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Dynamic Montblanc
Watches and Wonders

Dynamic Montblanc

Thursday, 09 October 2014
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Christophe Roulet
Editor-in-chief, HH Journal

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4 min read

It’s been one sensation after another since Jérôme Lambert took the commands at Montblanc. The Meisterstück Heritage men’s collection that debuted earlier this year now steps aside for the Bohème collection of women’s watches, which the brand unveiled at Watches&Wonders in Hong Kong.

Montblanc came to Watches&Wonders with a clear objective in mind: “to bring the Manufacture spirit to Hong Kong,” in the words of Alexander Schmiedt, International Director for Watches at the firm. Accordingly, the brand spent some considerable time presenting its two production sites: the first, in Le Locle, specialising in large volumes and the second a fully integrated facility right down to balance springs, in Villeret (Bernese Jura), that deals in prestige series. Driving the point home, Montblanc then went on to give a giant-screen demonstration of its talents, with Metamorphosis II.

Transformers watchmaking-style

A Watches&Wonders exclusivity of which eighteen will be made, Metamorphosis II is a condensed package of micromechanical expertise, thanks to which the face of the watch is transformed from an hours, minutes and date configuration to a monopusher chronograph. Through a special mechanism, the “ordinary” timekeeping dial disappears to be replaced by the chronograph subdials. It makes sense that the Transformers film served as inspiration for this 746-component watch with its concept of overlaid dials that “open majestically like a theatre curtain.”

Don't expect anything from anyone, that way you'll never be disappointed.
Jérôme Lambert

With Metamorphosis II stealing the limelight on the Montblanc booth (and the watch is just as striking as Kafka’s Die Verwandlung, to give it its original title), it’s reasonable to ask whether this is where we can now expect to find the brand. “Don’t expect anything from anyone,” replies Chief Executive Jérôme Lambert. “That way you’ll never be disappointed. More seriously though, and to answer the question, I can’t think of a single company among the 600 watch brands out there that doesn’t talk about conquering markets. Then it’s a question of choosing the right direction. Giving greater aura to Montblanc implies more added value that will sustain the general dynamic of the product and the brand. Metamorphosis is clearly part of this concept.”

"A time of happiness"

A concept that will take shape lower down the price pyramid too, hence why Montblanc also travelled to Hong Kong with a 30-piece special limited edition Homage to Nicolas Rieussec and, more to the point, a Meisterstück Heritage Gold collection comprising three models. Back in January, the company chose the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva to unveil its new Meisterstück Heritage range, seen by many as proof of a fresh new impetus for the brand in watchmaking. The very “dynamic” Jérôme Lambert was referring to, brought to life by sober, classic designs in true horological fashion. And, what’s more, launched at highly competitive price points. The perpetual calendar in steel, for example, comes with a EUR 10,000 tag. “This collection has had a real impact of which we’re now seeing the first consequences,” says Jérôme Lambert. “We wanted this line to deliver the best possible value. We’ve often heard it described as being aggressively priced, which isn’t perhaps the most appropriate word. One thing for sure is that we have come up with something new, which is quite rare among top brands.”

Montblanc Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition

After disappointing results for its 2013-14 financial year which ended 31st March, when sales declined by 4.7% to EUR 730 million and operating profits plummeted 64%, Montblanc, which belongs to the Richemont group, was certainly in need of a new idea. Which turned out to be the excellent direction taken by Jérôme Lambert since his arrival at the head of the firm in mid-2013. Clearly Montblanc couldn’t stop midstream. Enter a new collection, this time for women, by the name of Bohème, spearhead of the brand in Hong Kong just as the Meisterstück Heritage was in Geneva. “We already had some food for thought with the work carried out three years ago for the Princesse Grace de Monaco collection, with its gem-set models. But we had to go a step further to decide what we truly wanted to give women. Bohème is the answer.” Soon to be available from the brand’s 500 points of sale spread across 127 countries, these Bohème watches echo the words of Charles Aznavour’s legendary La Bohème, about “a time of happiness.”

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