patrick_y
[PuristSPro Moderator]
33534
Very true Mark...
What you say is fundamentally true and beautifully simple. The more expensive something is, the more meaningful it is.
But what happens if you're extremely wealthy and money isn't a big deal to you? An expensive watch may or may not be a big deal with you.
Ultimately, the biggest issue is that people want to feel that they got value. If I pay twice as much for a Patek Philippe than I did for a Rolex, I would expect the Patek Philippe to be a little bit better (law of diminishing returns, you can't expect the Patek Philippe to be twice as good just because it's twice as much money).
So, if we buy something that's 2X the price of X, the more expensive one is expected to be a better product. If the cheaper version is better though and the additional expense cannot be justified in another way, then the world is upside down. Panic ensues. Doom prevails.
Many manufacturers try to create something in various price points to capture the entire market. And Montblanc has decided it wants to be perceived as a value brand. Kind of like where Jaeger LeCoultre was a few years ago.
Scatter-brained post, but your post got me thinking a lot Mark. Thank you!
SIHH 2015: Why I'd Buy The Montblanc Heritage Orbis Terrarum Watch
PuristSPro moderator and long-term Montblanc fountain pen collector Patrick_y tries to be critical of the Montblanc Heritage Orbis Terrarum Watch and finds his job so difficult he decided to focus on what was done right about the watch. Despite now being ...
Simply beautiful. My only concern is about the size.
41mm does not sound big. Judging from your photo, however, that the lugs seem to be overpowering your wrist. I'll have to try it on to see how it fits. I'm more and more drawn to watches ≦40mm.
A valid concern...
The size of the watch is not small, especially for a dress watch. My wrist is sometimes unusually small, especially when I travel to cold environments. So unless you have an unusually small wrist, I would say you're safe on the lug issue. But yes, it's de...
I really like this one, however....
I would much prefer a central seconds hand - if it had one, I would be a buyer (probably not much of a criticism, as this is really just personal preference). Great watch overall though. Darren
Interesting...
If you look at other world time watches from other manufacturers I don\'t see a second hand on any of them except the Girard Perregaux model which operates differently anyways. I do think a central second hand would make an already complex looking watch l...
dial is attractive
Thanks Patrick for the review of the Orbis Terrarum. I like the dial and reasonable price point. Only concern is the size and thickness, but will need to try it on before deciding. Overall I think this will be a hit for MB. Which version are you buying? R...
Agreed.
My biggest concern is with the size and thickness as well. Being 41mm in diameter and quite thick is the only concern. I only had a short time to try it on when I was at SIHH, so I'll probably look at it more closely once it comes stateside to determine t...
I'll let you know if I can find anything out about this idea.
I am sure AP would knock it out of the park.
Waiting for the sleepy bear to wake up from hibernation...
I've seen a WorldTime from Patek Philippe, a super advanced one from Vacheron Constantin that can do more than 24 timezones, but nothing from AP. It'd be great to see all the WorldTimes from the big 3 brands.
One of the things I don't like on this watch is the minute ring, where Montblanc is...
Written. I would have preferred without. Yes, the case is a tad thick, yes it would have been better 1 or 2 mm thinner. Yes I would have preferred a more " noble " movement. And if you compare it to a Patek 5130 in the SAME metal, it i " only " 3 times le...
A lot of agreement!
The Montblanc on the dial is small enough for me, so I'm fairly happy with that. No major complaints on that one. But in terms of dial design, the design, the fonts and material used, the ink color used, I wonder if it will age well. Will it still look go...
Very interesting value for money
Thanks for this original presentation Patrick. The thing that surpised me the most was... the price. When you compare it to what you usually have at this price point, this wroldtimer is a wonderful offer. Moreover, I haven't held it yet but it seems they ...
Or.. And this is an important point this watch raises...
Aren't wee too badly used to mad prices, when it comes to watches? Which would explain that when a Watch is correctly priced, we are surprised... Food for thought... Best, Nicolas
Exactly what I thought...
When I posted my answer I just had the same thought but I didn't edit it finally... Where should stand the prices' level in this sector (even in a luxury world which works with prices adjustments) ? Is it just an unjustified run toward the skies (the more...
I would bet on the " skies " explanation. But brands should be prudent with that...
The demand has no vocation to be perpetually unlimited... Time for some fairness, in my opinion... Best, Nicolas
Prudence
I think that these 2 last years have shown indeed that they can be put in an uncomfortable position when the economy slows down.
Thank you for reading Mark!
Thank you for reading Mark. I really wanted to share my thoughts, both good and negative, about this watch that really struck me and "threw" me across the room. Will we see Tourbillons one day for $25,000 from a major Swiss manufacturer? Jerome Lambert di...
My opinion on pricing levels...
Well, this leads to many questions indeed. Of course, it is a specific sector of the economy which carries a lot of dreams and meanings. These latter are difficult to give a value to and as long as people are willing to pay, it may gain even more value. A...
Very true Mark...
What you say is fundamentally true and beautifully simple. The more expensive something is, the more meaningful it is. But what happens if you're extremely wealthy and money isn't a big deal to you? An expensive watch may or may not be a big deal with you...
Interesting thoughts Patrick,
It will be interesting to see how Montblanc's image will behave in the next few years :) Chers, Mark
Prices increased +7% since March 1st,2015
Nice post Patrick_y. I have ordered mine in steel with bracelet, and the price will be 5600 euros (instead of 5250 euros as published during SIHH). Delivery planned end August. I am hardly waiting for this "Beauty". Cheers, Patrickh
Oh No! That's not good for me!
Pounding my fist and throwing a tantrum here! Congrats on your newly ordered watch Patrickh! The first ones haven't even hit the US market (Asian markets and European markets will get first shipment in late summer). Please share with us your sentiments on...
I will do it when she will be on my wrist ;-)))
Just have to wait end of August...... I had made many comments and photos, taken at SIHH, on Nicolas' post. Thanks, Patrickh
Nice review and sharing Patrick!
I think the Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum (HSOT for short) has a high chance of becoming a community watch here! Cheers Robin
I still like Villeret more...
I still like the Villeret more, but the problem with the Villeret is that it's not as affordable. The Villeret is still the best bargain. Truly top notch everything. Better than the Big 3 (Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin) and A. L...
+ 1 Patrick :)
As someone who spoke with my wallet, I also wish more people can appreciate the beauty of ... Cheers Robin ...
Sadly I can only buy watches with my own money
but after trying it on during SAHH I am seriously considering buying this one. Just because of its price.
You almost can't go wrong...
Even taking the price out of the equation... It was a watch that was difficult to find fault in. You may fall in love once you see it in person. Oh, I'm totally picky about movement finishing, so that would be a bit of a fault for me. But perfectly unders...
Compare it to a Hublot Classic Fusion
and this movement has a fine finishing for its price. I obviously concur with your statement. It isn't a Patek or Grönefeld finishing wise. But the price isn't either. This really is an unexpected good offer. I am truly surprised something like this comin...
Definitely meets my expectations for this price point...
There are some watches that exceed my expectations. The Blancpain 50 Fathoms Bathyscaphe model has exceptional finishing for a watch of its price point. Another excellent value. But this Stellita movement is definitely reasonably finished for the price le...
Convinced after trying
I has the chance to try the Orbis Terrarum while it was displayed in HK Mont-blanc boutique. It felt very nice on the wrist and the dial was simply beautiful. Soon as I was convinced and put my name on the pre-order list. availability expected to be by Oc...
And compared to the Nomos Zurich Worldtimer?
And I'm not at all bashing the Montblanc! I haven't seen the Montblanc in person yet, but I agree it's a great piece for the money even in the gold case. But I wanted to see what other thought of it compared to the German version from Nomos. The Nomos is ...
I've seen the Nomos Worldtimer...
And while I praise the Nomos WorldTimer for being thin, that's where my praises stop. I'd rather have the normal Nomos Zurich model over the WorldTimer. Even if you were to gift it to me, I'd take the cheaper Zurich basic version over the Zurich WorldTime...
I couldn't agree more
The no date Zurich is my favorite piece in their collection and it's on my short list of watches to own.
I am not sure the Nomos can be seen as a World Time.
A World Time is a Watch which gives you, at one glance, the time in the 24 cities of the world. Here it is more a Travel Time, in my opinion: The movement of the Nomos is better looking. But I prefer the look of the Montblanc. Best, Nicolas ...
Agreed. I don't consider the Nomos to be a true worldtime.
And I'll refrain from calling the Nomos watch a worldtime from now on. Thanks Nicolas!