Montblanc offers probably the widest range of models in the contemporary watch industry, from connected fake watches to Exo Tourbillons. The integration of the Minerva manufacturing pushes it towards high-flying mechanical creations, while the egalitarian spirit of the German brand drives it to maintain its “democratic” production. Following the path between Le Locle and Villeret, the brand’s priority is to generate the greatest possible perceived value. Montblanc CEO Nicolas Baretzki answered our questions when the new 2021 models were released to the public.
After several years under the direction of Davide Cerrato, the Montblanc watchmaker has a new manager, Laurent Lecamp.
He co-founded the Cyrus watch company in 2010 before joining the Bucherer group four years later to develop Carl F. Bucherer in various markets, including Japan.
This double experience in entrepreneurship and within an established group will undoubtedly serve him well at Montblanc fake watches, where his mission will be to strengthen the watchmaking legitimacy of a brand whose origins lie in writing instruments. This is a complex challenge, but one that can be overcome: on rare occasions, outsiders have managed to become recognized members of the watch industry, as evidenced by the examples of Chanel and, more recently, the breakthrough of Bulgari.
To achieve this, Montblanc can count on the vast heritage of Minerva, which was acquired by Richemont in 2006. The 2021 releases are imbued with the technical and aesthetic heritage of the Villeret manufacture, especially within the 1858 collection (named after the year Minerva was founded).
This integration naturally gives the brand more than one summit to conquer, between the universality of its origins in writing instruments and the most exclusive technical virtuosity embodied by Minerva, which currently dominates the Swiss watchmaking scene.
Specifically, this translates into a wide range of proposals at Montblanc, from the Summit connected watch to the Exo Tourbillons. As we wait to see how Laurent Lecamp will put his stamp on this particularly broad portfolio, we asked Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO since 2017, about the brand’s current priorities in a still-contentious international context.
Watch: With the pandemic crisis, many brands are asking questions about their portfolio. It is the most general brand of Richemont. Has the role of watchmaking within Montblanc been reassessed with this crisis?
Nicolas Baretzki: Strategically, our decision to develop watchmaking remains unchanged. We are a generalist brand with four strong pillars: writing instruments, leather goods, Perfect Fake Watches and new technologies. However, it is not about doing “a little of everything”, but about a conscious decision to fully delve into different fields, with dedicated and differentiated teams. Originally, we were only active in the field of writing. We set ourselves the goal of always entering other fields with experience, to become major players, thus internalizing the business from top to bottom.
In the case of watchmaking, this meant becoming a true manufacture. We started with our first structure in 1997 in Le Locle, before seizing the incredible opportunity to incorporate Minerva since 2006. But certainly, the pandemic has accelerated change and reflection. The main change will be in the way we communicate. On the one hand, we want to accentuate the message about Montblanc fake watches as a “great house of tradition”, which all of our different product categories stand behind. At the same time, we want to better express how the global vision of the house is expressed in these different categories. It’s a dialogue that works both ways and will reinforce brand consistency. The goal is for customers to enter one of our boutiques, not necessarily for a specific product, but for the appeal of our house.
Also in terms of price segments, its profile is very general, from watches connected to less than 1,000 francs to high mechanical complications. This type of stretching can be both a weakness and a strength…
We have been doing this for a long time. This pricing structure is quite similar to our original business. Also in writing instruments you can find entry-level proposals as well as very exclusive products, limited series or exceptional pieces that can reach two million euros. I see this as a parallel approach that reinforces and legitimizes our strategy.
Despite everything, Swiss watchmaking as a whole is a luxury trend. And it will introduce many limited editions this year. Are you also moving towards greater exclusivity in watchmaking?
These releases currently reflect two very different realities at Montblanc. This year we have focused on products from the Minerva legacy, which reinforce the legitimacy of our watchmaking division. The limited series presented this year supports this approach. But that’s just one axis. On the other hand, the Montblanc fake spirit pushes us to offer the highest perceived value in a price segment that remains competitive, as we do in writing instruments. It’s not just about watchmaking: it’s the company’s raison d’être.
This spirit is expressed, for example, in the Star Legacy model with a full calendar, which we offer at just over 4,000 francs. It is this maximum perceived value that we aspire to, whatever the price. Another example is the Montblanc TimeWalker Pythagore Ultra-Light model. I don’t see any competitor at this level of price and finish… It’s the same for the Geosphere: it benefits from an exclusive movement and an absolutely incomparable design, providing a very strong perceived value at a price that always surprises many – that is to say , 6,000 francs for this year’s versions.
Navigate between a core Montblanc clientele who are interested in watches and other products, and watchmaking purists who are familiar with Minerva’s heritage. How can you introduce the former to this heritage while convincing the latter to appreciate your contemporary offerings?
With our profile, we have the opportunity to reach almost all luxury buyers. And we operate nearly 300 of our own boutiques around the world. Through this direct experience in retail, we have internalized a strong and real
sensitivity towards the notion of “end customer”, which is not necessarily a given in the watch industry. Although not all of our clients are purists, we try to accompany them on their watchmaking journey,
since we have our own proposals for all ranges.
With the enthusiasts, there is still work to be done to convince them of our approach. This is one of the great projects of the new director of our watchmaking division,
Laurent Lecamp, for the coming years. In particular, we will develop existing collections to give them
a “Navigate between a core Montblanc fake watches clientele who are interested in Replica Swiss Watches and other products,
and watchmaking purists who are familiar with Minerva’s heritage. How can you introduce the former to this heritage while convincing the latter to appreciate your contemporary offerings?
With our profile, we have the opportunity to reach almost all luxury buyers.
And we operate nearly 300 of our own boutiques around the world. Through this direct experience in retail, we have internalized a strong and real sensitivity towards the notion of “end customer”,
which is not necessarily a given in the watch industry. Although not all of our clients are purists, we try to accompany them on their watchmaking journey,
since we have our own proposals for all ranges.
With the enthusiasts, there is still work to be done to convince them of our approach. This is one of the great projects of the new director of our watchmaking division,
Laurent Lecamp, for the coming years. In particular, we will develop existing collections to give them an even more distinctive “Montblanc look”. Minerva’s contribution is a source of inspiration that we must distill through our own expression. Now it’s fully integrated, but we still need to communicate it better, because it hasn’t necessarily been fully understood.
Ensuring that our best-informed customers understand exactly how much work has gone into the Minerva integration will also be a major focus in 2021. One of the most imminent changes is a complete overhaul of our website. After all, it is our company’s primary showcase, and we’ve kept relatively quiet about Minerva’s heritage and our production of high-end watches. This is going to change for both writing instruments and watches: we are bringing out our most rare pieces.
