Villeret’s watchmaking tradition began in 1858 when brothers Charles and Hyppolite Robert founded the company "H. & C. Robert", later becoming just "C. Robert" when only Charles remained, then changing again to "Robert Frères Villeret" in 1878 when his sons Charles and Georges, and later also Yvan Robert (1840-1912), took over the leadership of the company. Introduced in 1923 in Minerva-branded chronographs, the first 12 3/4- line chronograph calibre from Minerva was number 20, so it became known as Calibre 13-20. In 2000 the Frey family sold the company to new partners lead by Italian financier Emilio Gnutti. Together with infrastructure and machinery investments, the new organization hired new employees reinforcing a team lead by the new director, Beppe Menaldo, and a talented and respected master watchmaker, Demetrio Cabiddu which today is still the Technical Director of the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret.
MINERVA VILLERET 1858 PRE-MONTBLANC ERA
MINERVA46SSWHT
Stainless steel 46 mm case, 13.5 mm thickness.
High-grade manufacture movement. Balance screws, Breguet hairspring, gold chatons, highly polished chamfrein finished bridges. Micrometric screw with swan neck.
Mechanical hand winding.
White enamel painted dial, blued hands.
Stainless steel crown, enamel insert of the Minerva logo
Very thick sapphire glass cut in a block of sapphire, rare and very honorable process.
Unique domed bezel, case and case back.
Hinged half hunting case back, unique opening mechanism by pressing the hooded endpiece at 6 o'clock.
Original Minerva presentation watch/jewelry box.
Original Minerva crocodile leather strap.
Stainless steel tang buckle.
New watch, past model, box and paper, no warranty.