

Sliding the lever on the left side of the case from 10 to 8 o’clock, one can transform the watch into a chronograph with hour and minute totalizers at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively. After the slide is moved to the new position, the watch takes about 15 seconds to open, slide under one another and finally hide behind the dial two wings at 12 o’clock and four wings at 6 o’clock while lifting a new sub-dial disc that eventually “swallows” the date hand.

The complication adds 315 extra parts to the original 252 parts of the Minerva Kaliber 16-29 hand-wound movement.

If I understand it correctly, the Montblanc Metamorphosis watch is still in its prototype phase, but the 3d-presentation by Montblanc looks truly astonishing.

Photos: Montblanc

Montblanc Metamorphosis watch specification

Price range: N/A
Movement: Minerva Kaliber 16-29, hand-wound, 18,000 vph twin barrels
Complications: Chronograph, date, dial transformation
Power reserve: N/A
Case material: N/A
Bezel material: N/A
Case shape: Teardrop
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire case back
Case size: N/A
Case height: N/A
Dial: Black, three-dimensional
Numerals: Arabic and Roman
Hands: Steel
Strap: Black leather
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated
Water resistance: N/A