While there are many practical benefits to wearing a smartwatch, for many collectors and enthusiasts, most of the options on the market don’t meet the same criteria as a “real” watch. Links to tradition and finely finished cases are absent from most modern smartwatches. Despite being owned by many collectors, most are considered electronic devices or training equipment rather than serious timepieces. Montblanc is one brand that recognizes this, and since 2017 has offered its Summit series of smartwatches that combine premium external cases with advanced digital connectivity. The brand’s latest release is its third series of premium smartwatches. The new Montblanc Summit 3 runs on Google’s Wear OS 3.0 and focuses on personalization with a connection to Montblanc’s watchmaking tradition.
The Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch case has the same 42mm diameter as the previous generation, but is now made of titanium instead of stainless steel, and the overall aesthetic is in line with the brand’s current lineup of mechanical chronograph watches. The crown at 3 o’clock has a fluted design like the previous series, but is longer for a better grip. Additionally, the two pushers on either side of the crown have more traditional pump-style tips rather than simple round buttons like the previous model. The Summit 3 lineup is available in three case finish options: Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, and Titanium Bicolor. The Titanium Bicolor option includes a plain titanium case with a black bezel, caseback, and pushers. In all three variants, a sapphire crystal sits above the digital display, and a screw-down caseback that houses the essential smartwatch sensors and charger connection points makes the Montblanc Summit 3 water resistant to 50 meters.
Because the Summit 3 is a smartwatch, there isn’t really a “watch face” in the traditional sense, just a large 1.3-inch circular AMOLED digital screen that takes up the entire face of the watch. The display is user-configurable, allowing you to easily switch to other designs and layouts for a personalized look or to better suit certain activities throughout the day. In addition to the contemporary dial options that offer a more digital-oriented aesthetic with useful information like notifications and health tracking metrics, Montblanc also offers options that are inspired by the brand’s watchmaking heritage and offer the same look as the dials found on some models in the Geosphere, Bohème and 1858 collections. Since the external case mostly follows the overall design of a traditional chronograph watch, the various dials based on the brand’s classic mechanical models work very well, offering a much more organic look than those usually associated with smartwatches that mimic the displays of analog models.
The idea of personalization and adaptability also extends to the included straps, with all new Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatches coming with both calf leather straps for formal occasions, and rubber straps for sports and active use. The Titanium Grey model comes with a black calf and blue rubber strap, the Titanium Black version comes with a black leather and rubber strap, and the Titanium Bicolor Edition comes with a Montblanc Extreme 3.0 British Green calf leather strap, with the additional option of black rubber. And because the Summit 3 uses standard-style lugs, other straps compatible with existing Montblanc Summit Series and traditional watch collections are also compatible with the new Summit 3 smartwatch series.
Again, since we’re talking smartwatches, the Montblanc Summit 3 doesn’t have a traditional movement, but is instead powered by a complex electronic device that can do everything from receiving emails to tracking sleep and health metrics. Powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chipset and running Google’s Wear OS 3.0, the Montblanc Summit 3 offers all the major smartwatch features, including GPS, a heart rate monitor, contactless payments with Google Pay, a pedometer, full smartphone integration, Bluetooth connectivity, 8GB of onboard storage, and a full suite of health and fitness tracking features. Additionally, the new Summit 3 offers improved battery life compared to the previous generation, and in addition to updates to the operating system itself, Montblanc also offers battery replacements as part of its service to maximize the watch’s overall lifecycle.
Luxury smartwatches are often compared only to other smartwatches, and are easily dismissed as overpriced versions of products available from other manufacturers for significantly less. But the exact same thing can be said about luxury watches as a whole. If you really want to follow that logic, everyone should wear a $20 plastic watch (or just look at your phone to check the time). Luxury watches are about enjoying the experience of owning and wearing a premium product, and it’s important to view luxury smartwatches in the context of each brand’s other products. With an official retail price of $1,290, the Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch is significantly cheaper than the most affordable of its mechanical watch brethren, yet it has features that rival those of a smartphone. What’s more, Montblanc isn’t just a watchmaker: it’s a luxury lifestyle brand that makes everything from pens and leather goods to perfumes and headphones. Many of Montblanc’s fans aren’t necessarily mechanical watch purists or traditional collectors. A smartwatch like the Summit 3 gives you the opportunity to own a watch from your favorite luxury brand without sacrificing any of the features you need for modern life. For more information, visit the brand’s website.
