1 feb 2022 price increase

scapa

It is a bit nuts. Here is Canada the 3861 Sapphire on steel is already at CAD 9700.00, while the hesalite is a bargain at 8550.00. Even an increase of 3 - 6% pushes the sapphire into five-figure territory, and the hesalite close to 9k. When I started getting interested in the Speedy only a few years ago it was often described as a strong value - a beautiful if austere watch with a legendary history and excellent case and movement for around 5k. Now, here at least, it’s nearly double that. I would not have bought into new Omega at those prices. I guess others are though, and in droves.

C chipotlefire

Is this price difference because some taxes Canada places on Swiss goods? Trade deal or something?

Even with the exchange rate, that is like $600+ more than the Sapphire retails for in the U.S.

G Gixnic

Is it just a price increase for Speedmasters or the entire catalog?

scapa

I’m no expert but I don’t think so - Tudor watches are less expensive here, for example, once adjusted for currency, etc. Just seems to be the way Omega (and the Swatch Group more generally) sets their pricing.

It does seem that some watch pricing thresholds have a psychological impact, as often reflected in the “best under X dollars” articles we regularly see in the watch press. 5,000 and 10,000 seem to be the price bands that Omega once placed its key steel models; now it’s 7k and 10k, and once a basic Speedy Pro sapphire breaks the 10k mark it will become, IMO, a quite different buying proposition. But maybe that will only make Omegas more desirable for the non-WIS hoi polloi. I’m sure they’ve done their homework on all of this.

C chipotlefire

I assume Omega is trying to keep up with Rolex in that same luxury band. As Rolex goes up and opens up the entry-mid tier for Tudor, Omega will move up and open up the entry-mid for the other Swatch brands (Longines)

A buyer can't buy a $14k Daytona at retail? maybe a Speedmaster Pro at $10k. Surely somebody wanting to spend $14k wouldn't be satisfied stepping way down to pay $6k for a Speedmaster Pro. 😉

R ruziman

I saw the new pricelist a few days ago, there will be an increase at the Speedmaster Models: Hesalite about 8%, Saphire about 8,5%. Best time to buy a Speedy if you don‘t have it already…

Hany_AE

I’m in Western Canada and swung by my AD earlier to ask about any upcoming increase and they said they weren’t aware of another increase above the one that just happened on the Seamaster earlier this month. They said they are normally notified at least a month in advance by Omega! Since we are already paying more than other countries maybe the price increase won’t apply here! ‍

C Cod Holliday

I stopped by an AD yesterday as well (Western Canada) and the rep didn't know of a price increase either. Then again, she didn't seem very knowledgable either, I knew more about their models than she did. Btw, they only had one SMP on rubber and one hesalite in stock. FWIW

Leviathan

I too have noticed a smaller number of sports models, and a replacement with constellation, AT, ladies models, etc. (at least on displays. They’re all readily available otherwise).

I wonder if in the near future the Swatch Group will begin playing the dirty games of its 5-pointed crown cousin.

C Cod Holliday

Not sure and I hope that's not the case. Lady noted that she didn't have a 3861 SS in stock and all the available SMPs were on display and they had a lot of those dummy cushions in that kiosk (that are a staple of the crown). They had a full kiosk of Deville and Constellation etc as you have said. They also had Speedmaster Racing and it looked beautiful. I have never seen one IRL before.

scapa

Similar experience here. A few SMPs on rubber (white and grey), no ATs at all, speedy hesalite and the usual array of oddballs including the Timer that never move. The popular models all show up as On Order, including the Chronoscopes, some of which are pushing CAD 19k.

The annoyance of having to order, of course, is that a deposit is required and the terms often read as final sale -- not ideal if you're not sure about a model's aesthetics or fit and require a try before you buy.

This AD also carries Rolex (nuttin') and IWC, among others, and the shelves were similarly empty of popular models there. And they seemed to think another price increase was indeed on the way, although no details to when or how how much. So we'll see, I guess.

All in all a dispiriting visit, and a far cry from years back, when I saw some astonishing and rare Omegas that drew me to the brand and have kept me interested.