Switzerland has birthed a new watch brand. Montfort Watches Co. has high ambitions to disrupt the current status quo by uniting a never-before-seen combination of value propositions:
- Scratch resistant “Super Stainless Steel”
- 3D printed stainless steel dials
- Swiss made
- Unbeatable value
Philippe Kuratle, co-founder of Montfort is happily married and father of three young children. His passions are entrepreneurship, winter sports, and horology. Unable to find a modern, cool “all-arounder” watch he could wear at all times without the fear of scratching it, he decided to build one himself.
1. Scratch Resistance: “Super Stainless Steel” – Nitrocarburising
Thomas Kuratle, CEO of AIM SA and Philippe’s brother, brings years of experience in hardening watch parts. His company co-developed, alongside the Danish company Expanite A/S, the nitrocarburising technology that Montfort uses. This technology not only hardens stainless steel to a surface hardness of 1200HV (Diamond has an HV of 10,000, for example, while normal stainless steel varies between 140 – 200HV) but also preserves the anti-corrosive properties of stainless steel – something that isn’t always the case with other hardening processes.
2. 3D printed stainless steel dials: Creative freedom
Jeremie Senggen, co-founder and designer at Montfort, wanted to integrate his and Philippe’s common passion for mountains in his watch design. Inspired by the Swiss Alps mountain range, Jeremie designed a striking dial called “les massifs,” which closely resembles the mineral, crystalline structure of rocks, not dissimilar to the mineral structure observed after hardening of stainless steel. In order to produce the complicated “les massifs” and Montfort’s reinterpretation of a watch industry classic — the Clous de Paris dials with apertures — Montfort had to turn to 3D printing, the only technique that allowed them this creative freedom. AIM SA, Montfort’s technological partner, worked with a Swedish company, Digital Metal, to develop this unique and game-changing dial.
3 Swiss made: Undeniable quality
Over three centuries, the Swiss watch industry has built a reputation for precision, quality and exclusivity. Montfort’s Swiss founders were adamant about their watch being Swiss made; the lure of dropping the “Swiss made” label for lower production costs was never an option.
4. Unbeatable value
The product brief for Montfort was to develop a timeless, automatic Swiss made watch integrating innovative technologies and impeccable quality for an unbeatable price. In order to do this, Montfort spent a long time developing its supply chain, business model and distribution strategy. Among other strategies (yet to be revealed) Montfort will distribute directly through its website and partners allowing it to offer products at a fraction of the price of comparable competing brands.
Montfort pays homage to the Mont-Fort mountain that rise above the popular ski resort Verbier in the Wallis canton of Switzerland, a mountain Philippe and his brother have been skiing since they were kids. Mont-Fort literally means “Strong Mountain.” The rocky, strong connotation of this mountain was the perfect namesake for a brand built around timeless, robust timepieces with a penchant for mineral, crystalline structures.
The three models from the Strata line to be presented are:
STRATA Ref. 3330-1 “James”
- 44-mm, four-piece case in hardened “Super Stainless Steel”
- Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement in black galvanic coating, blued screws, Côtes de Genève finishing on oscillating mass and 26 rubies. 38 hours power reserve.
- Sapphire crystal (top and bottom) with blue anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance 100 meters/330 feet (10 ATM)
- 3D dial Clous de Paris apertured in stainless steel
- Black, semi-matte Italian leather strap with black stitching and red “Lorica” lining – 22/20 mm
- Kickstarter Price: $699* (-50%)
- MSRP : $1,399*
STRATA Ref. 3330-2 “Frank”
- 44-mm, 4-piece case in hardened “Super Stainless Steel”, intermediary bezel with “deep black” DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating.
- Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement in black galvanic coating, blued screws, Côtes de Genève finishing on oscillating mass and 26 rubies. 38 hours power reserve.
- Sapphire crystal (top and bottom) with blue anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance 100 meters/330 feet (10 ATM)
- 3D dial “les massifs” apertured in stainless steel
- Black, semi-matte Italian leather strap with red stitching and red “Lorica” lining – 22/20 mm
STRATA Ref. 3330-3 “BRUCE”
- 44-mm, four-piece case in hardened “Super Stainless Steel,” intermediary bezel with “deep black” DLC. Case body, top bezel and back in “dark grey” DLC.
- Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement in black galvanic coating, blued screws, Côtes de Genève finishing on oscillating mass and 26 rubies. 38 hours power reserve.
- Sapphire crystal (top and bottom) with blue anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance 100 meters/330 feet (10 ATM)
- 3D dial “les massifs” apertured in stainless steel
- Black, semi-matte Italian leather strap with red stitching and red “Lorica” lining – 22/20 mm
