Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Montblanc · Iced Sea
Montblanc Iced Sea 37 mm Meteorite Quartz
Reference 21641OR.17
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Montblanc
- Collection
- Iced Sea
- Model
- Montblanc Iced Sea 37 mm Meteorite Quartz
- Reference number
- 21641OR.17
- Year / era
- 1979 · 1970s — quartz-crisis era
- Complication
- Tourbillon
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Dial type
- Meteorite
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 37 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1 mm
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Bezel
- Baguette diamond rainbow
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Meteorite
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied faceted white-gold indexes
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 36E — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 37 jewels
- Complications
- Tourbillon
- Functions
- Dive time, running seconds
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1979 – 1988
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Montblanc Iced Sea 37 mm Meteorite Quartz sits within Montblanc's Iced Sea line, introduced in 1979. It carries the house codes established since 1906 — quartz tpt case, meteorite dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Montblanc
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1906
- Founder
- August Eberstein, Alfred Nehemias & Claus-Johannes Voss
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Tier
- Premium
- Major collections
- 1858, Heritage, Star Legacy, Iced Sea, TimeWalker
- Signature technologies
- Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Hand-applied guilloché dials · Shock-absorbing movement mounting
- Famous movements
- High-beat automatic · Spring Drive · Automatic, Swiss lever escapement · Automatic chronograph
- Notable watches
- Montblanc 1858 42 mm Slate Quartz (1969) · Montblanc 1858 36 mm Blue Stainless (1998) · Montblanc 1858 42 mm Mother-of-pearl Carbon (1995) · Montblanc Heritage 43 mm Slate Carbon (1990)
Brand history
Montblanc has spent more than 120 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's 1858, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
August Eberstein, Alfred Nehemias & Claus-Johannes Voss established Montblanc in 1906, working from Germany at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Montblanc calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1906
August Eberstein, Alfred Nehemias & Claus-Johannes Voss founds Montblanc in Germany.
1969
The quartz era forces Montblanc to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Montblanc enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Montblanc continues to produce 1858, Heritage, Star Legacy and other icons in limited numbers.