Montblanc - Real Or Fake?

[FredRydr]

So you are saying there are people that want jewelry and think "oh, how about Montblanc"? If so, that's really weird to me.

 

 

Yes. In the European and Asian markets, Richemont has succeeded in having the Montblanc brand represent in the minds of their potential customers far more than mere writing instruments. They've done the same with Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands. In North America, the Montblanc brand hasn't taken hold as quickly for luxury items other than pens, but the watches have been pushed hard. See the Richemont corporate website for the list of Montblanc's sister brands.

 

Fred

[Keyless Works]

They don't farm it out, actually.

They position themselves as being in luxury goods, with luxury fountain pens as a starting point.

 

All of the products they sell are manufactured by studios and factories owned by Montblanc. From that POV, nothing is farmed out, other than the raw materials .

Not all of these studios and plants are located in Hamburg, however. They have factories/plants/studios in France, Switzerland and Italy, and maybe some other places I am forgetting right now.

 

Warm regards, Wim

How do you know this? I would love to read about it because I think it's really interesting. I always assumed their leather goods were made in various factories in Italy, not one owned by MB, mainly because their leather products are decent but not great when compared with companies whose specialty is leather goods.

 

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2015/10/mont-blanc-leather-facility-florence.html

 

What do they produce in France (and don't say perfume because there is no way they actually produce that themselves)?

[wimg]

How do you know this? I would love to read about it because I think it's really interesting. I always assumed their leather goods were made in various factories in Italy, not one owned by MB, mainly because their leather products are decent but not great when compared with companies whose specialty is leather goods.

 

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2015/10/mont-blanc-leather-facility-florence.html

 

What do they produce in France (and don't say perfume because there is no way they actually produce that themselves)?

 

 

I was at Montblanc HQ on Friday, March 18, by special invitation, and representing FPN. I was told that Montblanc literally makes everything themselves, although they do not necessarily do this in Hamburg, and that all items other than pens, which are all produced in Hamburg, and only in Hamburg, are produced in the different factories and studios they own, whether it is leather products, jewelry, watches, or other stuff. We didn't speak about perfumes specifically, but I would expect that they even produce those themselves - those are produced in France as far as I know

 

Leather goods are produced in Italy, watches in Switzerland. Jewelry I don't know, I'll see if I can find out.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Keyless Works]

Thanks for the info!

 

I will say that I am very impressed with Montblanc watches. They bought Minerva and did a great job with the company though, I think the Montblanc name is holding those watches back a bit. It's as if they bought Bugatti and sold them branded as Acuras.

[wimg]

Thanks for the info!

 

I will say that I am very impressed with Montblanc watches. They bought Minerva and did a great job with the company though, I think the Montblanc name is holding those watches back a bit. It's as if they bought Bugatti and sold them branded as Acuras.

 

They actually want to both do watches which are more affordable, and watches which are much less so, in very limited editions . I think there even may be some watches along the lines of the Artisan Studio pens . In addition, they are doing some very clever things no one else does.

 

I think it is a matter of time really - Montblanc is not a very established watch brand yet, but it is coming, i am sure .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Keyless Works]

(Sorry for screwing up this thread)

 

Montblanc's watch strategy is very interesting because they basically have two manufacturers making watches under the same name, yet they are miles apart.

 

Their original Le Locle facility makes nice entry level luxury watches (which have improved a lot over the years thanks in part to Swatch) and the Villeret Minerva facility makes grand complications that find their way into other Richemont watch brands.

 

I don't quite get why they structured Minerva under Montblanc...it must be some boring accounting reason or they are trying to build up the Montblanc name such that you will one day have a Panerai or IWC with a Montblanc movement (and that will be a good thing).

 

But for now they call it a Montblanc movement in a Montblanc watch and a Minerva movement when they are used in say a Panerai (and sell it for much more money).

 

Basically my take away, is that the Montblanc watch brand is disjointed such that you have really high end watches that are a (comparatively) good value and entry level watches that are overpriced.