KMII[Montblanc Moderator]
29857
It is a difficult positioning to pull off, granted
Mar 16, 2017,21:57 PM
The watches we discuss here are often from the upper end of the spectrum. However this is often not everything offered by a brand. The annual production of Villeret pieces is a tiny fraction of Montblanc's total and on their own they are completely insufficient to keep the brand alive.
One could compare it to Porsche - no Cayenne or Macan, no 911. Or to a brand that did pull it off for a while, where the bookends were the Citroen 2CV and the SM.
The Summit will address a different customer base than the 1858 Tachymeter for sure, although there may be a small overlap.
As for Montblanc - probably the best brand of Richemont to try it out. I can imagine the upheaval if it was JLC, VC or ALS
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Montblanc Summit Smartwatch launched
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-13:08
"Nothing compares to the sensation of traditional fine Swiss watchmaking, but in a fast moving world being able to access all kinds of information digitally has become essential." Jerome Lambert, CEO of Montblanc International Montblanc has just presented...
it is certainly more a toy than a watch
By: COUNT DE MONET : March 17th, 2017-00:46
But to choose MB within Richemont was a good choice: a not too traditional manufacturer but still upmarket enough to ask for 900 Eu and make 900 Eu look as a bargain for a MB watch.
I agree that the strategy is perfect for Richemont ...but ..
By: moc : March 17th, 2017-01:53
It\'s not a watch, it\'s a product... I am as interested in this product as a new i phone or a new leather backpack... moderately if not at all... As a collector , I prefer my fav brands to remain watch manufacturer, but that\'s a different discussion alt...
But here we need to be honest as well...
By: KMII : March 17th, 2017-02:53
In that Montblanc was a writing instrument and leather goods manufacturer long before they added watches to the portfolio, so the fact that they continue offering products beyond mechanical watches is a natural consequence of their history and heritage. T...
I've got the same vision as you Count de Monet...
By: eklektik : March 25th, 2017-00:47
... a bargain is when one pays for a watch what one considers a good price. I find this novelty interesting in term of strategy, but is is not as if Patek or JLC were producing a smart watch. Also, it is not at all for me! Best, É
Fully agree with you!
By: KMII : March 25th, 2017-09:10
It is a difficult balancing act but still a smidgeon easier for them than pretty much any other brand from Richemont...
Available from May...
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-13:33
From May onwards one should be able to try it on / take it home
:D [nt]
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-13:47
Your OLED manufacturer might know ;-)
By: Ornatus-Mundi : March 16th, 2017-13:36
I fear it will age... OLED is not as loong lasting as traditional LCDs - one reason why Apple did not adopt it yet (except for the Apple Watch, where its power efficiency made this move necessary). Best, Magnus
+1 ;-)
By: Alkiro1 : March 16th, 2017-13:59
Best wishes Alkiro
;-)
By: Alkiro1 : March 16th, 2017-13:59
Best wishes Alkiro
I hope your Tachymeter gets sorted soon!
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-13:35
I mean if you are willing to do a straight swap, I will try to organise one of the very first Montblanc Summits for it I know, I should not joke at this moment...
A watch was working fine and then stopped. Not nice but tolerable.
By: dr.kol : March 17th, 2017-00:25
But two brand new watches which never worked - that makes one upset. However, I have just now my RO QP on my wrist and it feels great. I really understand why I bought this watch on the first place. If my 15202 will feel as good and also function like a w...
I fully understand.
By: dr.kol : March 16th, 2017-14:37
I feel sorry for you because I know how such a disappointment feels. Best, Kari
Apple won again!? ;) :)
By: Ares501 - Mr Green : March 16th, 2017-13:39
Honestly I don't like this smartwatch hype at all Cheers D
+1 [nt]
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-13:49
Honestly, not my thing and I also don't understand this watch
By: crown comfort : March 16th, 2017-14:03
I can see a market for smart watches, agreed, but leave that to the Apple's and Samsungs and maybe okay for a Tag Heuer, but why do we need a Montblanc smart watch that mimics a mechanical icon? What is next? A Patek smart watch that looks like a 5370? I ...
Not so sure Patek is next in line...
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-14:08
But I do suppose that each watch consortium is trying smartwatches out in order not to 'get left behind'. There were possibly other options in the Richemont portfolio but the management probably felt that Montblanc was the best choice. I hear you in terms...
You are right there...
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-14:15
A very good price/ performance ratio to boot. Sure - it will not possess the longevity of a mechanical watch but then again it is not in the same price bracket, either
Not the first time Montblanc is playing with smart...
By: Yanir : March 16th, 2017-14:30
First time was with the failure of the smart buckle they came up with for the Timewalker Urban Speed... Regardless, please help me here with the pricing: Tag Connected: 1,500 Montblanc: 890 Apple: 450 Samsung Gear: 250 Value of all the above when the next...
Wow, April 1.st already?!
By: ChristianDK : March 16th, 2017-14:49
lets say I was a tea enthusiast - with a crazy craving for drinking tea, morning, midday and night. Spending a good deal of my spare cash on exotic tea leaves. Tea is the best. Tea makes me feel good. I can't get tea out of my mind. One day someone offers...
But let me ask a question.....
By: Baron - Mr Red : March 16th, 2017-15:11
......if MB wants to be takes seriously as a high-end player, does that fit with producing a smart-watch? My own view is that this is confused marketing. It downgrades the "image" of their other watches.
It is a difficult positioning to pull off, granted
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-21:57
The watches we discuss here are often from the upper end of the spectrum. However this is often not everything offered by a brand. The annual production of Villeret pieces is a tiny fraction of Montblanc\'s total and on their own they are completely insuf...
Big disappointerment for me
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 16th, 2017-16:35
I am sure Lange and PP won't do this. Although it does make sense commercially for Richemont to use Montblanc to roll out smart watches (they already did with their smart augmented paper last year), I agree for the general lower priced Montblanc products ...
You may be able to customise the watchface like you said, Robin...
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-22:01
However if you want something like you mentioned, Montblanc is first fully involved (i.e. deciding what goes and what not), and second of all the process has a starting price tag of €15.000. So unlikely that there will be all that many you\'ll see on the ...
Don't worry about the 15k
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 16th, 2017-22:02
small amount to make a mockery of them as a customer if we choose to I think for good money , Montblanc will consider to be honest
Again I feel your frustration...
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-22:14
But they naturally want the watch to be a success. And for that they chose one of their most iconic watchfaces as a base. They most likely considered the alternatives and some - like the TimeWalker Urban Speed are offered. But I think the frustration woul...
Agree it's trend
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 16th, 2017-23:45
And agree Montblanc can do it. But I will start with the lower cost models to showcase on the dial eg the basic time only 1858 or the heritage chronometrie or heritage spirit basic models all the way to mid complications like a moonphase. Having a watch d...
They should have stopped there
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 17th, 2017-02:50
And not included the Tachymeter or any dials with Villeret movement imho my friend Cheers Robin
Now there I see an ethical problem...
By: Ornatus-Mundi : March 17th, 2017-02:39
So, if I for example ask MB to create a custom dial face from a watch of their current collection, and I pay them the € 15.000 - who stops them to sell the same dial face to another customer for the same € 15.000? I appreciate that custom faces cost money...
I can inquire...
By: KMII : March 17th, 2017-02:43
There is that aspect in a smartwatch.
Good thinking Magnus
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 17th, 2017-02:49
and good question Cheers Robin
Me too
By: blackthought : March 16th, 2017-22:52
I too feel quite disappointed and let down by this move. Agree with Robin that As a owner of the 1858 blue, this move dilutes my ownership experience of the watch. This is my own personal humble opinion. Sad to say that I Am now thinking of Selling the 18...
Good way to see it Clement
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 16th, 2017-23:46
Agree it's good to see it in the metal first. A Montblanc Villeret with enamel dial is to die for! Beer style's Villeret vintage pulsograph for eg is a killer ! Cheers Robin
+1 [nt]
By: ChristianDK : March 16th, 2017-19:50
+ 2 [nt]
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 16th, 2017-22:04
Wrist and other shots!
By: KIH : March 16th, 2017-20:32
Whatever you think, it is what it is and someone in Richemont group must do - Montblanc is the best brand to execute this, surely not for Lange or VC or even PP, I agree. For what it does, this is a bargain, IMHO. Ken ...
Fully agreed, Ken!
By: KMII : March 16th, 2017-22:02
Hard for us to turn back the time and hard for a consortium to make the decision to not at least have one option in the segment to learn.
+1 [nt]
By: blackthought : March 16th, 2017-22:57
Really? I think this is brilliant!
By: KIH : March 17th, 2017-00:05
Montblanc is the only brand that fits "Smart Watch" strategy. Hate the dial selection? No problem! It can be changed to many different faces, including the nearly most affordable line of Montblanc watches. PP, Rolex - they probably do not need to make sma...
Don't think we have wasted time Ken
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 17th, 2017-01:57
I enjoyed the various posts here. Sharing passion and opinions are really what makes PuristSPro cool. Cheers Robin
Brilliant indeed Ken
By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 17th, 2017-01:56
For the brand and Richemont's financial statements For me and my passion (ex passion) in a Villeret movements, this is a joke Cheers Robin
I don't know why this matter is even discussed here...
By: moc : March 17th, 2017-00:06
Only because it looks like a watch and you strap it on the wrist doesn\'t mean it is one... Discussing this on the base that the world is changing and the wearable technologies are amongst us blah blah blah, goes exactly against the spirit of why we are a...
I wonder why the Industry tries to beat the Apple Watch
By: Geo : March 17th, 2017-10:10
Apple has the most fun smart watch after all and it is no competition at all for the Swiss Watch industry. To me the Swiss Industry puts themselves to shame by releasing this kind of products.
That depends...
By: KMII : March 17th, 2017-10:43
Simply surrendering segments of the market is unlikely to turn out favourably for the Swiss watch industry in the medium term. Smartwatches may be a fad, in which case it is a relatively cheap insurance policy to test the waters and not get completely lef...
A very interesting thread that I'd like to contribute to...
By: shortys home : March 19th, 2017-11:09
... I am not an owner of a Montblanc Villeret timepiece, so no personal emotion attached, but I think this example warrants some general thoughts. I have read that one should have some understanding for the economic needs of a watch manufacturer or even a...
Thanks Henrik for your well argued thoughts
By: KMII : March 19th, 2017-12:58
I can certainly appreciate your sentiment (and that of several other Purists). Yet sometimes running a business requires making some unpleasant choices. And I am confident that Montblanc did not make this decision in haste or lightly. I just want to add a...
Appreciate your thoughts...
By: shortys home : March 19th, 2017-13:24
... and I wholeheartedly agree that this place is perfect to discuss different opinions! Still think it would have been a smarter smartwatchthing with dials of the lower end products ;-) Cheers Henrik
A beautiful Watch indeed...
By: VintageAlex (aka AlexKontiki) : March 19th, 2017-16:55
I\'m not sure if I\'ll spend all that money in a smart watch, I just don\'t think so but it\'s a beautiful watch with no doubt. All the best. Alex.