By Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz
What makes a luxury watch tick in a time of crisis? For Montblanc’s Davide Cerrato, that would be having a penchant for innovation, staying true to brand values and, of course, listening to one’s customers.
Luxury and crisis: two words that don’t usually end up in the same sentence. However, recent data has shown that the COVID-19 crisis has pared down the luxury goods market by an unprecedented 23 percent (€ 217 billion) in 2020. Despite the uphill battle ahead, not all is bleak and dreary for this market segment – at least not for those who are always on their toes.
For Montblanc watch division managing director Davide Cerrato, the challenging landscape offers “a real opportunity for brands like Montblanc, which, since the beginning, has pushed to deliver fair prices, matched with the highest value.”
While he admits that lockdown measures and the ensuing panic over COVID-19 have, indeed, resulted in the disruption of traditional retail operations, Cerrato also emphasizes that innovations were quickly adapted to further secure Montblanc’s place under the sun. “We have also made a huge effort to push through with our launches, and keep contact with our customers and collectors,” he says.
True enough, not even the dreaded coronavirus could stop Montblanc from launching the 1858 Geosphere in Blue and the Minerva mono-pusher split second in titanium and enamel grand-feu dial this year. The brand has also presented a great addition to its Star Legacy collections with 43 mm new automatics and chronos; and a very powerful design improvement of its classic world timer, the Orbis Terrarum.
With Minerva‘s blessing
Armed with more than a century’s worth of experience as a luxury brand, Montblanc finds itself pushing the envelope in 2020, in perhaps one of the most volatile market environments in modern times. This is most evident in its quickly growing watch division, which draws strength from yet another well-guarded heritage. “Montblanc, in terms of watchmaking, is a rising brand offering a different unique design language with a strong watchmaking heritage linked to Minerva,” Cerrato explains.
Minerva, he adds, is one of the few watchmaking brands that have pushed the boundaries of timekeeping during the first half of the 20th century. In 1916, it was able to capture the 100th of a second with a mechanical monopusher, thus making it a major contributor in the development of what is now known as a chronograph. “This mission inhabits everything we do with the watchmaking expression of Montblanc,” he expounds.
Minerva also serves as the core of the brand’s constant reinvention. This can be seen in the recent incarnation of the 1858 Geosphere, which is dedicated to exploration and the great outdoors. “We decided to create a perfect product line for explorers and people who like outdoor activities and adventure. Hence, the reference to military watches from the Minerva watches of the ’30s, and their functional characteristics, such as robustness and readability,” explains Cerrato. The result is a vintage watch, in a variety of nature-inspired colors, minus the complications.
While greatly anchored on its origins and history, Montblanc, as seen in the evolution of its timepieces, also listens to the demands and desires of its customers. And it is in this delicate balance that the luxury brand finds its ultimate strength.
“As always in life, the truth is in between. A brand’s own unique, peculiar identity and unique technical language may create a demand, but if it doesn’t follow trend and its customers’ voice, it can get lost. We are deeply in contact with our customers and what happens in the market to be able to stay in the game,” Cerrato concludes.
