No one can say watches are just for show. Many, in fact, are the epitome of pioneering in new technologies and materials. A prime example of this is the recently unveiled Montblanc TimeWalker Pythagore Ultra-Light Concept watch, which may well be the lightest-weight watch in the world. The timepiece, created in honor of 33-year old badminton champion (and a Montblanc brand ambassador) Lin Dan—the first and only player to have won all nine titles in the Super Grand Slam.
The one-of-a-kind concept watch was made using high-tech, ultra-light materials: The case uses DLC (diamond-like carbon) for the horns while the case middle, bezel, and case back are constructed from an extremely lightweight, hypoallergenic, and durable composite material, ITR²®Kevlar®/Carbon. The mainplate serves as the dial, to eschew extra weight, and the seconds’ subdial is made of anodized aluminum. At its heart, the watch is equipped with an all-new movement, the Montblanc Mechanical Caliber MB M62.48 (based on the famed Minerva Pythagore movement from 1943), which is skeletonized to keep weight low and includes five bridges all made of titanium. The 153-part movement, offering 50 hours of power reserve, weighs just 4.73 grams.
All told, the tight package weighs in at just 14.88 grams, about half an ounce. (The next lightest timepieces on the market, from brands like Richard Mille, BRM, and Zenith, weigh between 15 and 19 grams.)
With a very active summer season already in place, here’s hoping the barely-there timepiece becomes available to the rest of us—and soon. montblanc.com.
For more luxury watches for summer, read our reviews of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Ocean Commitment Bathyscape.
