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  1. SkunkPrince Oct 7, 2020

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    It seems that when you look on, for example, eBay, at some of the more interesting watches, the name brand seems to get a premium.

    We all know there is no real difference between a Casio digital from the 80s or an Omega digital from the 80s. Probably the same OEM for the module.

    A Hewlett-Packard calculator watch sells for thousands more than anyone else's just because it's Hewlett-Packard.

    I would love to have an Omega LED but I'm sure as hell not paying two grand for it.

    Ah well.
     
  2. MtnMarine Oct 7, 2020

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    Thats why these marketing companies get paid so much. Look at rolex, I would bet it is searched on Ebay twice as much as Omega or any other brand, just because its what the general public knows best.
     
  3. blufinz52 Hears dead people, not watch rotors. Oct 7, 2020

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    Then get a Casio :thumbsup:
     
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  4. Marsimaxam Oct 7, 2020

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    Let's take a quick course review in Branding 101

    "People are willing to pay more for a brand image that they think is strong and positive than a brand image that they have little connection with or one for which they don’t particularly care.

    This time, let’s talk about a new consumer. We’ll call him Buyer SkunkPrince. SkunkPrince wants to buy a new pair of headphones so he can listen to music at work without disturbing his officemates.

    In his search for a pair of quality headphones, SkunkPrince notices Studio Beats, a pair of headphones made by Dr. Dre (famous for his musical expertise) that cost $300. He also notices a pair from Walmart that aren’t created by a musical artist but that only cost $50. Is there really a $250 quality difference between these two pairs of headphones?

    Before we answer that, let’s add another factor into the equation. SkunkPrince also frequently sees famous people wearing Studio Beats headphones, like music producer P. Diddy, NBA star LeBron James and USA’s Olympic basketball team. SkunkPrince loves music and basketball, so these are all people with whom SkunkPrince wants to associate himself. This is a positive correlation for SkunkPrince. Guess how much more SkunkPrince is now willing to pay so he can create that association?

    About 600 percent more!

    SkunkPrince thinks that the next time people see him wearing his new Studio Beats headphones, they will look at him and think, this guy must care and know a lot about music. He may believe that some people will look at him and think, this guy might be a music expert.

    Suddenly, buying Studio Beats headphones has made SkunkPrince believe that he is showing the world he is a hip, cool music expert and sports guy. Studio Beats just won itself a new customer who will endorse the brand!

    And even if there isn’t a 600 percent difference in quality between the generic headphones and the Studio Beats headphones, SkunkPrince has little doubts about paying that much more for the latter.

    Another moral of this example is that a company can charge more (which often means higher profit margins!) because people are willing to pay more just to be associated with that brand image."

    But we all know that SkunkPrince knows better and he picks up the 50 dollar headphones.
    Source: https://nuphoriq.com/branding-101
     
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  5. SkunkPrince Oct 7, 2020

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    That is hilarious!

    I'm from Milwaukee, so of course the headphones of choice were always Koss. Their High Velocity series was STELLAR and the electrostatics were nice but uncomfortable to wear.

    Time goes on and Koss is not like the 70s... and I switch to Sennheisers.

    And there we are. :D

    Sennheiser defintely is, in their way, the Omega of audio.
     
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  6. RonJ Oct 7, 2020

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    Rolex is a good example of paying more for the brand name.

    It's amazing that they make 800,000 new watches a year yet they have their customers convinced there is a shortage of supply and they have to get on a waiting list to buy one at retail price.

    And, they even have the Tudor brand which uses the exact same technology but sells at a lower price point.


    .
     
    Edited Oct 8, 2020
  7. STANDY schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector Oct 7, 2020

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    Reminds me of the time I was with a few Army guys and we got talking watches. Both rocking G-shocks and myself a Speedmaster. Both guys were on the why I was crazy to pay so much for a watch. So we were driving near A big airport with all the huge billboards for Rolex and the likes I commented that Casio was nowhere to be seen. Again the stupid to spend a lot of money on a watch as theirs was just as good.
    So I asked them what cars they drove back home. One replied a WRX and the other a Mini CooperS sports. So would you drive a Toyota Camry guys, they do the same thing get you from point A to point B. No no no they both said.
    Well you both have Toyota Camrys on your wrists
    There was silence......
    Spent a few days asking what time it was on the Camry watch. :D

    A week later the Sergeant showed me his new Tag Heuer he bought. Didn’t stop talking about it for a week.
    (See him every now and then and he always looks at his watch and at me and grins like a Cheshire Cat)
     
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  8. SkunkPrince Oct 7, 2020

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    By the way, lest you think this is representative?

    Beats I do not care about.

    Diddy can go away any time.

    Professional sports can go away at any time, and anyone who pays money for it is a chump.

    I respect Olympics, except for the professionals.

    I do not want to associate myself with anyone except scientists, engineers, philosphers, military, and everyone who embraces compassion and civility more than "I am better than you because...."

    I have spoken, and that is all I have to say.
     
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  9. Marsimaxam Oct 7, 2020

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    I could have used "Buyer Bob", but I just thought it was a clever way to express a point. No disrespect to you whatsoever, considering I don't know you or your likes and dislikes. I respect who you do wish to associate with... a SkunkPrince of character.
     
    Edited Oct 8, 2020
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  10. SkunkPrince Oct 7, 2020

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    Worry not, young Jedi.
     
  11. bradurani Oct 7, 2020

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    In the early LCD world, there's one undisputed king, and that's Seiko. They started in 1973 with the 06lc, the first commercially available LCD watch. Omega was still focused on analog quartz, and was using Pulsar modules in their LED watches. In the following years, Seiko ticked off a number of firsts, including the first LCD chronograph, with the 0634 in 1976, the first LCD calculator with the C153 in 1977, the first LCD world timer with the M158 in 1978, the first LCD sensor watch with the S229 in 1982, and the first voice recorder with the M516 in 1983. Omega didn't really get started until 1977 with the LCD Speedmaster, which is pretty lame compared to what Seiko was doing by then.
    By the late 70s, the focus had shifted from technology to cost, which was terrible timing for Omega. The 80s saw two trends: on the affordable end, it became a race to the bottom for the cheapest watch, with Casio dominating by making cheap watches with enduring designs that are still best sellers today. On the high technology end, we saw Seiko and Casio battling to see who could put the most gimmicks on their watches: TV tuners, day planners, cameras, altimeters, games. All were useless, but pretty damn cool anyway. Omega had the touch screen, but was going neck-and-neck with the cheaper and better Casio touch screen (they're not the same OEM). This competition had Omega spending huge sums on R&D to create watches that did less and cost more than their rivals. Their pedigree of fine watch making didn't help them in a world of mass manufacturing, but they tried anyway. Unfortunately, it almost bankrupt them. The only thing Omega LCD watches have going for them today is relative scarcity (because they were complete commercial flops and few were sold), and the Omega badge. Sure, the LCD Speedmaster was NASA flight certified. Big deal. You could watch TV on a Seiko! The only bright spot in Omega's LCD adventures is that they always had a cool line of Ana-Digis, starting with the 196.0052 Montreal in 1976 and continuing today.

    So yes, I agree. Omega digitals, both LED and LCD are bunk.

    You're wrong about Hewlett-Packard though. The HP-01 Calculator watch is a masterpiece. It's a true Silicon Valley miracle of the transistor age, even though Pulsar did it first. The $1,000+ price tag on those isn't for the name, it's for the technological history. Have you ever met a Hewlett Packard fanboy? What would they collect? Vintage printers? If it weren't for the fragility and irrepairability of those, prices would be much higher, and deservedly so.

    Here are my Seikos, including the "firsts". no Omega line-up can come close ;-)
    seiko_lcds.jpg
     
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  12. SkunkPrince Oct 7, 2020

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    My father’s HP-67 is in his will for me. All my electronics test equipment now is HP except the scope.

    What that is will be obvious.
     
  13. Marsimaxam Oct 8, 2020

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    I think I'm more of an aging Yoda.
     
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