The result is a mechanical timepiece enhanced with digital functionalities. Made of high performance Montblanc Extreme leather, the NATO-type strap seamlessly integrates the technology that connects to selected Android phones as well as iPhones 4s and subsequent models. The e-Strap comes with a 128 x 36 OLED display, intuitive touch controls and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery providing it with five days lifetime. The e-Strap integrates an activity tracker, a Find Me function for smartphone and watch, notifications for incoming communications, and remote controls for the phone’s camera and music player.

A Timepiece for Travelers

With its dynamic design characterized by high-tech materials, skeletonized horns and a thin bezel, the TimeWalker collection effortlessly blends modernity and tradition. The contemporary aesthetics of the TimeWalker Urban Speed UTC e-Strap with a micro-blasted stainless steel case of 42mm is reinforced by a black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) bezel that offers a superior resistance to abrasion. The dark virile colour is also found on the dial, which features an embossed area surrounded by an extremely thin circular line that also serves to reveal different shades of black. Amid this succession of dark tones, both the direct-drive second hand, the tip of the hour hand in the second time-zone display, the gasket, and the 5-minute SuperLuminova dots stand out in bright red to emphasize the sporty appearance of the timepiece. Every design detail reflects the needs of urban users, particularly busy executives travelling overseas.

This efficient and particularly readable timepiece is powered by the mechanical self-winding calibre MB 24.05. It has a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and its high-quality finishes can be observed through the watch's transparent case back. Once it has been wound and correctly set, it displays local time in the centre of the dial through a set of anthracite-grey hands with luminescent coating. The time in a second time zone is indicated by a open-worked additional hand. This UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) function – the term currently used to refer to the traditional GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) indication – features a jumping hour change that can be adjusted by means of its winding crown displaying the Montblanc emblem. This complication is designed for international travelers who need to be informed simultaneously and constantly of both the time in the country they are visiting and that of their home country. In order to avoid any errors in reading the time, the flange on which the 24 hours of the second time zone are displayed is divided into two easily distinguishable halves. The light grey portion indicates day time, while night time is indicated in black. The indication of the date in a window at 3 o'clock completes the functions of this highly practical timepiece.

The Montblanc e-Strap: More Than a Mere Watch Strap

Montblanc Extreme Leather, developed by the Montblanc Pelletteria, the Maison’s leather manufacture in Florence, is perfectly suited to the e-Strap and the automatic watches in the TimeWalker collection. Subjected to a special “total permeation” treatment, this fully biocompatible leather with a woven carbon-fibre-style surface is practically indestructible. This innovative and dynamic high-performance material is available in widths of 20 mm and 22 mm and is resistant to abrasion, water, and even high temperatures (to the extent that it can be considered fire-resistant). Elegant, sporty and consequently designed for intensive use, this material is thus ideally suited to the lifestyles of globe-trotters. The most distinctive particularity of this supple and practically imperishable strap, however, is that it adapts to the installation of the Montblanc e-Strap. Housed in a profiled stainless steel case curved to fit the contour of the wrist with an added layer of moulded rubber to make it shock, dust and water resistant, the strap is easily adjustable thanks to the lanyards provided for this purpose.

The Many Functionalities of the e-Strap

The e-Strap offers the following functions:
• An activity tracker counting the number of steps walked per day, indicating the calories burnt and the distance covered, aligning with the owner's personal objectives. In addition to evaluating the progress made it can also be used to encourage the user to remain active during the day through alerts on the e-Strap.

• A haptic feedback of the e-Strap alerts the user of incoming notifications from various apps. The e-Strap displays e-mails, which can be previewed on the e-Strap. The e-Strap also shows text messages, incoming calls and status updates & messages from social networks, as well as reminders about upcoming calendar events and meetings.

• Remote controls enable a user to remotely take pictures by releasing the shutter, to find a misplaced smartphone by making it play a melody, as well as a music control function for playing, pausing & skipping music.

While the worlds of mechanical watchmaking and the most advanced digital technology are often seen as polar opposites, Montblanc unites them to create a new generation of timepieces, designed for technology aficionados who refuse to compromise on the incomparable experience of traditional watchmaking.