Montblanc’s Managing Director for the Watch Division Laurent Lecamp and Montblanc Mark Maker and mountaineer Simon Messner take on the Antarctic Ice Marathon, the planet’s southernmost race, braving bone-chilling temperatures of -30oC for 42.195km (26.2 miles)
12th January 2023 – The 18th Antarctic Ice Marathon took place on 13th December 2023 at 80 degrees south, just a few hundred miles from the South Pole at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains. Fifty-two men and 14 women lined up at the start line for what is one of the most challenging, remote, and inhospitable running races on the planet.
Among the competitors were Montblanc’s Managing Director for the Watch Division Laurent Lecamp and Montblanc Mark Maker Simon Messner. Laurent is a seasoned trail and marathon runner, but this was the first time Simon had attempted this legendary distance. Simon did have an advantage, however, in that his love for mountaineering made him no stranger to the extreme weather conditions and barren terrain the duo were to encounter. Running together, with Laurent setting the pace, they crossed the finish line, hand-in-hand, in 4 hours and 29 seconds, taking 7th place – a double accomplishment.
In addition to this athletic endeavor, they were also testing one of the latest timepieces launched by Montblanc – the 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Limited Edition. This was a fitting timepiece for Simon to wear as it was created in celebration of his father, Reinhold Messner, who was the first person to scale all 14 of the world’s highest peaks and the first to cross the South Pole on foot – a voyage that he undertook in 1990, covering 2,800 km in 96 days.
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Limited Edition
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Limited Edition is part of Montblanc’s Zero Oxygen series that was designed to withstand extreme conditions and prevent fogging and oxidization. The timepiece features Montblanc’s glacier dial which, in this edition, comes in a turquoise color. This blue tone is reminiscent of the color of the icebergs and glacial ice found at the South Pole. From a technical standpoint, the dial takes four times longer to make than a standard dial, but results in enhanced depth and luminosity.
This 1990-piece limited edition timepiece is housed in an ultralight 42 mm titanium case and comes with an interchangeable tapered bracelet and a grey textile strap. It is powered by the Maison’s Manufacture Calibre MB 29.25 that features a worldtime complication and a 42-hour power reserve. The dial displays both the Northern and Southern hemispheres with two three-dimensional globes that rotate anti-clockwise. A special 3D engraving of the Aurora Australis adorns the caseback, completing the timepiece that has captivated both explorers and watch enthusiasts alike.
