penfriend
3305
Two things
a) the Minerva finish was a lot less in quality than the MB-Minerva finish. I don't think they would have upgraded Minerva without the MB logo
b) this price point was something that Minerva could not justify - an upgrade in finish and branding was thought to be necessary
The fact that the general market has not appreciated the branding to full extent is a pity, but imo there were some not so good decisions after 2014 that lead to the point we are right now. It is hypothetical whether a pure Minerva brand would have performed better in this haut horlogerie market - i sincerely doubt it.
High complication haute horlogerie - NWA
Some quick pictures of my new timepiece featuring a regulator dial, GMT, Rattrapante and the patented exo-tourbillon. Pretty big and three dimensional caliber which is the deepest and nicest I have ever seen, even compared to an ALS Rattrapante. I know th...
btw: I learned that here the Rattrapante is integrated into the built of the caliber
with the 1858 it is a module which is "applied" onto the 16.29 chronograph caliber
Thank you for your kind assessment
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for sure this is amazing how they fit all those 422 pieces into a case
The most under rated brand due to the name used!
If they had left it as Minerva, it would have been a different story as the watches produced are some of the best finished in the market. Well done on your masterpiece!
This is true but too provoking for most in the market
Flippers and people who want to make a safe purchase investment-wise will always follow the brand. Only few others do not care at all times about the the brand. For me personally I consider my watch assortment as a portfolio: some are doing very good, man...
Admirable ethos!
I have bought two special Montblanc pieces before (both with MInerva movements). One AD sold me a limited edition of 58 pieces at 75% off list. Amazingly, I still lost another 10% when I sold it as it wore too thick. We should definitely buy watches that ...
That is unfortunately how the market is driven
especially as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,. Every single De Bethune or FP Journe or Nautlilus for example are fetching silly money irrespective of how they look. And it is always admirable if one collects watches without following the hype but t...
Late to the club ☺️
Yes, the market might be driven in the way you described. But the big question is: how are you are driven? It’s always your personal decision, your personal watch, your personal wrist. I personally never would buy a watch just because it has the „right“ b...
I have learned one important lesson in our passion
Never say that we will never sell a watch - well at least that applies to me. So when I do buy a watch these days, not only must I love the watch (irrespective of brand) but it also must have a good resale value (not necessarily at a profit) because one t...
I can completely follow your thoughts
when you say “not only must I love the watch (irrespective of brand) but it also must have a good resale value (not necessarily at a profit)” My experience is that some watch collectors are so dazzled by the aura of a "valuable" brand that they are inclin...
I am unable to subscribe to any hype
hence I have never owned a sports Rolex, Nautilus or Royal Oak as I am really a dress watch kinda guy. Boring I know but that's me
Ha!
I just wrote “XY” and you name a few of the usual suspects. 😁 The remaining question for me is: Would the same hype exist around the Nautilus, for example, if it wasn't a Patek but a Montblanc? And no, you are not boring, you seem to be an interesting ind...
I seriously doubt so!!
Notice that the sports models from the 'holy trinity' and Rolex have reached new heights surpassing their own more complicated pieces which to me does not make sense. How can a simple automatic sports watch in steel be more valuable than a perpetual calen...
Two things
a) the Minerva finish was a lot less in quality than the MB-Minerva finish. I don't think they would have upgraded Minerva without the MB logo b) this price point was something that Minerva could not justify - an upgrade in finish and branding was thought...
The finishing of the Minerva movements improved
to haute horlogerie levels in 2003 when Emilio Gnutti took over the company. Prior to that, the movements were great but not finished in the same way. Unfortunately in 2006 Emilio was sentenced to jail for six months for insider trading in Italy which pav...
I had a Small Seconds 38 from the Gnutti era
where MB discovered 38 movements from the era. The finishing was top notch according to a technical expert. ...
this "discovery" was imho a marketing stint by the former MD
I strongly believe these are calibers from about 2010 (which were not used for some ladies watches at that time as demand for 40,000 Euro Villeret woman pieces was rather low). My wife has got the same caliber and finish in a 2010 watch ;-) I posted that...
Search for pictures of the Tourbillon bi-cylindrique
there is one version from Gnutti and one from Montblanc; same layout and caliber but different finish. I saw both next to each other in real but was at that time not allowed to take a picture as it was a pre-release show.
Ok let's assume that is the case
I still believe that many people will always associate Montblanc with pens and it would have been a lot better if Minerva had retained its name simply because it has a longer history in watchmaking than Montblanc does. History does count for many.
I will - I wear every watch on a regular basis
and this one will get several weeks of wrist time now
For me...
This is an absolute top grail. The finishing is with the best in the world. The bridge for the tourbillon is exquisite. All the complication to boot. I love how both sides of the watch are are a delight to look at. Often for a dial side tourbillon the bac...
I was concerned about the thickness as well
but surprisingly, it does not wear like 47mm with 18mm height. It has a very compact feeling on my wrist, well balanced and much better shaped for me than the 47mm chronograph. Thank you for your kind words
The inhouse balance spring is,, to me at least, a top detail of this watch: that is traditional watchmaking ... not any polishing work of parts.
It is a highly desirable, great colkector's piece. Congrats to such an exceptional watch.
Such a marvel.
This is a breathtaking gem. Many congrats and wear it in best health. 😘