Felix Scholz
Confession time. When it comes to Montblanc, we're so easily dazzled by its?top-tier timepieces perpetual calendars, world timers, tourbillons that's it's easy to overlook its very fine, everyday watches. Nowhere is this more true?than with?the 4810, the 10-year-old collection that’s the somewhat unsung hero of the brand’s watch business.Well, this year Montblanc is?celebrating the 4810 family, and there's something for everyone. At the big-money end of town there's the ExoTourbillon Slim. The updated Orbis Terrarum also now?sits in?this area?of the spectrum, as well as a particularly handsome chronograph. But those are stories for other times. Today we're all about one of the best examples of a?dressy daily?wearer we've seen in a while the 4810 Day-Date.The first thing that caught my eye when I buckled the watch on was the dial how could it not! Described?as exploding star guilloche', the shimmering, rippling waves emanating from the Montblanc star at six is a beautiful?dial treatment and a wonderfully subtle piece of branding. The red-gold plated hands and detailed indices add a warm glow to the dial. The outer minute track is a sensible enough design choice, though had the printed Arabic numerals been left off, I doubt they’d be greatly missed. The other major player on the dial is the Day-Date complication itself. Naysayers might comment?that if you need to look at your watch to know?what day it is you've got bigger problems but, having worn a few day-dates in my time, I find them handy on a regular basis. But maybe that says more about me than the watch. The steel case has few surprises – it’s well made and well sized at?40.5mm wide and 10.14mm high, with softly curved sides and a nice inlaid Montblanc logo in the crown.If you’re in the market for a good watch to wear to work or for formal-ish occasions, the 4810 Day-Date ought to?be on your list. Not just because it’s well proportioned and well priced, but because it will make you happy whenever you look at it. I suspect I’d regularly be running a few minutes late to every meeting, simply from getting?caught up staring at that?guilloche dial.While some of Montblanc’s other 2016 releases are without doubt the year’s rockstar releases, the 4810 Day-Date is an ever-reliable, solid performer. No everyone needs, or wants, their watch to be a highly complicated statement. Some people just want a great watch at a good price. And in that, the Day-Date definitely delivers.The Montblanc 4810 Day-Date Australian PricingThe Montblanc 4810 Day-Date, $4650 on steel bracelet, $4310 on alligator.
19.07.16