Is BMW Montblanc pen a true 146? Or lesser quality?

[bunnspecial]

On 3/11/2023 at 4:25 PM, NoType said:

On 3/10/2023 at 10:18 PM, JCC123 said:

@JCC123 Thank you for this information.  A one-year time limit for the complimentary nib exchange program is usual practice with Montblanc’s limited editions.  I find it interesting that the BMW pen is considered as such, since it bears no limitation number nor much hint of being a limited production item.

 

Note that MB makes both "Limited Editions" and "Special Editions."

 

In general the special editions look similar to the pricier/fancier LEs but do not carry an edition number or the like. Montblanc themselves seems to let SEs sometimes fall through the cracks on the nib exchange language. I bought new a "Great Characters-Walt Disney" SE(my wife is a Disney nut and took a liking to it even though she doesn't like using FPs). There's a corresponding "Limited Edition" with 1901 made each in FP/BP/RB and I think also a super exclusive double-digit-production LE. This sort of arrangement is common for a lot of the recent series pens(and the edition number is often of some significance to the person to whom the pen is paying homage).

 

I actually went round and round with MJR but finally was able to get an OBB nib for my Disney in 1 year.

 

In the same package, though, I'd sent an Around the World in 80 Days 146, which to me is a similar pen to the BMW 146. Actually I'd probably say the 80 Days 146 looks more like an SE than the BMW does as it has a special nib. They finally ruled it subject to the 6 week window, not 1 year. I no longer have the pen but I seem to recall looking the packing over top to bottom and not actually finding the words "Special Edition" anywhere on it, which seemed strange to me especially given that this particular pen is no longer produced.

[NoType]

@bunnspecialYes, thank you for the clarification of “special edition” and “limited edition” and for outlining what I had failed to elucidate above; that is, that I was surprised that M&G deemed the BMW 146 a “limited edition” (with concomitant one-year complimentary nib exchange period) rather than a “special edition” (with, as far as I can deduce, an associated six-week complimentary nib exchange period, although your GC Disney SE’s nib was exchanged gratis).  

 

Further complicating matters is another subspecies which might be distinct from the “special edition” — the “limited production” pen, which, like the “special edition,” bears no limitation number but sometimes implies in its name that the pen will only be produced for a certain time (e.g., the Meisterstück 90 Years series to be produced in 2014, although I have seen a 90 Yrs Skeleton box’s label bearing a date as late as 9/18).  I believe the “limited production” pen also carries a six-week complimentary nib exchange period.  I welcome correction to this presumption.

 

The BMW 146 could very well be a “limited production” pen with a finite (undisclosed) quantity commissioned by BMW.  Since the BMW 146 bears no limitation number I would hesitate to characterise it a “limited edition” as Montblanc described it to @JCC123.  When I called M&G two days ago and explained everything, the representative said they would get back to me after conferring with Montblanc, and advised me to remain patient.  

 

One empathises with a hamster on its wheel.

[NoType]

For those who have been waiting for an update, my apologies.  After more than two weeks and multiple phone calls and emails, M&G have yet to give me a definitive answer whether my BMW 146 with the purchase date stamp “23 April 2020” qualifies for the nib exchange program.  I have been repeatedly assured that they “will check and get back” to me, but at this point I have resigned myself to a negative response, though I wonder if it will be actively communicated or if I will need to reach this conclusion through a lack of feedback.

[JCC123]

Well, thanks for trying regardless @NoType. Like many high-end products these days, a high class product with low class customer service. Luckily, I didn't buy one. If I did, I would visit a local boutique, drop the pen off, and let the store manager fight it out with corporate.

[NoType]

19 hours ago, JCC123 said:

Well, thanks for trying regardless @NoType. Like many high-end products these days, a high class product with low class customer service. Luckily, I didn't buy one. If I did, I would visit a local boutique, drop the pen off, and let the store manager fight it out with corporate.

You’re welcome, @JCC123.  I should have taken that path, instead of calling my local boutique . . .

[Seney724]

On 4/3/2023 at 1:45 PM, NoType said:

For those who have been waiting for an update, my apologies.  After more than two weeks and multiple phone calls and emails, M&G have yet to give me a definitive answer whether my BMW 146 with the purchase date stamp “23 April 2020” qualifies for the nib exchange program.  I have been repeatedly assured that they “will check and get back” to me, but at this point I have resigned myself to a negative response, though I wonder if it will be actively communicated or if I will need to reach this conclusion through a lack of feedback.

I still don't "get" this.......

Something is just not right.

 

Unless I'm misunderstanding, M&G is not Montblanc.  They are a jewelry repair outfit that Montblanc has chosen to do their USA warranty and repair business, right??

 

If so, and they are not Montblanc, why then are they the ones that are making this Montblanc decision?

 

I think it is time to kick, scream and get Montblanc Hamburg involved.

[Mercian]

26 minutes ago, Seney724 said:

I still don't "get" this.......

Something is just not right.

 

Unless I'm misunderstanding, M&G is not Montblanc.  They are a jewelry repair outfit that Montblanc has chosen to do their USA warranty and repair business, right??

 

If so, and they are not Montblanc, why then are they the ones that are making this Montblanc decision?

 

I think it is time to kick, scream and get Montblanc Hamburg involved.

My totally-uninformed guess would be this:

 

Montblanc has a contract with M&G to perform their ‘authorised repairs’ etc.

The contract specifies that M&G has to eat the cost of covering ‘warranty’ repairs, nib-exchanges, etc, with Montblanc not paying for them.
M&G signed that contract because they figured that Montblanc pens are well-made, and that they wouldn’t ever have to pay for anything themselves. And they also figured they would be able to charge Montblanc owners lots of money for any out-of-warranty repair work.

M&G buys replacement/spare nibs from Montblanc, and it sells them (at a profit) to the people who M&G are charging for out-of-warranty repair work.

 

So, M&G want to find any way they can to wheedle their way out of swapping the nib for free, because doing that would mean that they have to eat the cost of replacing the nib.
They don’t care that they would be getting another, equally-valuable, nib back as part of the ‘swap’; they want to be able to charge @NoType for the labour-time that their own employee would ‘expend’ in swapping the nibs.

 

Like I said, that is just my totally-uninformed guess.
It may well be completely wrong.

[bunnspecial]

Even if you are within the exchange period, don't expect MJR to make the process easy.

 

It took me multiple calls and emails to get one nib exchange honored, and a second one never.

 

And of course too you get to spend $30 each way for the "pleasure" of dealing with them, with no option other than to generate labels through their site.

[Plainsman]

These postings had me curious if they were still available. I contacted several BMW dealerships before I found one that acted like I had not lost my mind. This particular dealership could order them at a very reasonable price. I said "Sold!" for both the Starwalker Doue and the 146. I received them a few days later. 

 

 

I found it interesting that both boxes have "Licensed by BMW AG" holographic stickers. The box with the Starwalker has a label with Japanese characters.

The Starwalker FP is a beautiful instrument. So is the 146. The chevron designs are an interesting departure for Montblanc pens. 

I would have liked to purchase the Starwalker Doue rollerball but they were out of stock. Oh well. At least I have these two. 

[JCC123]

16 hours ago, Plainsman said:

These postings had me curious if they were still available. I contacted several BMW dealerships before I found one that acted like I had not lost my mind. This particular dealership could order them at a very reasonable price. I said "Sold!" for both the Starwalker Doue and the 146. I received them a few days later. 

 

 

I found it interesting that both boxes have "Licensed by BMW AG" holographic stickers. The box with the Starwalker has a label with Japanese characters.

The Starwalker FP is a beautiful instrument. So is the 146. The chevron designs are an interesting departure for Montblanc pens. 

I would have liked to purchase the Starwalker Doue rollerball but they were out of stock. Oh well. At least I have these two. 

Do you have photos of your warranty?

[Plainsman]

4 hours ago, JCC123 said:

Do you have photos of your warranty?

The StarWalker wasn't dated.

 

 

However, the 146 was. 

[BW2024]

Greetings.  I am new to the forum.  I just got the Montblanc BMW.  It looks like the 'center band (or ring on the cap that says Montblanc) is installed upside down - see photo.  My other Montblanc fountain pens have the ring orientation the other way.  I would like to get other owners observation if their Montblanc BMW pen has the upside down center band or not.  If this is a quality control issue, I will need to contact the company.  Thank you.

[marlinspike]

2 minutes ago, BW2024 said:

Greetings.  I am new to the forum.  I just got the Montblanc BMW.  It looks like the 'center band (or ring on the cap that says Montblanc) is installed upside down - see photo.  My other Montblanc fountain pens have the ring orientation the other way.  I would like to get other owners observation if their Montblanc BMW pen has the upside down center band or not.  If this is a quality control issue, I will need to contact the company.  Thank you.

This wouldn't be the first time Montblanc put a ring on upside down, but it would probably be the first time someone lucky enough to get one like that would ask to have it fixed. They will happily fix it, and take away any extra value your pen may have as a result.

[JCC123]

@BW2024 you can see from other posted images in this thread that the other pens have correct facing rings. You have a special version...🙂

[BW2024]

Well.. thank you for all the feedback. I guess the special edition of the special edition should worth something in the future 😀. Maybe I should look into getting this resolved by MB. 

[Dankoh69]

I would keep it as it is