Actor Armie Hammer spotted wearing a Montblanc

At the 90th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018, Armie Hammer arrived with wife Elizabeth Chambers and drew immediate attention for his burgundy velvet tuxedo. On his wrist, partly visible beneath his cuff, sat a Montblanc Heritage Spirit Pulsograph in rose gold — a model that quietly signals serious horological literacy without demanding the spotlight.

The Heritage Spirit Pulsograph is among the more intellectually interesting offerings in Montblanc's catalogue. Its defining feature is the pulsograph scale — graduated for 30 pulsations — printed on the outermost chapter ring of the dial. Dating to early 20th-century medical chronographs, this complication allowed physicians to time 30 heartbeats and read the patient's pulse rate directly from the scale. Montblanc executed the revival with restraint: a silvered opaline dial, blued hands on the subsidiary counters, Roman numerals, and rose-gold applied indices. The result is a dress chronograph that earns its retro aesthetic.

Beneath the case beats the Calibre MB M13.21, a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movement developed in-house at Montblanc's Le Locle manufacture. With a 46-hour power reserve and a frequency of 28,800 vph, it is a technically credible movement that belies the brand's pen-company heritage. The 42mm rose-gold case rides on a black alligator strap — entirely appropriate for a gala context.

Collector reception for the Heritage Spirit line has been measured but respectful. Montblanc occupies an unusual market position — often overlooked by hardcore watch collectors fixated on the Genevan grands maisons, yet consistently delivering movements and finishing that punch above their price point. The Pulsograph variant, with its medically-derived complication, attracts a niche audience that appreciates horological function with historical context.

For Armie Hammer, the choice reads as deliberate. Rather than defaulting to a Rolex or Patek Philippe — the expected Oscars currency — he selected a conversation piece that rewards knowledge without alienating a casual observer. The rose-gold case coordinates with formal eveningwear while the pulsograph scale gives a watchlover something to discuss. Market pricing for this reference sits comfortably in the entry-luxury tier, making it accessible without feeling ordinary.