# Montblanc smart watch



## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Trying to 1-up Tag. Everyone's coming out with the story on this, but here's Hodinkee's.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/montblanc-summit-smartwatch-live-pics-pricing-introducing

I like the military faces quite a bit. It looks good; I didn't see GPS mentioned, tho, and if that's not included...that might be an issue. Still much too big, but you can't go small and keep broad functionality. You shrink display space too much.

The hardware may be about one, at most two, iterations away. Samsung's got their 10 nm process up and running, so a couple of the top-end phone chips are starting to come out. The 10 nm translates to either higher performance, or...more important, I think, for watches...lower power consumption. And Samsung is still saying the next size reduction is slated for next year...8 nm. The display power consumption is likely to be the limiting factor on making significant battery life improvements, tho.


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## jilgiljongiljing (Jun 20, 2011)

Another oversized pointless "smartwatch" that maybe 10 people want. Huzzah!


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## TheWalrus (Mar 16, 2009)

That is _awesome_. Great looking watch - and a price that's pretty competitive. Especially against the Tag Connect. Depending on functionality, I think this could be a big deal. I'd certainly consider one...


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## Stoshman (Jun 26, 2015)

Don't underestimate the effect this trend could have on mechanical watches. This could be far more acceptable to a lot of regular watch fans than the Apple Watch look.


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## Armchair (Jul 7, 2008)

The case looks a bit awkward.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Stoshman said:


> Don't underestimate the effect this trend could have on mechanical watches. This could be far more acceptable to a lot of regular watch fans than the Apple Watch look.


I agree.










If this face and bezel were available in a suitable size for you, with a Minerva movement, wouldn't you be interested? I don't think the 2 notification icons are always present; they weren't there in different shots.


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## islands62 (Aug 3, 2013)

I much perfer this form factor to the Apple Watch. My only reservation is that its a little large. The price point is good imo.


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## Jephen (Feb 14, 2014)

Clearly Richemont wants in on the action that LVMH (Tag Heuer) was first to jump on. The Connected watch, for those who don't know, was deemed a success.

Biver said that over 56,000 people bought one in the year it's been out, tripling expected sales. Not by any means pushing Apple volume, but that's not the point. Tag's strategy is to use the Connected as a gateway drug.

Keep in mind, the target market is not us. It's aimed at those who want an alternative to the Apple Watch in stainless steel. Priced near the same too. The only problem I see is that Montblanc is not Tag in terms of marketing reach. I'm not really sure how they will be able to reach their target market of Millennials like myself. If I remove from my brain my WIS knowledge about Montblanc watches, all that comes to mind is "old man pens" and mediocre luxury leather goods. No offense you pen guys.


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## maylebox (Feb 11, 2017)

TheWalrus said:


> That is _awesome_. Great looking watch - and a price that's pretty competitive. Especially against the Tag Connect. Depending on functionality, I think this could be a big deal. I'd certainly consider one...


+1



Stoshman said:


> Don't underestimate the effect this trend could have on mechanical watches. This could be far more acceptable to a lot of regular watch fans than the Apple Watch look.


I agree. I'm not an Apple watch guy but if I were to go with a smart watch I'd want mine to look like this.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Jephen said:


> Keep in mind, the target market is not us. It's aimed at those who want an alternative to the Apple Watch in stainless steel.


Actually, it is us, to a degree. It's for the WIS who wants the fitness monitoring at least some of the time, but doesn't want something that looks like a MedicAlert bracelet. So, it becomes a situational piece, like the good dress watch or the beater for the beach.


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## Sevenmack (Oct 16, 2011)

Jephen said:


> The only problem I see is that Montblanc is not Tag in terms of marketing reach. I'm not really sure how they will be able to reach their target market of Millennials like myself. If I remove from my brain my WIS knowledge about Montblanc watches, all that comes to mind is "old man pens" and mediocre luxury leather goods. No offense you pen guys.


Among watch collectors, Montblanc can't compete with TAG Heuer in brand name. But among the general public, Montblanc does have a lot of cachet, especially since it is the premier pen maker in the world. When I mentioned to my wife that I was looking to buy a Grand Seiko Hi-Beat in the next five years, she responded by saying why not go buy a Montblanc Heritage instead because at least it was a brand people know about. My wife, by the way, isn't exactly the type to encourage buying anything just on the basis of brand. But she knows Montblanc makes fine pens and she owns one (a company gift).

As far as I'm concerned, this smartwatch hits my sweet spot in many ways, especially since it does have GPS and is stylish; it now competes with the newest TAG Heuer Connected on the 2018 purchase list. If TAG Heuer can sell 56,000 watches (equivalent to 8.6 percent of its 2014 sales volume of 650,000 watches), Montblanc can move numbers equivalent to 10 percent of its 80,000 units sold in 2014. Which once again reminds us that mechanicals in the $1,000-to-$4,000 watch range isn't safe from the growth in smartwatches.


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## EnderW (Mar 16, 2015)

I can't wait for Montblanc smart-pen to be introduced. I hear these things called ball pens are becoming popular, and they even have cool new features like a clicker that retracts and extends the point of the pen.


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## mleok (Feb 16, 2010)

Sevenmack said:


> Among watch collectors, Montblanc can't compete with TAG Heuer in brand name. But among the general public, Montblanc does have a lot of cachet, especially since it is the premier pen maker in the world. When I mentioned to my wife that I was looking to buy a Grand Seiko Hi-Beat in the next five years, she responded by saying why not go buy a Montblanc Heritage instead because at least it was a brand people know about. My wife, by the way, isn't exactly the type to encourage buying anything just on the basis of brand. But she knows Montblanc makes fine pens and she owns one (a company gift).
> 
> As far as I'm concerned, this smartwatch hits my sweet spot in many ways, especially since it does have GPS and is stylish; it now competes with the newest TAG Heuer Connected on the 2018 purchase list. If TAG Heuer can sell 56,000 watches (equivalent to 8.6 percent of its 2014 sales volume of 650,000 watches), Montblanc can move numbers equivalent to 10 percent of its 80,000 units sold in 2014. Which once again reminds us that mechanicals in the $1,000-to-$4,000 watch range isn't safe from the growth in smartwatches.


It's much the same way that Cartier might not have a lot of cachet amongst watch enthusiasts, but it has a phenomenal brand recognition amongst the general population, and constitutes a substantial fraction of sales in the Richemont group.


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## mleok (Feb 16, 2010)

EnderW said:


> I can't wait for Montblanc smart-pen to be introduced. I hear these things called ball pens are becoming popular, and they even have cool new features like a clicker that retracts and extends the point of the pen.


You should look at the Pilot (formerly Namiki) Vanishing Point, which is a fountain pen with a click mechanism that retracts and seals the tip when not in use.


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## trueblueswiss (Mar 17, 2015)

I like the look of it and depending on final release of specs could be good competition for the new Tag connected. Although not sure if the style lends itself to the activity side on life.

The quick release straps are a good thing to increase customisation... the millennial kids can't keep something the same for more than 60 seconds. 

I would be interested to know the depth of the case and see how it wears. The price will make it pretty accessible for many more people wanting something that is from a luxury company.

I guess smart watches might be here to stay no matter how hard some people protest.


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## Tomatoes11 (Feb 17, 2015)

That's quite nice. If it was 39mm like the Gear S2 I would have been all over it. Too big though.


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## Perseverence (Dec 12, 2016)

Like hybrid cars, it seems that (smart watch) manufacturers are / did learn(ed) that there is a vast market waiting for their products that look "normal".


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## bigvatch (Sep 25, 2007)

My first impression is they look like those assortment of those off-brand Chinese smartwatches with all those leather bands and shiny bits.......even the stainless case and the the little charging base and the caseback. The clear "Made in China" on the back for a $1000US smartwatch with very basic features hmmm. 

These don't even appear to have GPS, WIFI, nor barometer like the $350 LG Watch Sport that sold out quick.


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## bigvatch (Sep 25, 2007)

edit


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## Raza (Jul 21, 2010)

I still can't imagine spending any serious kind of money on a watch that will be outdated and useless in a few years. Mechanical watches, with service, can last centuries. A few years back they found an old pocket watch in a sunken ship and experts said with a service they'd be able to get it running again. That was like a 500 year old pocket watch submerged in salt water! Can you imagine that even in 10 years, this watch will still be competitive or even compatible with the phones we'll be using? I mean, 10 years ago, the first iPhone came out and revolutionized the mobile phone industry. A year before that, phones were differentiated basically by whether they flipped open or not. Can you imagine what phones will look like in a decade? At least at under $1000, this is far more palatable a price than the TAG Heuer Connected, but it's also like four times the price of a basic Apple Watch (but only 50% more than the steel model with a leather strap). 

Electronics are utilitarian and disposable. Sure, I'm an Apple guy, so I find value in the form factor and pay extra for it. But even though I spend good money on an Apple computer or an iPhone, I understand that it has a sell-by date attached to it, and after that date, it's no good. I don't want my watch to be that way.


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## Jephen (Feb 14, 2014)

gangrel said:


> Actually, it is us, to a degree. It's for the WIS who wants the fitness monitoring at least some of the time, but doesn't want something that looks like a MedicAlert bracelet. So, it becomes a situational piece, like the good dress watch or the beater for the beach.


Definitely see your point. I went through a number of Fitbits and hated wearing them all despite how useful they were. Cheap silicon that didn't match with work clothes, didn't slip under a cuff, and attracted lint like crazy. Really POS hardware.

Then the Fitbit Alta came out and had the option of leather bands. It's incredibly discrete and looks better than those leather bracelets/cuffs that guys wear these days. Couple that with what really is the best casual fitness tracking software out right now. And the new HR version just dropped.

Just my opinion, it's a compromise on both fronts, dealing with a watch that's good but not great combined with a fitness tracker that is good but again not great.


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## Raza (Jul 21, 2010)

EnderW said:


> I can't wait for Montblanc smart-pen to be introduced. I hear these things called ball pens are becoming popular, and they even have cool new features like a clicker that retracts and extends the point of the pen.


I actually own a smart pen. It's quite useful. It captures everything I write (provided it's written on the right kind of paper) and then backs up all my notes to my iPad. Neat little piece of tech. It can even record, using the iPad's microphone.


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## Raza (Jul 21, 2010)

Jephen said:


> Definitely see your point. I went through a number of Fitbits and hated wearing them all despite how useful they were. Cheap silicon that didn't match with work clothes, didn't slip under a cuff, and attracted lint like crazy. Really POS hardware.
> 
> Then the Fitbit Alta came out and had the option of leather bands. It's incredibly discrete and looks better than those leather bracelets/cuffs that guys wear these days. Couple that with what really is the best casual fitness tracking software out right now. And the new HR version just dropped.
> 
> Just my opinion, it's a compromise on both fronts, dealing with a watch that's good but not great combined with a fitness tracker that is good but again not great.


What I find interesting is that people go for the Fitbit wearables when they have models that don't have to be worn and do pretty much the same thing. The first Fitbit model was a clip, not a watch, and it still has descendants that aren't wearable. I have one. I keep it in my pocket.


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## mleok (Feb 16, 2010)

Raza said:


> What I find interesting is that people go for the Fitbit wearables when they have models that don't have to be worn and do pretty much the same thing. The first Fitbit model was a clip, not a watch, and it still has descendants that aren't wearable. I have one. I keep it in my pocket.


I have the Fitbit One as well, but it doesn't monitor your heart rate.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Stoshman said:


> Don't underestimate the effect this trend could have on mechanical watches. This could be far more acceptable to a lot of regular watch fans than the Apple Watch look.


As much as the insistence for round smartwatches makes me shake my head (scrolling thru a text or email or weekly weather forecast is just better on a square screen), I'll recognize that a lot of holdouts are waiting for round displays. More users = more better.


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## Raza (Jul 21, 2010)

mleok said:


> I have the Fitbit One as well, but it doesn't monitor your heart rate.


While that's true, do you really think the wearables are that accurate? I mean, all it takes is two fingers and a watch to measure your pulse.


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## mleok (Feb 16, 2010)

Raza said:


> While that's true, do you really think the wearables are that accurate? I mean, all it takes is two fingers and a watch to measure your pulse.


It's really all about the constant monitoring and the automatic recording of that data. While it might not be extremely accurate, it is useful for identifying deviations from a baseline.


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## Raza (Jul 21, 2010)

mleok said:


> It's really all about the constant monitoring and the automatic recording of that data. While it might not be extremely accurate, it is useful for identifying deviations from a baseline.


That's a fair point.


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## dogandcatdentist (Jan 10, 2016)

The price is about right for this product, sub 1K, versus the TAG, and it doesn't look half bad either, but it doesn't have a speaker, and no NFC capability, by not having either, it totally ruins and limits the Android 2.0 experience. Although it's tech, and we should be talking about how it's going to be outdated, have you seen the resale prices on the old TAG Connected, it's pretty damn good! Crazy good resale, those original adopters aren't loosing much $$ at all, now that is something to talk about.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## watchmego3000 (Jul 12, 2012)

It looks good. Any new watch is something to get excited about.

Soon, a luxury brand will win this market by realizing the real money in high-end smart watches is in Modularity. Buy the watch from us, included in the price, free lifetime tech upgrades when sent in for service. The case, crystal, bracelet, crown, etc (mechanical bits) stay, but the electronic doo-dad innards can be swapped out and upgraded, including the screen.

You saw it first here, folks.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

daschlag said:


> It looks good. Any new watch is something to get excited about.
> 
> Soon, a luxury brand will win this market by realizing the real money in high-end smart watches is in Modularity. Buy the watch from us, included in the price, free lifetime tech upgrades when sent in for service. The case, crystal, bracelet, crown, etc (mechanical bits) stay, but the electronic doo-dad innards can be swapped out and upgraded, including the screen.
> 
> You saw it first here, folks.


They're gonna have to make money somehow to keep funding R&D into new components. Services (cloud syncing, maybe)?


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## watchmego3000 (Jul 12, 2012)

BarracksSi said:


> They're gonna have to make money somehow to keep funding R&D into new components. Services (cloud syncing, maybe)?


Tech is comparatively cheap, and getting cheaper. Heck... with what it is costing me to service my Breitling this year, I could buy a whole Apple Watch.


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## Lunar Watch Club (Dec 7, 2014)

TAG smart watch min. is $1,500 (outside of their core competency) 
Apple Smart watch similar min. is $399 (their bread and butter)

Simple choice there my friend...


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## pr1uk (Sep 25, 2012)

Just watched some videos of this new smartwatch and it's HUGE and like most super large watches looks really silly on most wrists


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## Shavely Manden (Jul 22, 2013)

Sevenmack said:


> But among the general public, Montblanc does have a lot of cachet, especially since it is the premier pen maker in the world.


You're spot-on about the general public's perception, but FYI Montblanc holds a similar position to pen collectors that Rolex has to watch collectors...they undisputably make great pens, but collectors tend to get annoyed that everyone seems to think they're the best pens in the world when there're other pens out there that're just as good or better.



EnderW said:


> I can't wait for Montblanc smart-pen to be introduced. I hear these things called ball pens are becoming popular, and they even have cool new features like a clicker that retracts and extends the point of the pen.


Ballpoints are the cheap quartz movements of the pen world...it's hard to deny that they're technically superior, but they're just way less fun than fountain pens.


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## Gary Drainville (Mar 23, 2014)

Shavely Manden said:


> You're spot-on about the general public's perception, but FYI Montblanc holds a similar position to pen collectors that Rolex has to watch collectors...they undisputably make great pens, but collectors tend to get annoyed that everyone seems to think they're the best pens in the world when there're other pens out there that're just as good or better.
> 
> Ballpoints are the cheap quartz movements of the pen world...it's hard to deny that they're technically superior, but they're just way less fun than fountain pens.


I just finished writing a few pages with my Nakaya - but whether it's my Nakaya or my MB 149, it is the most therapeutic and satisfying way to write! Absolute bliss - and it's the one hobby I got my wife interested in, which is my ticket to buy pens!


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## ty423 (Oct 12, 2016)

I always stop myself from buying something like this because of the depreciation and only a few years of life use.


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## no-time (Sep 17, 2013)

How is this different to any other Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch with a steel case?


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## FastStriker (Feb 24, 2017)

To me Biver did the smart thing with Tag when offering a swap for an acceptable fee to a mechanical watch after two years (far as I recall the terms). Nice way of mitigating the outdated tech factor, while at the same time keeping mechanical watches in the game. MtB could have learned from that!


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## tar6 (Jun 20, 2016)

I just don't like the price on it.....can't take that risk.


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## shazam7 (Jul 2, 2017)

Rarely do people do things to last longer than their children's lifetime. Who knows what the kids will find interesting in future.



Raza said:


> I still can't imagine spending any serious kind of money on a watch that will be outdated and useless in a few years. Mechanical watches, with service, can last centuries. A few years back they found an old pocket watch in a sunken ship and experts said with a service they'd be able to get it running again. That was like a 500 year old pocket watch submerged in salt water! Can you imagine that even in 10 years, this watch will still be competitive or even compatible with the phones we'll be using? I mean, 10 years ago, the first iPhone came out and revolutionized the mobile phone industry. A year before that, phones were differentiated basically by whether they flipped open or not. Can you imagine what phones will look like in a decade? At least at under $1000, this is far more palatable a price than the TAG Heuer Connected, but it's also like four times the price of a basic Apple Watch (but only 50% more than the steel model with a leather strap).
> 
> Electronics are utilitarian and disposable. Sure, I'm an Apple guy, so I find value in the form factor and pay extra for it. But even though I spend good money on an Apple computer or an iPhone, I understand that it has a sell-by date attached to it, and after that date, it's no good. I don't want my watch to be that way.


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