Manufacture
Mike (mkt33) tackles the enduring debate within the watch community: Is Montblanc a true watch manufacturer? He challenges readers to consider Montblanc's significant advancements in watchmaking over the past decade, particularly its integration of Minerva's heritage and the production capabilities of its Villeret and Le Locle facilities. This discussion invites collectors to re-evaluate Montblanc's status against traditional definitions of a 'manufacture.'
While this question has not been discussed recently on our forum, I know doubts still exist.
Last week I received two emails, one from a new member and the other from a seasoned Purist.
Our newbie (no disrespect intended ) stated: "There is no way in hell you can convince me that Montblanc is a watch manufacturer". Our experienced collector pretty much echoed the same sentiments in a more "diplomatic" fashion.
So let's start with a definition. Can we agree that a manufacture is any company which designs, creates parts for, and assembles unique movements into a complete watch?
Why is it that some PuristS can accept Montblanc as a manufacture, while other's can not?
So I went back into ThePuristS' archives to the first field trip report that I fondly remembered reading which defined, in my mind, what a watch manufacturer is. Here is Dr. Hanke's report on Ulysse Nardin from 2002.
http://www.tp178.com/mh/un_visit/un_visit1.html
Compare this to a recent trip report to Villeret from Tic-Talk.
and this report highlighting MB's production facility at Le Locle by Don Corson
montblanc.watchprosite.com
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In all three reports we see nice facilities. We see industrial machines. We see amazing watches being assembled. But these superficial similarities are not important imho. What makes a manufacture "real" is the vision and philosophy of its leaders. At UN, it was Oeschlin and Schnyder. At Montblanc it is Cabiddu and Lambert.
It took about 10 years for Ulysse Nardin to revive and reestablish itself with its Trilogy of Time series. Look at what Montblanc has done in the past 5 years.
What do you all think? Am I being too "easy" on Montblanc? Or will Montblanc always fall victim to its reputation as a pen company.
Best, Mike
But yes, Montblanc _is_ a real watch manufacturer, no doubt about it. Don
as well. I think PuristS have trouble with Montblanc at Le Locle...they tend to forget that all the Rieussec Calibers and the TwinFly movement are all "in-house" designs. Best, Mike
about MB falling victim to its rep as a pen company... If they persist, persevere, and i think that they are on the right track, that over time, MB will be known as a pen AND watch company... potentially on some track to becoming,eventually, a luxury goods company a la Cartier not just limited to these two things. The key here is to not give up. And I don't think they have plans of doing so. Perhaps the current crop of "seasoned" collectors is not the target audience for MB watches? At first, an
Purist was that he felt Montblanc made a step back with the Heritage Collection. While he understood the need for MB to make a big move into the mid-range category, he felt the use of 3rd party ebauches soured the progress they made in the past few years with the introduction of the Rieussec and Twinfly. and I agree that it will take more time to change people's minds...in twenty years I suspect MB will be known more for the watches. Thanks for your comments, Mike
That I have visited both the Mb main manufacture and Villeret last year and they are 100% a real 'manufacture'. My heart goes towards Villeret and the old fashioned way of making watches under the master watchmaker Mr Cabbidu, but it cannot be taken away that even on the large manufacture scale of the normal collection that a lot of thought, effort and of course watchmaking goes into it. The problem is that when you think Montblanc you immediately think of their writing instruments (pens to you
A model that we don't see very often. Thanks for your opinion and wristshot Best, Mike
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