For several years, Juan Pablo Montoya, seven-time Formula 1 winner and triple endurance racing champion in the USA, has collaborated with Artisans de Genève to transform the iconic chronograph that has marked the key moments of his career. This project was born from a simple desire: to make this timepiece a reflection of his career, his roots, and his mechanical sensibility.
The result of this collaboration is The Montoya, a series of bespoke reinterpretations of his favorite chronograph. Every detail is the result of a close dialogue between the driver and the workshop. Over the years, this unique configuration of materials, finishes, and architecture has become a benchmark within the atelier.
Following steel, platinum, and yellow gold, rose gold now extends their shared vision. This new chapter reflects a continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of artisanal watchmaking, while remaining true to the stylistic codes defined from the very first transformation.
A Bond Forged Through Time
With this new customization, Juan Pablo Montoya continues a journey that was initiated several years ago: reimagining his timepiece in the materials that matter the most to him. This rose gold version stays true to the aesthetic foundations established in the original model.
Several elements have become inseparable from The Montoya: an openworked, skeletonized dial in the colors of Colombia, a fully skeletonized movement, and a forged carbon tachymeter bezel. For this new iteration, Montoya sought to add a touch of refined gleam. The workshop has therefore reworked the bezel, which is slimmer and now ringed with rose gold. This refined contrast between forged carbon and precious metal enhances the original aesthetic while introducing a new visual tension.
A Personal Dial, Between Homage and Technicality
From the very first transformation, the skeletonized dial stood out as a defining feature of The Montoya. It evokes both precision mechanics and the sensation of speed in motion. The three counters, hand-painted in the colors of the Colombian flag, pay homage to the driver’s heritage.
Every detail reflects the rigor of traditional craftsmanship: cutting, beveling, polishing. Specially redesigned for this edition, the subdial hands are individually polished by hand. The chronograph hand, sandblasted to eliminate reflections, illustrates the ambition of the piece to combine legibility, elegance, and artisanal excellence.
The Movement: A Radical Architectural Transformation
Ever since the initial customization, the skeletonized movement has been a signature of The Montoya project. Based on the 4130 caliber, Artisans de Genève’s watchmakers devoted more than two years of research and development to achieve a complete, openworked transformation, down to the smallest detail, without compromising on reliability.
Each component is reworked by hand: disassembled, beveled, sandblasted, and polished according to the exact codes of haute watchmaking. The anthracite NAC coating, applied by electroplating, gives the movement a matte depth and enhances the legibility of its architecture.
One of the most distinctive features is the oscillating weight, entirely redesigned. Crafted from 21-carat gold, it features a skeletonized triangular shape with a double satin-brushed and polished finish. Visible through the individually engraved sapphire caseback, it demonstrates a level of transformation rarely applied to this component, combining aesthetics, extreme lightness, and technical mastery.
A Watch as a Personal Extension
Juan Pablo Montoya holds a special connection with this chronograph, which is associated with several key moments in his career. This rose gold iteration continues the journey undertaken with Artisans de Genève: a series of customizations reflecting his identity.
Since their first collaboration, a relationship of trust has been forged between the driver and the workshop. Each version is the result of direct exchanges, where every detail reflects a shared vision.
“The more you look at it, the more you like it,” confides the driver. A phrase that sums up the object, the approach, and the artisanal craftsmanship that brings it to life.
