Montblanc

Hello all. First time posting here but I've been enjoying all of the information and pictures on this site! I'm hoping this community can provide me with a little insight and advice. I've recently acquired a Minerva triple date with moonphase chronograph which I believe should be a Valjoux 88 movement. I have not taken the case back off and verified the movement. The watch was running great but the other day I accidentally hit the crown on my front door while walking in the house. It wasn't a particularly hard hit but it was cringe worthy. The watch was still running fine so I didn't think too much of it. The next morning I noticed the watch was 10 minutes fast. When I pulled the crown out to set it back it stopped ticking and hasn't worked since (it's fully wound). Do you think a hit like this could cause serious damage to the movement?

After evaluation by the service center in TX, if they need to send it abroad to Switzerland, you're probably looking at an additional shipping fee of $150.  They may tell you in advance that the repair is going to be a minimum of $XXX or $X,XXX dollars if you send it out.  Pretty much every Richemont estimate I've seen from Switzerland has been more than $1,000.  Expect them to want to do quite a bit of work, especially since your watch sounds vintage.  That could mean new hands, dial refinish, case re-working, etc.  Turn-around time will be a minimum 3-6 months. 

The concern with going to an independent watch repair shop will be if they have access to genuine Minerva/Mont-Blanc parts, and also their ability to source Valjoux 88 parts.  I believe MB is like IWC in that parts are restricted to only the service center, at least here in the US.  If parts need to be replaced, you may have to opt for generic versions.  The Valjoux 88 has been out of production for 40+ years and some 17 variants exist for this movement - any repair will require a lot of patience!

I appreciate your response! Luckily the watch is basically in mint condition so it shouldn't need any work other than the movement. I guess I'll just pray it doesn't need much work and can be repaired in Texas.

You don't want the Richemont service center touching it in TX. Are you able to get to a MB boutique and have them ship to Minerva directly?

The MB boutique I called said if I brought it to them they would just ship it down to Texas if their in house guys couldn't fix it.

about the Texas Richemont Service Center. Just do a quick google. And don't just look for issues pertaining to Montblanc watches that go there. I believe all watches that Richemont owns goes there with the exception of Lange.

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I'm considering a local watchmaker the only concern is their ability to source replacement parts if needed as Jimmy pointed out.