Metal bracelets only, in future!!

[AK797]

I would say £400 would be a real rip off for a luxury product like that, just as some of their steel cufflinks are over £300 and cost maybe £10 to make.

The real killer price for me was a gold bracelet for my AP ROC... £16K, the same price as a Nautilus!

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by red.earth

Just for the record, I've just taken a look at Nomos' website where they sell replacement leather straps. Prices? From $70 for velour leather and $110 for cordovan, the latter being described as "almost indestructible". Still quite expensive, given what you're getting, but it's a price I'd be willing to pay. Doesn't seem like a total rip off to me, but rather along the lines of what I would expect from a quality manufacturer i.e. reasonable.

Maybe my next watch will be a Nomos

Link to straps: http://www.nomos-store.com/en/Watchstraps/

Nomos is certainly one of the best values available today in the watch world.
Find me another quality manufacture with in house movements at a similar price.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by powerfunk

Unethical? I think you're going a little too far there...Exactly what is the maximum ethical profit margin on a luxury good?

The value of goods doesn't always correlate with manufacturer cost. And it could be argued that it's unethical not to give your shareholders the best return possible.

Sent from my 0PM92 using Tapatalk

I couldn't agree with you more. I dislike it when some people use terms like this to describe business practices.

It's as if we were talking about a basic necessity of life (ok, I know some will say that a luxury watch IS a necessity of life).

Luxury goods are by their nature priced in excess of their intrinsic value. The OP thinks branded straps are a ripoff? Of course they are. And they will remain that way as long as there's a customer willing to pay the price.

Now the price they charge for a beer and a hotdog at Yankees stadium, or at Fenway park- now THAT'S unethical!

[lapince]

Originally Posted by red.earth

Without Montlanc customers there is no Montblanc... so I think choosing to treat those customers in a reasonable manner should be of paramount importance.

Unethical = "conscienceless, ruthless, unconscionable, unprincipled, unscrupulous". I'd say charging £240 for a couple of small pieces of 'gator leather and a steel buckle is pretty ruthless and conscienceless.

I appreciate we all have different perspectives, of course

No it's the prices for any good croc strap, not even branded, you have different quality thus price level of gator straps, the cheapest can start from around 140 euros and the most expensive up to 300 sometimes even more, so believe me the price you are talking about is absolutely in the normal standards for this kind of goods, and branding has nothing to do with it as I know shops which have the best quality unbranded gator straps at these prices...

[joe100]

Originally Posted by EdipisReks

I'm surprised it's that low.

Ha! What I was thinking. Omega is more than that in some cases without the buckle... Rolex is the same

[Techno]

Me too
Only metal strap in future

[Norms]

Yea thats not that crazy... Getting oem straps usually cost at least that. Even after market really transparent strap makers charge that much. To get to the quality that they are delivering, probably hand made genuine alligator, that seems pretty normal.

[Techno]

Not just metal bracelet, it is going to be glide lock from Rolex

[Racerdj]

I try to mainly stay with metal bracelets as the weather is hot and humid most of the time. But I agree with you on the high cost but accepted it before my purchase.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by red.earth

Well, OK, I will... £240. For the avoidance of doubt, that's two hundred and forty English pounds.

They probably cost Montblanc no more than £20 to produce (likely even less than that, I should think).

I don't mind companies making a sensible profit but £240 is pretty outrageous by anyone's standards, surely?

At least it wasn't guineas

Assuming that includes hardware, the price seems ok.

[red.earth]

Again, thanks for your comments - all much appreciated.

Given the cost of replacement straps, I've taken to removing the Montblanc when I get home and putting on any one of my others since I don't have to worry in the slightest about how robust they all are. Not absolutely necessary, I appreciate, but it makes me feel happier

[drhr]

Seems about right to me, nothing really that earth shaking, better not look into Fagliano straps for sure . . .

[EdipisReks]

Originally Posted by red.earth

Again, thanks for your comments - all much appreciated.

Given the cost of replacement straps, I've taken to removing the Montblanc when I get home and putting on any one of my others since I don't have to worry in the slightest about how robust they all are. Not absolutely necessary, I appreciate, but it makes me feel happier

That strap is going to last a long time, even if worn every day. Gator/croc lasts much longer than straight cow leather. Anyway, you should see how much it would cost to replace the handmade big-scale (this makes a big difference, no pun intended, on price) vegetable tanned calf-lined croc strap for my Mauirce Lacroix Masterpiece.

[toneafficianado]

You may be able to get the buckle removed and placed onto a good quality leather strap eg Hirsch so at least having the original buckle makes it look like the OEM. I have done this many times when I had Longines watches with leather.

[CWIN]

The cost of the strap doesn't surprise me one bit. Just about par for the course.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by CWIN

The cost of the strap doesn't surprise me one bit. Just about par for the course.

Exactly, I've seen worse and from non branded so the price is right...