I just bought a Rieussec

Nov 25, 2013,12:45 PM
 

I am traveling this week, but when I get home I will look for my papers to see if there was a testing certificate in the box. 

  login to reply

Comments: view entire thread

 

Montblanc's 500 hour testing certificate...now for all watches?

 
 By: mkt33 : November 20th, 2013-19:10
A few months ago I wrote: "2% of all watches are pulled randomly out of production and tested in various manners for 500 hours" Imagine my surprise to learn, from Montblanc's website, that the testing protocol is now being expanded to include EVERY Montbl...  

Wonderful news!

 
 By: Luis6 : November 20th, 2013-19:40
So glad to see Montblanc contimuing to make efforts to establish the brand.

Mike, is this a continuous 500 hour testing?

 
 By: ling5hk : November 20th, 2013-20:24
If yes, will it cause immediate wear and tear on the parts even before the watch is delivered? Regards Ling

The testing program is in several phases

 
 By: mkt33 : November 21st, 2013-08:29
over the 500 hour duration so I guess by definition a single watch is not tested continuously because at some point one test will be terminated and the watch examined and then moved on to the next. But, according to MB, each watch will be tested for almos... 

Not much

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 21st, 2013-08:35
Thinking about it, its only the equivalent of 42 days on my watch winder, which operates 8 hrs on/8 hrs off. Like marcelo, I'm very interest in why, when they mapped out this marketing strategy, did they not go up to 1000 hrs or more, as the comparison wi... 

Thanks :-) Additionally...

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 21st, 2013-10:38
re the concerns about buying a worn-out movement; back in the day, boxed marine chronometers were routinely "run-in" for months before being sold. Also back in the day, ie before COSC, Observatory testing was considered the mark of a reliable timepiece. T... 

Good news!

 
 By: social : November 20th, 2013-22:29
Mr. Jerome Lambert is seriously bringing spirit of JLC into his new job! hope Montblanc would step upward!

I immediately had JLC in mind, when I read your title, Mike.

 
 By: amanico : November 20th, 2013-22:34
A good thing it will be able to communicate on all the serious of the brand, the tests, the rssistance of their watches, and so on. Thanks for the information. Best, Nicolas

Exactly, Marcelo. [nt]

 
 By: amanico : November 21st, 2013-14:43

I hope we can get a detailed explanation of the complete testing protocol soon

 
 By: mkt33 : November 21st, 2013-08:34
Like JLC. If MB will actually keep these type of detailed records and provide owners with a copy that would be spectactular! BEst, Mike ...  

Mike, you mentioned a certificate but

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 24th, 2013-13:11
I can't find any info on such a document. What have you heard from MB? I had no luck with their website...

No replies yet from MB. But I know it exists...

 
 By: mkt33 : November 24th, 2013-19:43
From Montblanc's press release for the Only Watch2013 Rieussec: "The timepiece is presented in a special packaging and equipped with a 500 hours quality certificate" Now if the winner of that timepiece would graciously post an image of his certificate... ... 

Nicolas and Mike, I have no intention to create war here.

 
 By: ling5hk : November 22nd, 2013-16:18
Does it mean that JLC's 1000 hours test is the "double effort" more than the MB's 500 hours test? Or 500 hours test is more than sufficient and 1000 hours test is overdone? Regards Ling

The breakdown

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 23rd, 2013-10:12
4 hours – winding performance. 80 hours – accuracy in all positions; -6.0 to +4.0 required (COSC standard). 336 hours – "Cyclotest" (14 continuous days); simulates real-life wear including wrist motions and laying overnight. For chronographs, two cycles a... 

fire away! Anyway you look at it 1000 hours is twice as long

 
 By: mkt33 : November 24th, 2013-20:18
as 500 hours :-) The question is: Does the extra 500 hours make a difference? I think most collectors would still choose, if forced to pick, JLC over Montblanc even if the Montblanc matched the 1000 hours. But eventually the tide will turn and more collec... 

Mike, your question is certainly relevant.

 
 By: ling5hk : November 24th, 2013-21:19
Another question: Do customers determine the purchase by looking at the length of testing hours? Answer: Majority of the customers don't. Regards Ling

Actually I disagree...I think most customers do care

 
 By: mkt33 : November 26th, 2013-18:15
especially if they are spending a lot of money on their purchase. Assume that these customers are not uber-rich Assume that these customers are not collectors I think your usual customers will care. Like you said, they may not care whether the testing is ... 

MIke, if you ask the members here, I think 9 out of 10 will say: we do care.

 
 By: ling5hk : November 27th, 2013-01:32
However, we only represent a very small fraction of the market out there. Many new and inexperience buyers will not inquire about testing hours and many sale staff will not take trouble to explain the same or they may not even know about the testing hours... 

Really? I would think the testing certification would be one of the first

 
 By: mkt33 : November 27th, 2013-06:45
lines out of my mouth to impress new or inexperienced buyers...I think their minds would be more easily influenced by this certification than collectors who would be more skeptical. MB is a large corporation with very detailed and specific training progra...  

The problem with these indicators

 
 By: Tick Talk : November 25th, 2013-12:40
is they obfuscate the difference between process and outcome. "Hours" only measures the duration of an activity, not its effectiveness in producing an outcome. In fact, does twice as long on the test bench result in service intervals and warranty periods ... 

Yes, the tests selected have to adequately represent "real life"

 
 By: mkt33 : November 26th, 2013-18:06
wear and tear. If you accept the tests chosen by MB as adequate "substitution" then the hours tested in simulation should reproduce the wear and tear during 500 hours of ownership. My MB sport had a 2 year warranty starting at the time of purchase. My JLC... 

This has Jerome Lambert written all over it...

 
 By: patrick_y : November 21st, 2013-00:48
It's kind of like Jaeger LeCoultre's 1000 hour test. But why only 500 hours? JLC does 1000 hours... Still, 500 hours is a lot of hours for testing. Three weeks! I hope it doesn't need three weeks of testing every time it's serviced...

Sounds great...

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : November 21st, 2013-04:32
but will it cause some wear and tear before I even buy it? Not sure how JLC does this either. If MB does this for all watches, it will be amazing! cheers robin

I just bought a Rieussec

 
 By: Alchemist : November 25th, 2013-12:45
I am traveling this week, but when I get home I will look for my papers to see if there was a testing certificate in the box.

Congrats on your Rieussec!

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : November 27th, 2013-22:21
Lovely watch! Pls post some pictures when you get the chance. Enjoy the monopusher chrono. it's a joy to watch the discs move. cheers robin

No test certification for the Rieussec ?

 
 By: O. Müller : January 6th, 2014-14:24
Hi, I also have a Rieussec on my collection and I can testify there aren't any piece of any certification supplied with the watch. Still, mine was bought 3 years ago. I don't know at what stage the 500h test was applied to MB220 at that time...?? It will ... 

Hi Oliver, this is a new initiative...

 
 By: mkt33 : January 6th, 2014-17:34
I don't know for sure but I suspect that only a certain number of Rieussecs (not all) went through the testing three years ago. I'm still waiting for a sample of the certificate. Best, Mike