Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Special Edition ELA

Quick specs Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Special Edition ELA
Price: to be auctioned, estimate CHF 15’000-25’000 | Price realised: CHF 37,800
Size: 43 mm
Reference: MB134028

The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph is crafted as a unique piece to support the European Leukodystrophies Association (ELA). Christie’s will auction the piece on November 11, 2024, among several other donated watch models. You will find a complete list here: 2024 watch collection for ELA page.

With a design rooted in the history of chronographs, it honors the legacy of Nicolas Rieussec.  the 19th-century inventor of the world’s first inking chronograph. Although Louis Moinet thinks their namesake Louis Moinet, as he never founded the brand, was the inventor. Just read our in-depth story about the chronograph to find out who the inventor was.

Inspired by Rieussec’s timing systems

The Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph belongs to Montblanc’s Star Legacy line. This collection draws inspiration from Rieussec’s early timing systems, which he designed for horse racing in the early 1800s. Rieussec’s original chronograph marked time by placing ink drops on rotating counters to record laps accurately.

This invention marked a turning point in timekeeping, creating a new standard in sports and scientific observation. The Star Legacy collection incorporates this unique timing mechanism, adapted for the modern wristwatch. Sort of.

Horse race on the dial

The watch’s 43-millimeter case is black DLC-coated stainless steel with a special dial. It depicts a 19th-century drawing capturing the thrilling moment when four jockeys and their horses approach the finish line at Paris’s Champ-de-Mars racecourse. As if it is a picture made for the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Special Edition ELA made by Rieussec himself.

The main time is off-centered on a large sub dial and features a black flange and a second time zone indicated by the shorter skeleton hand. In the flange is an aperture indicating day and night. Just below the main sub dial are two chronograph sub dials reminiscent of Rieussec’s design for precise reading of elapsed time.

Chronograph with rotating discs

Dual rotating chronograph discs add a functional and visual uniqueness to the design. Instead of hands, these counters rotate against a fixed pointer, in the middle, staying true to the original ink-based recording concept. One shows the chronograph seconds, the other is a 30-minute counter.

At the 6 o’clock position is a classic date window with screws. The dark flange of the dial has “CHRONOGRAPH NICOLAS RIEUSSEC” on it and “ACADEMIE DES SCIENCES DE PARIS – 1821”. As Rieussec was a renewed member of this academy and in 2821 he patented his chronograph device.

The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Special Edition ELA

Powering this Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 43mm Special Edition ELA is the Montblanc caliber MB R200. It is the brand’s first in-house movement (from 2008), an automatic caliber featuring twin barrels for a power reserve of 72 hours. The MB R200 is the automatic counterpart of the manual-winding MB R100. It has a column-wheel mono-pusher chronograph and the GTM function is by using a 12-hour hand.

A noteworthy aspect of this movement is the black oscillating weight decorated with “Clous de Paris”. A pattern that ties the watch back to Montblanc’s European roots and its homage to Paris. The case back is engraved, adding depth to the story behind the watch, and is partly from sapphire to show the movement.

Price estimate of the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec for ELA

A black alligator leather strap with a folding clasp complements the watch. The estimated price for this one-off timepiece is 15’000-25’000 Swiss francs. Given the fact that a “regular” Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec has a price of around 10k in US dollars or euros, it can be a good offer.