While I cannot say I paid super-close attention to every release that came out of BaselWorld, there were a few that followed very, very closely. One was, of course, the Tudor Black Bay GMT announcement, which I know has been a little divisive for some. One of the others was also a GMT release, from a brand I just recently got acquainted with – Monta. Of course, it helps that when I heard of the Monta Skyquest, I immediately had the Skyfall theme running in my head (apologies for the ear worm).
Now, in many ways, the Monta Skyquest is similar to the Monta Triumph that we just reviewed and that is a good thing. A very good thing, indeed. Of course, the big change here is the inclusion of a GMT complication, which comes courtesy of the Selitta SW330 movement. While I’m not partially familiar with that one, we did have the 300 showing up in the Triumph, so one (or at least me) would assume it to be of a similar build and reliability.
The GMT hand (and it’s movement) are only part of the new, noticeable difference. The Monta Skyquest also has that clicky 24-hour bezel on it, either with a steel or a ceramic insert. Now, the bezel itself has 72-clicks, and is bi-directional. 72 clicks means 20 minute increments for adjustment, which seems a touch off for a GMT. I would expect 15 minute (96 click) or 30 minute (48 click). This is because most time zones are on the hour, but a few are off by 30 minutes. At 20 minutes (and perhaps I’m overlooking something) this seems like a slight miss.
For my purposes, though, single hours are a-ok by me, given the time zones I most commonly care about. Toss in that lovely blue dial (or black or gilt, if that’s your thing) and yessir, I’m sold. I will freely admit that I’m transferring the goodwill garnered from my Triumph review to this watch, and I am ok with that. Of course, that is an emotional judgement, so we will wait until we have a chance to go hands-on with a Monta Skyquest (later this year, hopefully) to give you our full take on it.
Pre-orders for the Monta Skyquest are currently open, with delivery anticipated for August 2018. While the MSRP for the watch is set at $1,925, if you get in on the pre-order you’ll get a discounted price of $1,730. No small amount of money, either way, for a watch you’re ordering sight-unseen. Given the young brand’s solid track record, though, it seems like you’ll be alright. And of course, once we’ve had a chance to go hands-on, we’ll be back with the full review. montawatch.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Monta Skyquest
- Price: $1,925 (MSRP)
- Who we think it might be for: You’re a fan of the Monta design language, but really would prefer a GMT-equipped model
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Indeed, indeed.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: The number of clicks on the bezel is bugging me…
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: GMT, of course!
- Movement
- Sellita SW330 – Self-winding, 24 Hour GMT Hand, Chronometer tuned Swiss Manufactured movement
- Power Reserve 38 Hours
- Dial: Matte Black (GILT) or Black Lacquer or MONTA Dark Blue all with multi-dimensional Rehaut with applied indices.
- Depth Rating: Designed and tested to 304 meters (1000 feet) water resistance
- Hands: Swiss-made, Rhodium plated, unique Sword style hands. Swiss LumiNova BG W9 color for the luminescent material.
- Crystal: Parallel flat sapphire with a unique 7 layer anti-reflective coating applied on the inside of the crystal
- Case:
- 40.7mm wide 316L Stainless Steel
- Crown Guards to prevent damage to the crown
- Bi-directional 72 click bezel.
- Swiss-made luminescent Ceramic Bezel.
- Strap/Bracelet:
- The Skyquest strap/bracelet options include: 2 Vulcanized FKM Rubber straps, or a metal bracelet that incorporates a custom deployant clasp with 4 micro-sizing holes.
- Fabric Strap: A NATO/RAF style strap is included with your Skyquest in a dial complimenting color.
