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New watch brand

W
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So I lurk in this forum a lot and I’d consider you a very knowledgable bunch of people. Having spent the past week feeling like death from covid I’ve had a lot of time to ponder…

Do you think it’s possible to create a new watch brand that could earn a reputation in keeping with omega / rolex or perhaps aim with lower sites like Tag heur? Or has that time past?

Do you think a kick starter project could lead to “omega too”?
 
foxtrot
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could be...but take a look to the Tudor Pelagos FXD, IMO Tudor is a brand listening to their customers, can´t say the same about Rolex and Omega.
 
Donn Chambers
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I don’t think a “brand new” company will be able to do it, but a company that is already established could. Tudor is the best example - even though they have always been a sister brand of Rolex, it wasn’t until they changed their marketing a design philosophy a decade ago that they really began to compete with Omega.

other good independent watch companies exist out their that could do the same - I’m thinking Oris and Titoni. But these have both been around for over a hundred years and have a solid reputation to build from. I think any brand new watch company is likely to be more hype than substance. Bremont comes to mind - really overpriced watches for what you get, IMO.
 
sleepyastronaut
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W WhiteThorn
Do you think it’s possible to create a new watch brand that could earn a reputation in keeping with omega / rolex or perhaps aim with lower sites like Tag heur? Or has that time past?

You would need to buy the rights to a defunct heritage brand and their intellectual property, assert your present-day company as the 'spiritual successor' to the original, then hype it for years, and eventually you might just have something collectors will respect. It's a big risk, but it has been done; see Blancpain for an example.
 
Larry S
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Answer is no when it comes to vertical integration and sheer scale.
 
marcn
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Could you combine sugar, color, fizzy water, and put it in a bottle? Yes. But be prepared to spend billions to convince people it belongs alongside coca cola.
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3rdstringholder
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marcn marcn
Could you combine sugar, color, fizzy water, and put it in a bottle? Yes. But be prepared to spend billions to convince people it belongs alongside coca cola.
Great analogy!
 
A
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Are you asking about a marketable product or a collectable product? Apple seem to have done a great job (I don't own one) getting a market share of the modern perception of a watch. Otherwise, I would be really cautious about a company producing a mechanical watch for todays market. I own a Tudor BB and I love it. Omegas too for 50 years. Why would I choose a no track record company at any price? That said, plenty of multi-million $ cars from new companies out there, so if you can nail something that the established campanies haven't then there is a chance. What would temp me, all titanium case and bracelet, wearable in all situations, great lume. All available now. I have a Tissot T-Touch Solar which ticks every practical box in the quartz and electronic fields without a battery change required. There are already more collectable watches out there than people to buy them at their worth, so I can't in all honesty see an opening for a new brand / company for traditional watches.
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Foo2rama
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@ArmbandUhr69 look at actual Apple Watch sales…. They have been trending down for awhile.

your also saying if one of the largest companies in the world can create a product from scratch and use their own branding and ecosystem to sell a product you can as well?

we have a term for that in business. Delusional…


Also since it’s so easy to do the hundred or so people that have tried and failed many with large pockets failed miserably.

perhaps look at the few ones that have not failed and see how they did it.

these are all things you should be aware of before even asking that question.
 
A
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Apple watches now have competition, Samsung et al, so divide the sales etc. A fundamental business outcome once you get a competitor.
Can't see how you get that "I" could even get involved in a solution of whether a new watch company was feasible. An opinion was provided on how I saw that in the context of other product attempts to enter the market that was largely the preserve of established compamies. Perhaps you could read my reply in the context of the question asked and clear up why my response was "delusional". I ended with "so I can't in all honesty see an opening for a new brand / company for traditional watches", is that in dispute?
Edited:
 
Foo2rama
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A ArmbandUhr69
Apple watches now have competition, Samsung et al, so divide the sales etc. A fundamental business outcome once you get a competitor.
Can't see how you get that "I" could even get involved in a solution of whether a new watch company was feasible. An opinion was provided on how I saw that in the context of other product attempts to enter the market that was largely the preserve of established compamies. Perhaps you could read my reply in the context of the question asked and clear up why my response was "delusional". I ended with "so I can't in all honesty see an opening for a new brand / company for traditional watches", is that in dispute?
Apple was not first to market in smart watches. If you had read any of the market research on smart watches you would see that more then a few people purchased apple watches, hated the alerts and the upgrade treadmill. These people found they liked something on their wrist and turned to traditional watches in non insignificant numbers. In fact companies like MVMT directly attribute their success to this.

My point is you shouldn’t be asking if it’s possible, you should be asking if your idea and price point is something people would buy. Then you need to know you have to pay for an initial run and hope they sell through. If you want to kickstart you still have non trivial startup costs.

dials, movements and hands are known costs with some basic google use. Cases are another beast.
 
Dan S
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There are dozens of new watch brands that have been pushing out watches via kickstarter campaigns in recent years. While some have fans and are selling watches, so far I’m not seeing any sign that any are taking off in a way that will compete with legacy brands.
 
Foo2rama
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@Dan S

so let’s play a game… who has made it work?

Ming
Dan Henry
Undone
Magrette
Baltic
CH Ward


Shinola doesn’t count as they basically spun out of Fossil.

I’m missing a few…
 
TimeODanaos
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
@ArmbandUhr69 look at actual Apple Watch sales…. They have been trending down for awhile.
your also saying if one of the largest companies in the world can create a product from scratch and use their own branding and ecosystem to sell a product you can as well?
In fairness to our new member @ArmbandUhr69 , who I believe is a long-experienced engineer, I think he was just commenting fairly on the OP's speculations, and probably does not think anything like this! 👍
 
redpcar
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Correct me if I'm wrong but Rolex entered the market when there were many established companies already in place. They made a quality product at a reasonable price (at the time).
Nothing stopping some company from doing it again. $.02.
 
A
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W WhiteThorn
Do you think it’s possible to create a new watch brand that could earn a reputation in keeping with omega / rolex or perhaps aim with lower sites like Tag heur? Or has that time past?
.................................................
Three score and ten, I have not the faintest interest in owning or researching a smart watch, but I do appreciate the 1930's Dick Tracey appeal and technology. In the spirit of the forum, I offered my opinion on the original question asked, from my own perspective, not the industry standard answer list.
My view has some merit as a consumer, one voice amongst those who eventually make any scheme possible. It has no place in the investment / standup community who have many reasons for risking capital in a new venture. Fully appreciate the start up costs and risks but they just don't feature to the consumer looking for something to make his friends green with envy.

Foo2rama Foo2rama
.......................

My point is you shouldn’t be asking if it’s possible, you should be asking if your idea and price point is something people would buy. Then you need to know you have to pay for an initial run and hope they sell through. If you want to kickstart you still have non trivial startup costs.

......................................
My initial impression is that members here are into the most desireable watches they can get (for the least money) and current appeal is critical in desiring / owning / showing that acquisition to others. I just don't see many in that category who would splash out on an unknown brand and spend the rest of time responding to "you bought what for that much". The initial question was referencing respected market brands, even if the Tag Heur brand is a tier or two down.

I think we are both on different paths here. I actually have some business experience but in the theme of never mixing Business with Pleasure, my comments are purely in the consumer vein of "would I want that" and I leave the concept visualisation and implementation to those who are best placed to do that.
 
Foo2rama
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redpcar redpcar
Correct me if I'm wrong but Rolex entered the market when there were many established companies already in place. They made a quality product at a reasonable price (at the time).
Nothing stopping some company from doing it again. $.02.
Rolex entered the market when wrist watches took off. The market for timekeepers changed by at least an order of magnitude when they grew.

they also filled needed niches that where not being addressed at the time.
 
Dan S
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A ArmbandUhr69
My initial impression is that members here are into the most desireable watches they can get (for the least money) and current appeal is critical in desiring / owning / showing that acquisition to others. I just don't see many in that category who would splash out on an unknown brand and spend the rest of time responding to "you bought what for that much”.

Actually you would be surprised. Members may not post photos of these watches very frequently, but if you get to know them personally you will find that many collectors frequently dip their toes into these new brands. Just because they find them interesting and appealing. Your opinion of the membership is quite cynical and I think you may not really have a good sense of OF. There are many mature collectors here who buy what they like and follow their own path. This is not primarily a place to find people who buy flavor of the day watches simply because they want to show them off to others.
Edited:
 
A
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redpcar redpcar
Correct me if I'm wrong but Rolex entered the market when there were many established companies already in place. They made a quality product at a reasonable price (at the time).
Nothing stopping some company from doing it again. $.02.
I know even less about Rolex than other watch topics which says it all. I'm assuming that Rolex entered the market when the product standard was the mechanical watch, so their goal was to sell a Rolls Royce version of the product everyone was using. I can easily see how that could be made to work, which it obviously has.
Today the mechanical (collectable) watch is nearly dead to the general community world wide who have zero interest in watch forums, if they wear a watch at all. I admit I was focussed on someone from left field coming in and attempting to deliver a viable competitor to the Kings of the craft. My view is if there is an opening at the level we (I) am thinking, it would need to be extremely innovative. As one with limited needs, my list of practical useful stuff is met in one package by the Tissot T Touch Solar, so I can't envisage anything else I would want from a practical perspective but no emotional attachment.
However, there is always something different around the corner and like cars, you buy for the oddest of reasons.
 
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