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LVMH is considering laying off half the staff at Zenith

Ron_W
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That is not good news if a quality brand like Zenith can not survive. To many price increases maybe ?
 
Evitzee
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Zenith has tried to position itself as a luxury brand similar to AP in the sports line. Prices are too high, imo. They are a good brand, but placed and priced wrong.
 
sathomasga
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This summer there were rumors of layoffs in TAG Heuer as well, specifically in their smart watch group in conjunction with the cancellation of those watches:

https://luxe.net/tag-heuer-arret-montre-connectee/

However, since then TAG Heuer released a new model

https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/smar...tag-heuer-connected/45-mm/SBT8A87.EB0436.html

And my Connected Calibre E5 has continued to receive software updates.

Maybe the rumors are true; maybe they're not.
 
YY77
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sathomasga sathomasga
This summer there were rumors of layoffs in TAG Heuer as well, specifically in their smart watch group in conjunction with the cancellation of those watches:

https://luxe.net/tag-heuer-arret-montre-connectee/

However, since then TAG Heuer released a new model

https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/smar...tag-heuer-connected/45-mm/SBT8A87.EB0436.html

And my Connected Calibre E5 has continued to receive software updates.

Maybe the rumors are true; maybe they're not.
Maybe it's worse

https://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/tag-heuer-exits-connected-smartwatch-production-report
 
paysdoufs
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Yupp - highly unlikely that the end of the Connected is just a rumor. Too many concordent reports, IMHO...
 
CaptainWinsor
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Sad news for a storied brand as Zenith. Luxury items are not on people’s need list right now
 
Mediocre
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If they could go private, I believe they might have a better chance at success
 
Myron
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I honestly can't remember where, but somewhere I either heard or read that Zenith was going to stop actually producing watches for two years, and then return with only very high-end watches. Seems crazy to me, so I doubt the veracity of this rumor.
 
D
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I may have read the same article or similar. Zenith are now to become a very high end luxury watchmaker, make fewer watches but charge way, way more.
 
ErichKeane
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D droptank
I may have read the same article or similar. Zenith are now to become a very high end luxury watchmaker, make fewer watches but charge way, way more.
I think this is the wrong direction for Zenith. They have a history of interesting technology improvements, and should embrace it. Omega USED to go all-in on the "this is an engineer's watch", particularly with Coaxial stuff, but seem to have decided to go upmarket instead. Zenith could do well sliding into that 'technologically interesting' rather than "look at my bling!".

FWIW: The fact that Omega doesn't put large coax-models in every OB, don't host 'watchmaking classes', etc is a giant miss. As someone who works in the tech industry, I've managed to convert a shocking number of apple watch users just with phone photos and explaining 'how they work'. The fact that Omega doesn't try that (and that Zenith, a company with the history to put themselves into that niche) is a giant fail on both their parts.
 
HamDoctor
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I also read the "we are retiring most of our current lineup and returning in two years in a higher price bracket" thing. Reminds me a lot of Jaguar, who are currently trying the exact same thing, with not much certainty that it will work.
Yes, the GFJ cal. 135 issues were apparently successful - at least, sold out mostly - so maybe there is a bit of a niche for them. But Zenith has been mostly about the El Primero, all these years they were telling us stories about them, how the tools for making the movement were saved, how the Rolex Daytona was powered by them etc. ... and I can't see them selling El Primeros in a $50k range. Are they really going to dump this part of their history?
... and if they do: what will Zenith be remembered for?
 
hen
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If you can fool your customer to buy a mass produced watch and charge premium prices, that must be a tempting business model. It workes for rolex, so why not for Zenith? Its going to cost a lot of money in advertising over many years to get there, if ever.
 
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