shrike,
No definately not.
I am after that same total reliability.
I'm a Leupold man through and through and have been for many years but I have had a few dramas with various Leups from time to time.
As you say their repair service is very good.
Right at this very minute I am packing up my 9x25 gold ring Leupold bino's to send stateside for repair.
I got them out to show my boy how clear they were the other day and found that something has come unstuck with the internal lenses and there is a funny looking splotch across the image!

Yeah, I agree that I also put reliability above all else.