MichaelC
[AP Moderator]
18826
An update on my broken MB 1858 tachymeter - I am beyond angry with this brand.
I just received an email from Montblanc about my broken timepiece. They have had my watch since March 21, and just today have determined that it needs a "Maintenance Service" in order to meet their accuracy standards. Nothing in terms of repairing my watch under the factory warranty has actually started.
The letter also notes that my timepiece was received with scratches to the bezel, case middle, crown, and case back. I took photos of the watch before sending it, it was absolutely pristine.
I am also informed the service interval is 12 weeks from today, the day I authorize a service of my watch.
Guys, I don't know where to begin. This is so absurd. Today's girl on the phone at the service center in Texas told me "They are just going to build an entire new movement for your watch and that takes time". When I explained that is likely not what they will do and she should probably not tell that to customers, she told me it was "just a guess". I was very careful not to direct my ire to her. She just happened to answer the phone and unfortunately has clearly not been adequately trained on what to say and what not to say.
For all the praise we heap on Jerome Lambert, he must have zero information on how his service department runs. Utterly embarrassing.
I will stop short of saying more things I really want to. But I can say without question I am selling this watch the moment it is returned, and I will NEVER purchase another Montblanc product again.
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An update on my broken MB 1858 tachymeter - I am beyond angry with this brand.
I just received an email from Montblanc about my broken timepiece. They have had my watch since March 21, and just today have determined that it needs a "Maintenance Service" in order to meet their accuracy standards. Nothing in terms of repairing my watc...
one word comes to mind: SCAM !
So, the Swiss watch industry is under attack from external factors like the economy, anti-corruption laws in China that has floated their profits for years, waning interest in luxury goods in some countries, coupled by internal factors such as hubris, con...
Maybe I missed it but...
Is there an associated charge for this 'Maintenance Service' or will they actually be carrying it out under warranty? I know you said they didn't explicitly mention the warranty but was just curious if the letter you received mentioned any service cost. I...
No charge for the maintenance. They want $71 to refinish the already perfect case.
I very clearly said "NO! DO NOT REFINISH MY CASE". But this is Montblanc we are talking about, they will probably ignore my request, ruin the factory finish, and then tell me to send payment before they return it. This would in no way surprise me.
No surprise...
Dealing with Richemont Service in Texas is a nightmare. And for that reason, I'd even be in fear of sending a simple Panerai there! Rolex service in Texas overpolishes every watch, if you have a fluted bezel on your Rolex it will completely lose definitio...
Playing Devil's advocate here
But they did say that they examine the case under magnification and that the scratches may not be visible to the naked eye. I'd certainly forego any sort of polish if the case looks pristine when viewed without a loupe.
that was my thought as well
I'll stand by my perhaps brash statement of "SCAM!" from my post above in regards to this too. Perhaps they're expecting people to fall for a repolishing cost, but only seeing scratches through a loupe!? who cares? If you can't see with a naked eye, then ...
I don't know, but my guess...
My guess is that they put on the letter that every watch came in with scratches to cover their own liability if the customer states they got a new scratch when they get the watch back. I don't have solid evidence, but I've seen watches in perfect conditio...
My watch was in perfect cosmetic condition when sent in.
They can say whatever they want about observing scratches under magnification, fine. But if my watch has 1 single scratch on it that I can see with my naked eyes, then they did it. This is beyond question, regardless of who believes me. For all I know, so...
This is exactly what they did...
sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com You can't trust anyone these days. Come to think of it, my bank has recently cheated me three times. I should go in and complain. The problem is that there simply isn't much anyone can do, as virtually all banks have terr...
La Jolla...
Patrick...if you need Panerai service for that ETA movement..I would try La Jolla Boutique and inhouse watchmaker...hope all is well my friend...
As posted about, I did insist they DO NOT refinish my watch.
But who knows, they might do it anyways. It is abundantly clear this brand has no service protocols in place, let alone a trained staff to follow them.
Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best... The new approach to life, even with luxury goods companies!
And I thought we buy luxury goods to make ourselves happier... What's next? Going on vacation in order to be unhappy?
Sorry to hear about your experience....
I just received an MB WT as a gift, after reading about your experience I am worried as well. Are we as watch lovers just destined to be abused by watch companies when it comes to service and quality control with no recourse or ability to get some decent ...
There may be many who would disagree re: Porsche
Just google IMS and be prepared for a long afternoon of reading...
I wasn't aware about the IMS Story which affected Porsches from 1997 to 2008....
I'll have to read up on it. I had a Porsche Cayenne GTS, bought it in 2013 and recently sold it, I had a very good personal experience with Porsche, free oil refills, defective PCM replaced out of warranty and very friendly and cooperative after sales and...
Opportunity for Mr.Lambert. He could very quickly remedy this.
"Mr Cornella, please accept our apologies as a brand. We do value your business. I would like to send you a brand new replacement watch as a fast compensation for the horrible experience you have endured". Anything short of that is still crap at this poin...
That would be the appropriate response in this situation...
but I agree with you, it will never ever happen. Sad Really. A Dear Friend more like a Bro gave me my MB as a gift otherwise I can assure you I would have sold it by now. S
That is a form letter . . .
. . . with one or two specific comments regarding your watch. Very weak. Montblanc hasn't differentiated the buyer of a Minerva movement watch from the buyer of a quartz movement watch. Your service experience is adding to my feeling that MB is mismanagin...
Can you believe it M4? They told me they had their eyes on my watch.
And then they send me this generic letter. It is absurd. Sell yours while it is working, but another Nardin or AP.
Just one word: Ridiculous.
I'm really sorry for you and hope you get this solved properly in the end. Best, Volker
Such kind of letter maybe drafted by lawyers, I think, it's like "CYA", cover your a#$ kind of letter...
So sorry to hear your experiences with MB. I had the only 1 MB and during the 10 years, the Power Reserve spring broke twice when I was winding. From that point, I had doubts about the quality of parts used by MB and I never added a 2nd piece, although re...
It's a total CYA letter.
My guess is that they use a standard template that states all watches come in with scratches.
So sorry to hear this, Michael, but not at all surprised.
I have experienced what I consider very poor service from the Richemont service center in Texas with respect to servicing of three different Richemont brands. Such a shame. Best, CaliforniaJed
Sorry you are familiar with this same problem, CJ.
Again, I know it is understandable that a watch can break or malfunction. No problem. It happened with the crown on my beloved AP 15202. But they remedied it so efficiently,so professionally, so correctly. I can't wait for my next AP. One of 2 options to ...
That is so shameful and incredibly outragious
How did they determine the lack of accuracy if the watch stopped working and was sent in for repair under warranty? I fear they've just sent you a standard reply letter and your watch has never seen the desk of their "Master" watchmaker. I would do exactl...
I agree, and fear the same.
There is no specific attention to my watch. As much as I love this watch, and even if we make a huge jump and assume MB returns it and it actually works, why would I ever want to go through this experience again?
I am sorry to read about this.
In my opinion, this kind of service for such a brand is completely unacceptable. I hope there is some mistake, and/or they can fix it sooner. I also understand your feelings, and this is merely one of many such complaints I read about here (mine included ...
Sorry to read your post
Not a good sign for a brand who wants to establish themselves as a serious watch brand. Hope it will come to a good solution. Best Blomman
Make no mistake, Montblanc is not a serious brand for the high end.
Avoid them. You are a GP guy... this is a serious downgrade for you.
This reminds me of experiences I made with servicing IWC watches. It takes them....
....weeks to "diagnose" and what you then get is just a total standard letter. They do not even distinguish between battery driven watches and mechanical movement watches. Imagine! How poor can it get. I bet that they write for each and every watch that t...
the line of the day: "Buy one of our watches, but then get lost"
That pretty much sums up the after-sales experience with most Swiss/Germans watch manufacturers these days,with exceptions of course.
Exactly how I feel. Montblanc probably enjoys my frustration.
After all, they keep adding to it, so....
And they were already aware of my difficulties before sending the generic response.
Opportunity lost to get the train on the tracks.
Utter disgrace
I really feel for you, I know what it is like from my own past experience. This is not the way to treat a customer. If I were you, I would also sell the watch and stay away from this brand.
Yes, you encouraged me to be positive and expect good results.
Obviously, your faith in this brand is as misguided as mine. I thought / hoped they could do this.
I would be as upset as you are
I am not questioning your reaction and would have probably acted more violently than you (my Middle Eastern blood has a low boiling temperature...). This is not the kind of service I expect, in particular for a luxury product. As someone who has been in c...
I'm Italian, I can run very warm!
But I am also in my 40s, married, a father. This sort of thing can't ruffle me too much. It is just a thing. I accept a failure can happen as I have posted repeatedly. I do not accept Montblanc's horrible treatment of me.
I am an Italian (well almost, married to one for 15 years), in my 40's, married and a father
The brand was not on my wish list for other reasons, and based on your experience is staying out.
So sad for your experience: seems that a wonderful movement/name (Minerva, of course) is played by someone wrong...
same experience circa 25 years ago with Panerai: absurd... and my Left Hand pre-Vendome sold (with great pleasure) as soon as I got it back from the service: never regretted this choice. For sure, Minerva must have a dedicated service, no bla-bla-bla lett...
Unfortunately those are the average times
This industry sells magic and brands, so i'm not surprised at all of the inefficiency of their customer services. Until the day they will invest more money in watchmakers instead of fashion parties and marketing, nothing will change.
I could accept the timeframe with proper treatment, process, and communication.
That makes Montblanc 0/3 on my service parameters.
Really don't understand how MB does not have superior service from everything from Minerva
This is the worst publicity they can make to all Minerva owners... Am often thinking why these "marketeers" do not follow purists comments in order to make the industry more to the liking of their true customers
If I owned another Minerva / Montblanc product, I would sell it immediately.
Who in their right mind would ever want to endure this? What about the other 1858 owners, if their watches actually don't break like mine did, could they ever trust sending it in for a routine service? The answer is a resounding no.
Total shame on Montblanc
The letter you received is of a standard that suggests dealing with service of bulk merchandise, perhaps 100s each day, likely associated with service of typical Montblanc items such as pens, cufflinks, lower end watches, etc. This cannot even be a standa...
Minerva would not do anything. The watch is a "Montblanc".
Warranty is through them. I should have given the watch to my 10 year old son with my AP toolkit and said "hey, fix this for Dad". At least he would keep me posted!
Sorry to read this, Michael.
Unfortunately, I am not surprised. Maybe the legal eagles on this Forum can help you avoid suffering the costs of "depreciation" when you sell this watch. And I have to add-I am so glad I cancelled my order for the 1858 Tachy-Bronzo. The only company I ha...
As a wise friend of mine once said
"You can glue shards back together, but you will always see the cracks".
Definitely. Whereas with my repaired AP, I don't worry in the slightest. Can you imagine me ever trusting this watch again?
No way, I am dumping it the second it comes back (if I can find a buyer).
I can understand how you feel Michael. In France, it's really common to say, about a company, that is really fast to lose clients but very long to gain their confidence
Unfortunately with your sad story, you gave us a good example of this maxim. Best wishes Alkiro
To echo others, unacceptable
Given the prestige carried especially with a top of the line timepiece, I'd expect exemplary service. Hearing more stories like this makes me afraid to venture deeper in the future into these large brands... I personally had a little hiccup with a Richemo...
How can mr lambert be made known of this horrible events that's going on under his watch
Truly horrible for a luxury brand Cheers PAt
Jerome Lambert / Montblanc, whatever.
Is it possible JL did not know how horrible the service structure was under his leadership? No way. He cannot avoid this fact, regardless of his new title.
I can understand your frustration
But to point out; if you're done with Montblanc, you better write off all of the Richemont brands (IWC, Panerai, JLC, etc) and also Jerome Lambert is no longer CEO, he is now Head of Operations with Richemont. Edit: also, in the past it seemed like there ...
Who knows if they read here or not.
I will give them some free advice, if they do monitor this forum, they should lie, or make up information like their phonecall takers, and say they don't. Otherwise, they look even worse for missing an opportunity to get involved with this situation. They...
Don't but from non specialized brands
They operate under one umbrella but the service will be different between the brands. I never had any issues with servicing a JLC. Montblanc is on a way lower scale than the rest of the brands you mention. In general a good rule of thumb is not to buy wat...
Sorry to hear that.
I am very disappointed to see this result as well. It also changes my view of the brand negatively just like how I learned to like the brand in the beginning from this forum.
Smart words, mj23. Do not ever buy this brand.
It will turn into a big regret, as it has for me.
Very sorry to hear.
This is terrible after sales service. Any push to become a respected 'haute horology' manufacture will end if they alienate the early adopters. I sincerely hope they invest time and effort to implement long term solutions...
I give Montblanc some credit - they really fooled me into thinking they were a great brand, on the rise.
I am usually a savvy buyer of anything I am after, but Montblanc cheated me real good. Another difference here, I can readily admit I made a mistake. They never will (aside from agreeing the warranty booklet should have been properly packaged and I should...
Talk about inefficiency....
lack of communication, and compliance within the Montblanc organization.... Calling them a Cluster F%$+ is an understatement. The way they have handled your repair is beyond stupid from their part. Selling a high end product and experience without deliver...
Thanks Alex. Good news - only 12 more weeks - what more could possibly go wrong?? LOL.
I think I will make a post before it is returned. Whichever Purist most closely guesses all of the problems it is bound to have will win a nice prize
Time to sell
Once a brand does something like this it's better to wait it out and just take the loss and sell it. Word of mouth will hurt them more in the future than you fighting it out with then. I had the same scenario with breitling and the watch came back from se...
OMG!!! I m sorry to say Michael! I had a bad feeling about this when I saw how they returned your warranty with a crazy oversized box!!!!
It looks like they are very unprofessional. Not to mention the lady you spoke to, she sounded clueless of what they are going to do with your watch!! Let's hope they can at least do a decent job of fixing your watch eventually!! As for the case polish, le...
We all saw the writing on the wall after that transgression by MB. And we were correct.
BTW, congratulations to you on 500 posts here!
If you notice Michael
I'm also saying goodbye to this brand. Partly a reason why I don't want to be the moderator anymore for this brand on puristspro (I feel bad for KMII) Sorry to hear Michael - just get the watch back and sell it, then move far away from Montblanc, especial...
I hope your watch still works at least.
It says a lot that you are also jaded with Montblanc. I think of all the wonderful publicity and fine articles you did for them. A real shame how they pay back the favors.
Too bad
As this remains a yummy sight. Perhaps (and it's ridiculous that the thought itself is even necessary) an idea is to service this watch through an independent master watchmaker? Come to think of it....why don't we (PuristSPro) start a high end watch servi...
Don't you think a lot of brands have just given up on trying to make service competent and quick?
When it works, it works; when it doesn't, just hope the customer isn't a loud-mouth. I guess it's a matter of too many companies making too many watches to make too much money and with not nearly enough watch-makers to service the watches already made. So...
absolutely agree
So that's why they should embed a solid business rule that they increase the amount of watch (service) makers with the numbers they sell. Everybody would be better of if they'd opt to sell less in order to maintain a luxury service level.
I can deal with a wait. More watchmakers would be great, but Montblanc really needs to start over.
They need completely new service protocols, from the moment a customer first calls them with a need. Then re-build the process from there. I went into great detail covering the AP process in the United States with my 15202, it was exemplary, and Montblanc...
Agree
But as you know AP didn't so so grand in other locations around the globe... so apparently there can also be a geographical (dis)advantage. Which should not occur.
Absolutely. I fully acknowledge that fact.
I recently read praise for the AP Singapore Service Center, and that was one of the few times for that location. Of course, here in the US we adore AP Clearwater. So that makes me think, maybe I should only buy brands with trustworthy US Service Centers. ...
I'm not sure if you consider me a "loud-mouth customer" with your reply.
I am just an honest Purist, been here since almost Day 1. I do hope these threads assist Montblanc in straightening out their act. Thinking more realistically, they probably will not change a damn thing, so then I hope my threads make other PuristS aware ...
You were not to take that personally,
nor was it meant to be critical of the "loudmouth", even generically. It was written from the brand's perspective; as in "...we'll invest in ambassadors and let service take care of itself. Let's hope no one calls us out."
Absolutely. I was the 1st Purist to commit to the steel model. So I adored it from the first photos.
How do you think it makes me feel inside to basically have to sell it off, and likely at a big loss? Heart broken and angry, at the same time. I think you are on to something Arie about a new independent service center. Think about how many watches we own...
I know.
About the independent service center: I actually thought of this being a very sustainable asset for Indie brands. To take always hesitations from potential customers who are afraid what will happen after the founder retires of the (small) indie brand. Thi...
Arie I do think it is a fabulous idea.
I have had the same thought process on buying from an independent. What happens if they retire, or something else derails them from work? You should pursue it for sure.
I somehow seem to have missed your post
I am truly sorry to hear about your experience Michael - this is most certainly not in line with what it should be. Let me see if anything can be done about it!
I will of course try my best...
To see that the situation is resolved quickly. I fully understand your frustration and can only hope that yours is an exception to do with the Texan service center and not to be seen as representative. My dealings with the local Boutique here have all bee...
I feel your pain Michael.
I am very thankful that two separate MB boutiques kind of brushed me off when I inquired about this particular watch when it was all the rave here on the forum. One boutique didn't even know about it and when they finally located the model online, they sa...
I think you nailed it Fernando
After a few years of being a Montblanc watch collector and supporter, I am convinced they are not ready to service high end haute horology customers as well as other brands Cheers Robin
Fernando, thanks. I bought the watch in the first place because I LOVED it.
Case, dial, hands, strap, finishes, and...16.29 movement! GORGEOUS. Pretty much perfection, something we seldom see from any brand. So mine broke. OK, sucks for me, but that can happen. I accept it. But the treatment by the brand is deplorable. That canno...
It is a shame
I've read your post and the answers. I shall admit that your story is horrible. It seems that bad service is a widely spread problem in the watchmaking. Believe me or not - I considered your watch to be impeccable in terms of movement. Now I shall avoid i...
I expect to still "love" the watch when I see it again some day.
But do I dare keep it, knowing that any other potential service would be like this? Crappy position to be in, I would want to keep it but I would never want to need to send it in again.
I refused
After I got offered one 1858 in December in a Boutique that didn't work (with running chrono it stopped by the first minute to turn) I tried another dealer, that ordered one and got it end of January. This watch came sealed and we unpacked it together. It...
I just posted a glowing review of the Montblanc 1858 Tachymeter...
...but my service experience with MB mirrors yours. They are utterly incompetent in this arena. As a matter of fact I mentioned that as a,major concern to the boutique when I was deciding on purchasing this watch and they assured me all is well now. Well,...
I replied with congrats. I think your decision pleases Montblanc.
They can provide horrific customer service and still sell watches, so they will be fine. I have stated numerous times, I adore the watch. But the experience has zapped my enthusiasm for it, which is quite unfortunate.
Well, MichaelC...
this entire hobby is irrational to begin with, an addiction some might say. If it were rational the industry would behave differently. Still, I agree the major brands have crossed a line through a combination of aspirational pricing and abusive customer s...
