MTF
[PuristS]
13383
Montblanc has cross-business experience
Thank you for the interview. I thought the name was familiar...
It is incredible how resistant watch-geeks are to change. The normal customer seems unaffected by product change. When Montblanc the pen company bought the Seeger leather brand and continued under the Montblanc name, we had little resistance but they overcame it. Maybe because they already had Montblanc-branded leather goods on offer for years before the acquisition?
The good news is that Montblanc have been there, seen it, done it before. The have crossed product lines and succeeded. From writing implements to leather goods and jewellery. They have a century of patience......
New watch collectors get caught up in modern hype about Manufactures and History. They may not even be aware that the luxury purveyors have always outsourced their complete watches or movements. Since the beginning, Watch sellers have been selling other luxury goods and vice versa viz. Cartier, Piaget, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bucherer, Chopard etc. Recently, we even have jewellery from Patek Philippe, Omega and Audemars Piguet!
A serial watch collector in Singapore said to me, "Bulgari and Montblanc make some of the best complicated watches but I would never buy one because of the name". This is a person with watches that cost as much as a house......who should have the confidence to wear a SWATCH watch to see The Queen, if they wish. Yet, the brand image is too strong.
As for experience, Montblanc as a brand, has been selling watches for more than 20 years; I'm too young to remember further back! 
So, what's the problem? People seem willing to buy watches from brands formed last week....
Regards,
MTF
Breakfast with Olivier Laurian, Director of Business Development, Montblanc
As some of you remember, Olivier was JLC's Japan CEO and we were neighbors and had lots of great time off-time together around our town. And needless to say, it was such a pleasant surprise that he was coming to Tokyo (actually, this was the second time) ...
There are quite of few nuggets of interesting information!
1. Montblanc still is making a big push into China, I thought the market had cooled there 2. A new Metamorphosis! This should be interesting...I wonder what two features will be hidden. Also that means that the Metamorphosis mechanism/movement is now perf...
Fantastic interview thanks Ken!
Enjoyed all the new info provided thank you Ken! Those piece unique Villerets... If I want another Montblanc Villeret it will have to be a piece unique or bespoke one :) The closer collaboration of LeLocle and Villeret has already begun and I look forward...
Montblanc has cross-business experience
Thank you for the interview. I thought the name was familiar... It is incredible how resistant watch-geeks are to change. The normal customer seems unaffected by product change. When Montblanc the pen company bought the Seeger leather brand and continued ...
