I had parents of two, 25 year-olds independently ask me last week if I knew where to source a new Submariner for each of their boys. Apparently, both are extremely hungry to get their hands on one.
Now, putting the whole Rolex Submariner issue aside for the moment, and the associated status, bragging rights, dick-swinging, etc.: this is still a mechanical timepiece, and these young guys want it, and they might enjoy the diversion from their cookie-cutter technology enough to want more, or different brands, or venture into vintage. And, let’s also not forget that these youngsters are way more connected than we ever were, so this is likely to be a bigger wave coming than we thought.
I don’t know if Omega thinks the new Moonswatch was the answer to bringing new, younger collectors into the fold, but if so, it could have been unnecessary, and Rolex will likely never do it. And thus, Omega will continue to be chasing them, and now their brand perception in comparison may get even more divergent.