jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) shares his personal journey into Montblanc, highlighting how a casual boutique visit in Dusseldorf evolved into a deep passion for the brand, culminating in his acquisition of a Montblanc Villeret chronograph. His narrative underscores the profound impact of personalized customer service and community engagement on a collector's brand loyalty and appreciation.
My journey into Montblanc and how I got my Montblanc Villeret chronograph grand feu enamel watch is a story I would like to share here. For Montblanc fans and collectors, everyone has a story to tell
This week I am traveling in Europe for business. Paris was my first stop followed by Dusseldorf (where I am leaving for London now). Dusseldorf is where my Montblanc journey started and it was right at this boutique.
Before 2012, I had some Montblanc products but won't consider myself a Montblanc fan. I came to Dusseldorf for work in around Jul (or was it Sep... Can't remember exactly) and stepped into the Montblanc Dusseldorf boutique. I wanted to look for a bag and was assisted by a kind lady German staff. Got the bag and left the boutique.
Montblanc Dusseldorf got my details and started sending me emails on their events and promotions subsequently (all in German). I replied that I am based in Singapore and won't be able to attend any events there. The German office then sent my contact to Montblanc Singapore. A manager from Montblanc Singapore wrote to me to welcome me to the world of Montblanc and he was sharp to notice I am a watch lover then (I just got my first high end watch around that time). He invited me for an event in Oct 2012, I met Julien the Montblanc Villeret watchmaker, saw the calibre 13.21 and fell in love with Montblanc Villeret since.
Some of you may remember how long I took to convince myself I could purchase a Montblanc Villeret watch. From Oct 2012 to Aug 2013 I struggled. To be honest, I struggled with the brand name on the dial. I was a watch brand snob
In the end true love prevailed (with the help of many PuristS here who helped grow me to be more pure and less of a watch snob - especially PuristS like Nicolas, Mike Ting, Fx and Patrick). I couldn't resist and got my Montblanc Villeret watch in Aug 2013 (coming a year now! Time flies!). Once i got that watch, somehow I grew to love the brand even more and got more watches, accessories and bags from Montblanc. The passion grew and eventually I took on the challenge to be a Montblanc forum moderator here.
A wristie near the boutique
Now that I am back in Dusseldorf, I knew I had to visit the boutique again - where my story began. To my amazement, when I walked in, the 2 lady staff who had attended to me almost 2 years ago recognized me! We started talking, the boutique manager Tobias joined us and I could see they were very happy and proud that my journey began in their boutique! Tobias reminded me "everyone has a story to tell and yours began in Dusseldorf, in our boutique!"
We chatted a lot about their watches and the new 2014 novelties and like what I heard in Singapore, the new Meisterstuck Heritage series is very popular amongst their customers. This is good news for the brand! I can feel Mr Lambert is injecting a lot of energy and excitement into Montblanc - all boutique staff I speak to in various markets are very excited about the new collections in 2014.
The Dusseldorf boutique has lots of beautiful decors on their watches and manufactures. There is always a large section devoted to Montblanc Villeret and the Minerva institute. Here are some pics to share.
Montblanc Villeret vintage Pulsograph in red gold and black enamel dial. LE 58
Beautiful white enamel dial on the Montblanc Villeret vintage Pulsograph - the white gold version. LE 58
Hope you enjoy the pics and my story (ok mine is not as exciting as Hugh Jackman's!). Everyone has a story to tell. What is your story? How did you begin your journey in a watch brand or generally in watch collecting? For Montblanc owners, what is your story?
Special thanks to Tobias and the staff of Montblanc Dusseldorf boutique for spending time listening to my Montblanc story yesterday and being a part of my story. I am proud to be part of your Montblanc family and definitely felt like I was family in your boutique (can't believe you guys could still remember me, a walk-in customer 2 years ago who didn't buy something expensive then).
Montblanc - I tell stories
Cheers
Robin
This message has been edited by jrwong23 on 2014-07-12 04:29:09 This message has been edited by jrwong23 on 2014-07-12 04:30:12 
