When it comes to Montblanc, many people’s first reaction is: this is a brand that can create stylish fountain pens.
In fact, apart from its achievements in writing instruments, Montblanc also has considerable expertise in leather goods and watches.
In August this year, Montblanc launched a brand new smartwatch in China: the Summit.
But before we talk about the Summit, let’s first discuss the current state of the smartwatch industry:
2017 was a pivotal year for the smartwatch industry. On one hand, there was a wave of bankruptcies among ordinary smartwatch brands like Jawbone and Pebble, with many once-promising unicorn companies going under. On the other hand, luxury brands like LV, Montblanc, Armani, and Hermes were entering the smartwatch market in various forms!
There are two reasons for this stark contrast:
Firstly, the current functionality of smartwatches is still not sufficient to exist as completely independent smart devices. They have not become a daily necessity like smartphones; users are often attracted by the novelty, but once the trend passes, interest wanes.
Secondly, wearing a watch is more about pursuing a lifestyle and taste rather than just practical timekeeping. If we look purely at practicality, smartphones are far more convenient and accurate than any watch.
Thus, the combination of luxury brand aesthetics and the current functionality of smartwatches naturally sparks a true love affair. Traditionally, watches had only two internal options: mechanical or quartz. The charm of mechanical watches is unparalleled, while quartz is essential for consumer demand. One seeks refinement internally, the other seeks beauty externally.
Now, between mechanical and quartz, there is a more appealing option: smart.
When smart meets luxury, let’s officially discuss the standout: the Montblanc Summit smartwatch.
Since we mentioned that watches reflect lifestyle, let’s first talk about the aesthetics of the Summit:
Yes, you read that right; this is a smartwatch that looks very much like a mechanical watch~
The Summit’s design continues the award-winning Montblanc 1858 series, simply put, it is the smart version of the 1858. The Summit features a high-quality stainless steel and titanium case paired with a modern style strap, providing an incredibly strong mechanical watch feel when worn.
The surface is a dome-shaped sapphire crystal glass, a first in the smartwatch field. Here, I must complain about the sapphire version of the Apple Watch; it easily scratches, and I believe most people cannot tolerate such an unsightly surface. Applying a tempered film is not a satisfactory option either.
However, Montblanc’s sapphire glass demonstrates exceptional durability and scratch resistance, allowing the wearer to confidently showcase the mechanical aesthetics.
The 46mm case is available in four different materials and styles: black PVD-coated stainless steel, a two-tone stainless steel case with a black PVD-coated bezel, and satin-finished stainless steel and grade 5 titanium cases.
All cases are crafted with both satin and polished finishes, perfectly showcasing the substantial feel characteristic of mechanical watches.
Usually, textual descriptions of craftsmanship and appearance are not as direct as visuals, so let’s jump straight to the images to experience the Summit’s blend of casual and business smart mechanical style.
As mentioned earlier, the primary mission of a watch is to reflect a lifestyle, and an exquisite appearance is one aspect of that lifestyle. In fact, smart features also represent a lifestyle.
Let’s take a look at the Summit’s basic hardware and software configurations:
From the chart, we can see that Montblanc has used high-quality materials for the hardware configuration, ensuring smooth operation. Compared to the nearly ten thousand yuan price of the customized version of the Apple Watch, the Summit’s price of 7,100 yuan can truly be described as “generous” among luxury goods.
Full round display: The watch face features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, providing delicate display effects and vibrant colors. More importantly, this round watch face is fully circular!
There’s no little notch like the one on the Motorola watch; staring at this watch face gives a sense of completion for those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Full local integration: Montblanc has made many localization efforts with the Summit, such as integrating Alipay, Ctrip, Keep, Didi, and Dianping, truly customizing it for the Chinese market.
All-day display: In terms of battery life, it typically requires charging once a day with magnetic charging. A highlight here is that the Montblanc Summit’s always-on display keeps the watch face information visible at all times, even in standby mode, there will be no black screen.
Of course, as a smartwatch, it also features standard IP68 waterproof and dustproof ratings, as well as notifications for calls, messages, emails, schedules, heart rate monitoring, step and exercise tracking; gyroscope and compass for positioning, and barometers for altitude measurement, among other features.
Lastly, as expected of a luxury brand: exclusive customization. For users who love personalized watch faces, they can closely collaborate with Montblanc’s creative director, designers, and engineers to create a unique customized watch face.
Of course, the price is also quite personalized: starting at 110,000 yuan.
If appreciating a watch comes from your understanding of the product, and you deeply know the source and details of each design, you can more easily assess its craftsmanship or its value in the industry. Any valuable item, after experiencing the passage of time, will leave something behind.
Smart fashion, like Tesla in the automotive world, is born for people who pursue quality of life at a specific stage. Whether the MONTBLANC SUMMIT smartwatch is worth buying depends on whether you like it. Do you understand it? After understanding, do you fall in love with it?
As the first smartwatch from Montblanc, the Summit is just the beginning.
Click “Read Original” to experience the SUMMIT smart life