[adamcb]

Sad day as my new Limited Edition Homage to Nicolas Rieussec has gone to the big mainspring in the sky...

I was trying to get it started and hand wound it a bit. Not working. Tried the pusher to see if I could get the chrono part to work. It worked for about 10 seconds then clunk - nothing. Looked thru the back and nothing happening. Doesn't sound good when I get the rotor moving either...

Pretty disappointed - I've only had the watch for a month or two and expected more of this in-house movement. That means that it's probably going to have to take a long trip and I will be without it for quite some time...

So while it worked it kept some of the best time of any auto in my collection. But alas...


Adam

 

[gyang333]

That is super disappointing! Not only because of the obvious implications of going without a watch while it's being serviced... I just sent one of mine back (though not a Montblanc) for some issues. But the other disappointing aspect is of course the fact they ran that watch through their 500 Hours Test and somehow it made it past that and then to you for a few months only just to die

Hope it's a simple fix and you get it back asap.

 

[KL670]

That is both sad and scary as I'm currently shopping for one of them (the second generation) Sounds like your warranty is handy.

 

[adamcb]

KL, this is one time where I am very glad I went the AD route rather than grey market!

My local AD and I have a bet around getting the watch back July 4th. He took the under, I took the over. But we are both sure that the NY service center won't touch it - it will have to go back home across the pond...

Adam

 

[KL670]

Really glad you went with an AD as well, Adam. I'm currently trying to finalize a deal with an Italian company named Lister Agent. They also provide a manufacturer warranty but the one concern I have is they ask for a bank transfer. Otherwise, the price is about $1500 more with PayPal. I'm still debating.

 

[adamcb]

UPDATE: NEW WATCH!

So, it took four months, but Friday my AD called and he had in his hands a box from Montblanc with a brand new (new box, papers, everything) Nicholas Rieussec Limited Edition. But how we got here is the real story...

So, as I posted on April 5, my watch stopped working after only wearing it twice. I took it to an AD and they sent it to Richemont ironically here in Texas where I live. Three weeks later I got a call from the AD that the watch had arrived back, but they hadn't found anything wrong with it. WHAT?

(Aside, I purchased this watch from the MB boutique in the Atlanta airport. Seeing that I live in Austin, TX, and also getting to a store in the international terminal of an airport isn't the easiest thing in the world these days, I went to Jack Ryan Jewelers here in Austin where I live. More about how amazing they are below.)

I had the CEO of Jack Ryan open the box from me. Inside the very cool Montblanc return pouch was my watch. Unfortunately, it was DOA. Needless to say I was upset - a brand new watch returned from service in the same (or worse) condition that it went in.

So, the watch went back. You would think since it was on its second trip to the service center that it would get some sort of priority. Nope. Three months passed with me asking the AD status about once every few weeks. A month ago they said one more week. Two weeks ago they said one more week. You get the picture. I had enough.

So, Tuesday of this week I sent my AD a note (with the full intention that it would be forwarded to MB), noting that they have had my watch about 5 times as long as I had it. I said I no longer had faith in the watch (anything taking 4+ months to fix must be pretty screwed up) or faith in the service department (they sent it back broken the first time). Mark from Jack Ryan forwarded the note to all of the people he knew inside of MB USA.

They got the note this Tuesday. It was forwarded to someone important Wednesday. On Wednesday this important person approved me getting a brand new watch replacement. And Mark at Jack Ryan called Friday saying it was in. Friday afternoon I was wearing a brand new watch (the only difference being my old one was in the 300s of a 565 limited edition, this one is in the low 400s). FOUR DAYS PASSED FROM MY FORWARDED NOTE TO ME WEARING A NEW WATCH. WOW. When the right people get involved things can move AMAZINGLY fast at Montblanc.

So, it took way longer than I expected but Montblanc and Richemont did the right thing. AND Jack Ryan Jewelry (who also runs LexTempus.com) totally went out of their way to help me here. I didn't buy the watch from them but they assisted me nevertheless and dealt with my persistent questions (and I am sure frustrations). I wouldn't have a new watch today without Mark and his team.

Glad to have a nice ending to this story. Montblanc is back in my good graces. There's a lot to learn in this story about customer service and how even when something gets royally screwed up, decisive and quick response can win back brand loyalty.

Adam

 

[crazyfastbeats]

Glad everything worked out for you. Now sell it to me.

 

[gyang333]

Congrats on the happy ending!

I'm wondering, did MB or anyone ever explain what was wrong with your watch?

 

[adamcb]

George,

From what I understand, it was an "end shake" issue. The problem goes back to the way watches are tested. When a mainspring is placed in a movement and the watch "heartbeat" begins, it's never really allowed to stop as it goes thru final production and then testing (500 hours in this case).

The problem was encapsulated perfectly by the CEO of Jack Ryan Jewelers Mark Baran in his note to Montblanc:

The customer has told us that, from the time the watch was purchased, he has had difficulty initiating the movement from a dead stop, with no power on the barrels. He has noted that, regardless of the number of turns he puts on the barrels, the watch will usually not run, and when it starts running he can provide no definite reason for why it starts. However, when it runs, it keeps good time.

My personal observation of the moment leads me to believe it is not a beat adjustment. As the balance does not move at all when the watch is rotated in hand. And when the crown is pulled out, the balance makes about a quarter turn, then stops again. Since this problem only presents itself from a dead stop with no power on the barrels, I assume it is an end shake issue of some sort.

So, when you'd wind the watch (from full stop), it just wouldn't get going. When it was shipped back to MB for repair, it had been wound fully and obviously the jolts and bumps of shipping got the watch to work again.

This new watch seems to be doing ok. I'm letting it wind down on its own and testing starting it back up to make sure. Fingers crossed...

Thanks,

Adam

 

[gyang333]

Thanks for the insight! It's very nice that you dealt with someone that is very knowledgeable of mechanical watches. Someone less experienced might have sided with the Richmont service centre that there was nothing wrong. Yikes!

 

[KL670]

So glad it worked out for you, Adam. After I heard your initial encounter with the issues, I decided to make the purchase of my NR Rising Hours through an AD rather than grey market. Yours is so elegant. Great choice.

 

[adamcb]

That's a beautiful watch, KL. Hope yours is a trouble-free as it appears my new one is. I've let it run down a few times just so I could see that it easily starts up. Everything seems to be good.

It is interesting that in the elaborate testing they put these watches thru (especially the JLC 1000 hours and 500 MB certification) that they don't let the watch stop and start. After the mainspring is given tension the first time, the watch NEVER stops while in the manufacturing facility. Maybe if that was part of the process (a start and a stop) issues like mine would have been caught.

Thank, everyone for your comments and interest.


Adam

 

[wk.sniper]

That is sad

 

[Tick Talk]

Any update to this?

 

[adamcb]

Tick Talk,

Did you miss the June 28th post on this thread? Pretty detailed overview and picture of the resolution - they gave me a brand new watch. All good.


Adam

 

[Tick Talk]

Man, that's weird. I don't see it when I follow your initial post but up in hybrid view I found it. Is this normal? Anyway, thanks and congrats on a successful outcome. I wish the brands would put only a fraction of the effort and investment in after-sales servicing as they do in marketing...

Tick Talk,

Did you miss the June 28th post on this thread? Pretty detailed overview and picture of the resolution - they gave me a brand new watch. All good.

Adam

 

[3puttjay]

I;m glad yours is up and running. Its unfortunate that they take so long for service. My JLC took 4 months for service as well, so I don't think it is exclusively a Montblanc thing. It took them nearly a year to return my Minerva Palladio chronograph from service. I am happy with what was done to the watch, just not the time frame.

 

[johnkaufman]

Just bought a MB Nicolas Rieussec.
Then I read this thread about the winding problems...made me concerned!
Have any other owners experienced this problem (tight winding at the crown), or other problems
with these watches?
Here is a pic of mine:

 

[adamcb]

John,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you here.

After my initial struggle with my Nicolas Rieussec and getting the replacement that I discussed here, I have had absolutely no issues with the watch. Quite the opposite - it's operated flawlessly and is still about -3 secs/day on the timegrapher.

Hope that you have the same luck with yours.



Thanks,

Adam