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 43 mm Slate Ceramic
Reference 74486OR.80
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Montblanc
- Collection
- Iced Sea
- Model
- Montblanc Iced Sea 43 mm Slate Ceramic
- Reference number
- 74486OR.80
- Year / era
- 2001 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- Minute repeater
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Slate grey
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 30 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Octagonal with 8 hexagonal screws
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Slate grey
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied faceted white-gold indexes
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 83F — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Manual-winding
- Frequency
- 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 45 hours
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Minute repeater
- Functions
- Flying tourbillon, power reserve
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2001 – 2013
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
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 43 mm Slate Ceramic sits within Montblanc's Iced Sea line, introduced in 2001. It carries the house codes established since 1906 — ceramic case, slate grey dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
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.