San Francisco Our Favorite Montblanc Boutique in the USA
Of all the Montblanc boutiques we have visited over the years I would have to say our favorite is San Francisco. And not because it is only 15 miles from our home, it is because of the fantastic staff at this location as well as the great shopping area in San Francisco where they are located. Every time we enter there is always a warm friendly welcome and terrific service by everyone of the staff. We frequently shop at many of the merchants and restuarants in this area but none provide the level of friendliness and service that we receive when we step inside this boutique which makes every trip a pleasure. The past Saturday my wife and I were in San Francisco for dinner and some Christmas shopping. As always we decided to stop by Montblanc and the other stores to see what if anything was new for the holidays, also since the new contest was announced I wanted to submit an entry for the new Montblanc Time Writer book and share some pictures of the San Francisco boutique and my favorite Montblanc timepiece.
San Francisco Boutique Store Front
New Villeret on Display
Front window Display of Watches
Nicolas Rieussec on Display
New TimeWalker on DIsplay
Inside the San Francisco Boutique
My Birthday/Anniversary/Christmas Present - My Favorite Timepiece - My Villeret
In closing I do not think there is any thing I would change on the time pieces
themselves. I would like to see a change in the business side. I know that on
the wholesale side pricing is determined by quantity and so it should be. I
would like to see Montblanc or maybe even better yet Riechmont on the retail
side have a loyalty program. As collectors we often have several if not dozens
of time pieces in our collections. I would love to see Riechmont who has
numerous great names to select from allow collectors to register your purchases
for warranty as well as for loyalty point awards. Imagine for example if after
purchasing 5 time pieces with a value of US $60,000 you would receive a reward
from Riechmont of 30% off of your next purchase, Yes there may be restrictions
on what it could be applied against or maybe if you wanted it to apply it
towards a Villeret you would have to spend to another higher level. I am sure that
a good marketing campaign could be promoted and tiered awards designed that as
we collect and remain loyal within one brand or within one corporate family
group that an appropriate discount reward could be applied. On the other hand I
think this may just encourage my addiction to a new level. Wishing every Purist
a very Happy Holidays and a Great New Year of Collecting. Regards Jay
Great Boutique, Nice People.......
And so say all of us!!!!!!!!!
Best Regards,
Julian
Hi Jay, I know you are one of the most faithful and strong PuristS supporter of Montblanc
thank you for taking time to share your visit to the SF boutique.
MB should seriously consider your suggestions regarding a "loyalty" program.
They should be the first to reward faithful customers of the brand rather than spending an outrageous amount attracting new people.... I know it takes both to succeed but I think better balance is required.
Cheers, MIke
Montblanc and Loyalty Program
Not sure if I am the strongest supporter but I do appreciate the technical and artistic direction the company has taken with their internal design of the MB100 followed by the newer series of the Rieussec.
I am a huge supporter of Montblanc and their ability to stand behind their product, and how hard they worked for example in my situation with my Rieussec. (That write up is coming in the future) As for the Minerva Villeret side that portion speaks for itself. I love their in house models or I would not have purchased one. However, one thing I really love is the entire concept of the Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie and what is being done to promote the up and coming watchmakers. One only needs to spend time talking with Fanck and Johnny and then to actually witness the Metamorphosis in person and see truly what a horological masterpiece this watch is.
Regarding the loyalty program when I look across my collection of modern manufacturers and look at who owns the individual brands the slight majority leans towards Riechmont. In the future two watches could swing that direction to another group. My thinking was not only do the brands need to attract new buyers at each price point but it would be a great concept to see a rewards program for all collectors at the group or parent corporation level. It simply helps support the brands under the group. The problem I feel is at the luxury group level this may not be seen as necessary. I simply think it helps promote brand loyalty.
The aim would be to try and steer potential purchase decisions towards the various Riechmont brands for example rather then other brands such as the ones owned by LVMH or Swatch. Honestly how many of us only have one watch? And if your next watch pushed you to the rewards level that the following watch would receive a 30% discount I am sure that would help direct a lot of purchasing decisions.
Regards jay