Technology goes Luxury. The Montblanc Summit Collection takes Fine Watchmaking into the Digital Age

NEW YORK, March 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its foundation in 1906, Montblanc's pioneering spirit has pushed the Maison to explore new territories. This was true 110 years ago with the development of the Maison's iconic fountain pens, and remains true today with the recent launch of digital note taking and Montblanc's Augmented Paper, a revolution in fine writing. In 2017, Montblanc continues to innovate with the launch of its first smartwatch—the Montblanc Summit—combining fine watchmaking with Android Wear™ 2.0, Google's latest operating system for smartwatches, and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Wear 2100 processor— one of the most advanced and powerful wearables processors in the market for smartwatches.

Montblanc presents the first high-end smartwatch with a classic and vintage look, creating a digital interpretation of fine watchmaking. Providing the perfect alchemy between the design codes of traditional fine timekeeping, premium materials and state-of-the-art technology, this luxury smartwatch is a distinguished timepiece that is powered by the most advanced technologies on the market. To give the feeling of a real watch on the wrist, the timepiece's display is covered by a slightly curved sapphire glass, which is a world first in smartwatches.

"Nothing compares to the sensation of traditional fine Swiss watchmaking but, in a fast-moving world, being able to access all kinds of information digitally has become essential," explains Jérôme Lambert CEO Montblanc International. "Montblanc Summit bridges these two worlds with a simple and highly functional product that gives its owners the freedom to have it all."

Montblanc teamed up with Google for the Montblanc Summit Collection to feature the new Android Wear 2.0 operating system (OS) for smartwatches, which offers the most advanced software and functionalities while delivering compatibility with Android and iOS devices. Additionally, Montblanc worked with Qualcomm Technologies and put its Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor to full use, aiming to deliver high performance while maximizing battery life. The performance of the processor makes it possible for Montblanc Summit users to experience a very responsive, fluid user interface (UI), move seamlessly from one application to the next, personalize the look-and-feel through a range of apps and watch faces, and enjoy the power of Google Assistant and Music on the move.

Running on Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon chipset, it guarantees the most advanced performance and optimal battery efficiency. 

Montblanc's 1858 design meets digital technology
During  the creation of the Montblanc Summit's design, the Maison wanted to bring a one-of-a-kind vintage design expression into this new product category. Montblanc is looking to inspire the younger audience who appreciates a vintage look, especially when it is combined with high quality steel and titanium cases and contemporary straps that give the feeling of a mechanical watch on the wrist.

As such, the award-winning 1858 collection has served as the main inspiration for the 46mm watch case design, as well as for the classic watch faces, which are a digital representation of the 1858 collection. This line of mechanical timepieces stands for vintage sophistication and is crafted to the highest standards. With the new Summit collection, Montblanc has managed to bridge a gap between analogue and digital in the most pioneering way.

Functions and Features
The high-contrast and 1.39" large AMOLED display delivers vivid and brilliant colours for the finest visual experience. The AMOLED display is covered by a curved sapphire glass, a world-first in smartwatches.

The Montblanc Summit features a full round touch-screen display. Each timepiece has a water-resistant standard of IP68, making it resilient to the splashes of everyday life. The watch features a microphone for voice commands and numerous sensors: a heart-rate monitor, and sensors for measuring steps and activities; a gyroscope and a compass to measure the orientation of your watch; a barometer that can indicate the altitude, and an ambient light sensor that automatically adapts the brightness of your screen according to the lighting conditions.

The watch can be charged via micro USB on a magnetic Montblanc dock. It connects via Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® and features 4GB Flash storage that can be used to sync and play music without the need of a smartphone.

Tailored Apps for simplicity of use
Android Wear 2.0 is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, and is available in numerous languages, so everyone can enjoy fine timekeeping in the digital era.

Montblanc Summit can access thousands of different apps on the Google Play Store, creating a tailor-made experience for each user based on their own particular interests and preferences. App personalization makes each watch a truly unique piece of equipment designed for the life of its user. In addition to this, there are several pre-installed apps ready for immediate use.

With today's increasingly fast lifestyles, notifications are essential. The Montblanc Summit can send reminders about appointments and show messages or incoming phone calls. Notifications can be sent directly to the Montblanc Summit from the phone and a simple shake of the wrist, scrolls through them, so the watch does not need to be touched to access information, allowing each user to stay quickly and discreetly ahead of the crowd.

All included: Integrated heart-rate monitor + Runtastic
Montblanc Summit offers different fitness features, allowing each user to monitor their heart to help them keep track of their fitness goals. The mechanical protrusion at the back of the watch enables proper fit at all times, making the integrated heart-rate monitor one of the most accurate for wearable devices. The specially-conceived Montblanc sport watch face also shows daily fitness progress in the shape of a summit.

A unique collaboration with Runtastic, the leading activity tracking app with 100 million users, is also included in the form of a free three-month Premium account pre-loaded onto each Montblanc Summit watch.

Music: Freedom to move
The Google play Music app allows the synchronization of music into the Montblanc Summit's internal memory. With this feature, music plays directly into the Bluetooth headphones during exercise, without the need to take a phone along for a run.

The power of the Google Assistant
The Montblanc Summit has Google Assistant built-in. With the watch's microphone, users can ask their Google Assistant to search for all kinds of information, directions or translations, and to help perform tasks like setting reminders or dictating emails. When there isn't time to start typing a reply on a phone, the Montblanc Summit offers quick and smart replies using the keyboard, swiping, handwriting or even voice messages.

Getting around: Uber and Foursquare
The art of travelling has been redefined with the Montblanc Summit thanks to several hands-free functions. Airplane boarding pass barcodes can be scanned directly from the screen; exploring a new town couldn't be simpler with hands-free, turn-by-turn navigation; a collaboration with Uber offers quick access to cars; and a preloaded Foursquare City Guide app offers a unique search function for discovering the best restaurants and experiences in any city, immediately locating the user's position.

Voice-activated translator
Another highly practical tool when travelling is the voice-activated translator, which can tell its user things like how to order coffee in Italian or how to buy train tickets in Japan. The Montblanc Summit gives direct translations from a multitude of languages directly to the watch's display, making travelling in foreign countries simpler than ever.

Creating a personal style
The Montblanc Summit's 46mm case comes in a choice of four different materials & styles —black PVD coated stainless steel, a bi-color stainless steel case with a black PVD coated stainless steel bezel, stainless steel case with satin finish, and a grade 5 titanium case also with satin finish. Each timepiece is fitted with a pusher in the design of the iconic crown from the 1858 collection.

The digital representation of the award-winning 1858 collection feature classic watch faces with complications like an Automatic with date, Small Second or Chronograph. The Small Second and Chronograph can be combined with digital complications providing useful information to the user, such as a worldtime, next meeting or fitness goals. 

For those who prefer a sportier look, there is also a TimeWalker Urban Speed watch face with an Automatic date or Chronograph complication. Taken from the mechanical watch of the same name, this modern dial comes in a number of color options that can be configured directly by the user on the watch, offering each user the possibility to define their own distinctive style. A new watch face will also be unveiled regularly (available to download on the store), for those who like to switch and change dials.

The ultimate personalization
For those who like the idea of having their very own bespoke dial, everything is possible with the Montblanc Summit. Starting from 15,000 EUR, clients have the possibility of designing their very own personalized dial, working hand-in-hand with the Montblanc Creative Director, designers and engineers to create their very own unique watch face, available exclusively to them.

Straps and style
There is a choice of eight different straps offering an extensive choice of styles for every taste and occasion.  A sporty, water-resistant and excellent grip Rubber NATO strap is available in black, blue, green or red; a black calfskin leather strap provides a classic look; a brown or navy blue Sfumato calfskin leather strap from the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, Italy brings a sophisticated, yet vintage style and there is also the option for an exclusive alligator strap.  Straps can be easily exchanged via the quick-release spring bars for a multitude of looks and moods. An online configurator will be available for finding the perfect case/strap combination for every occasion.

In total Montblanc Summit offers more than 300 different Montblanc wearable combinations enabling the users to personalize their watch per their needs and style, giving every timepiece a personal touch.

A new interpretation of time – always on
Digital technology allows for a new and richer timing experience. The additional urban watch face gives all the info at a glance, including notification content for emails or messages, meetings or the weather, not to mention a Montblanc designed alarm clock and a stopwatch (to 1/100th of a second). The three complications can also be customized to feature a modern and sophisticated digital look. The unique Montblanc fitness face visualizes heart-rate measurement and four daily goals (steps, calories burnt, distance, active time) with a progress bar visualized in the shape of a mountain's summit, to inspire the user to take on new challenges and bring out the best of his or her performance. The sophisticated Worldtimer micro-app with day & night visualization shows the time in any one of the world's 24 time zones. This micro-app provides the data for the Worldtimer complication that can be enabled within the available watch faces. The always-on display allows the watch faces to be visible at all times, enabling the user to see all relevant info without the screen ever turning black while delivering a full day of battery life.

Be ahead
The Montblanc Summit is an empowering digital timepiece that better prepares users to follow their mission and enables them to advance better than ever. The luxurious nature of Summit isn't just felt on the wrist, but in every aspect of life. The Maison's first smartwatch is the ideal travel companion for users to undertake their journey quicker and smarter, so they can focus on what really matters, being ahead.

Montblanc Summit will be available from May 2017 with a starting RSP of $890.00. MR PORTER, the online retail destination for men's style, will be the exclusive global launch partner for two weeks before being widely available on the Montblanc website and through all Montblanc retail channels. For more information visit www.montblanc.com

About Montblanc

Guided by the pioneering spirit since 1906, Montblanc revolutionized the culture of writing with breakthrough innovations. Today, the Maison continues to push boundaries and evolve the expression of fine craftsmanship across each of its product categories: the pinnacle of luxury writing instruments, timepieces, leather goods, accessories, fragrances and eyewear.  With every innovation, Montblanc offers new functionalities and groundbreaking designs imbued with the Maison's heritage of sophistication and crafted to the highest standards through the skills of its artisans in each of its manufactures whether Hamburg, Germany for its writing instruments, the Swiss Jura in Le Locle and Villeret for its timepieces or Florence, Italy for its leather goods.  Reflecting its ongoing mission to create fine lifetime companions born from the most pioneering ideas, the iconic Montblanc Emblem has become the ultimate seal of performance, innovation, quality and expression of style. With its origins deeply rooted in the culture of handwriting, Montblanc continues to assert its cultural commitment around the world with the creation of wide-ranging initiatives to promote arts and culture in many forms, while honouring the modern day patrons who support the advancement of the arts.

Information for Press

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Android, Android Wear, Google Play Store and the Google Play Store logo are a trademark of Google Inc.

Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Snapdragon Wear is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

TECHNICAL GLOSSARY

OPERATING SYSTEM: Google's all-new Android Wear™ 2.0 and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Wear 2100 processor.

DESIGN:  Inspired by Montblanc's award-winning 1858 collection, the Montblanc Summit bridges the gap between analogue and digital in the most pioneering way.

CURVED CRYSTAL: A world first in smartwatches, a curved sapphire crystal adds even more classic beauty to this new digital watch.

DISPLAY:  The high-contrast and 1.39" large AMOLED display delivers vivid and brilliant colours, the finest visual experience, and is always on.

HEART-RATE MONITOR: This unique feature, that cannot be found on a smartphone, tracks your fitness with the highest possible accuracy.

FITNESS AT A GLANCE: Clear visualization of heart-rate measurement and four daily goals (steps, calories burnt, distance and active time) are shown in a progress bar shaped like a mountain's summit.

PERSONALIZATION: Four different watch cases, eight easily-changeable straps, and a host of different watch faces come together to create over 300 unique looks.

TAILORED APPS:  Access to thousands of different apps on the Google Play Store.

WORLDTIMER: A unique Montblanc worldtime complication allows the user to quickly and easily set and view different time zones.

PERFORMANCE: One of the best chipsets and displays on the market with ultra-fast performance.

PRE-INSTALLED APPS: A number of preloaded apps such as Runtastic, Uber and Foursquare help each user get moving from the moment they turn on their smartwatch.

GOOGLE ASSISTANT: With the watch's microphone, users can ask their Google Assistant to search for all kinds of information.

MUSIC: The Google music player stores songs in an internal memory, playing music directly into the Bluetooth headphones during exercise, without the need to take a phone along for a run.

PRICE: Utmost performance and classic watch design come together at a very competitive price.

TECHNICAL FACTSHEET

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SOURCE Montblanc

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