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MRC
·Ah, thank goodness for engineers. We will all happily tell everyone else about our jobs if they show interest. 😎
So...what happened to the Timepiece Gentleman?
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tyrantlizardrex
·Does anyone here actually believe this? That Apple watches are a gateway to watch collection for a meaningful number of people?
I don’t.
I don’t think a gateway to a collection, but I think it could be a gateway to buying a “nice” watch.
Be that a £2k carrier tank solo or or a £20k aquanaut.
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STANDY
··schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorDoes anyone here actually believe this? That Apple watches are a gateway to watch collection for a meaningful number of people?
I don’t.
Two youngen,s at work were Apple Watch people, one now has a nice Tag and the other has a few watches including a nice vintage dive watch.
Both nothing but the occasional fit bit before.
Both still have the latest Apple Watch.
Yes. it’s a gateway to wrist candy……
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFTwo youngen,s at work were Apple Watch people, one now has a nice Tag and the other has a few watches including a nice vintage dive watch.
Both nothing but the occasional fit bit before.
Both still have the latest Apple Watch.
Yes. it’s a gateway to wrist candy……
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFI’ll also add that this is definitely a good thing, getting more young people into watches. There are some people that like to gatekeep the hobby but the more new people get into watches the better as if we let the hobby start to falter and die off we’re not going to get a new generation of watchmakers to replace the ones retiring now and we’re not going to get reference book authors taking a year or more of their lives to write tomes about 30mm chronometers and Zeniths. We do need these guys and we need to patiently guide them through their journey in watches.
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drhombus24
·Does anyone here actually believe this? That Apple watches are a gateway to watch collection for a meaningful number of people?
I don’t.
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tyrantlizardrex
·Make a Time 4 a Pint t-shirt and a sticker. I would buy one of each Chris...
Same!
I understand what you're both saying here - but what this equates to, is me doing more work - to gain support for the thing that lots of people consume, but not many want to support.
This is where the music industry is too... everyone gets the music for free, so the bands only make money if they can tour and sell merch.
Sigh.
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Wryfox
·Yeah bois.....
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blubarb
··I might rise, but I refuse to shine."So...what happened to the Timepiece Gentleman?..."
With apologies to the immortal bard...
With apologies to the immortal bard...
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Walrus
·https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...ndustry-but-dont-ring-the-death-bell-yet/amp/
I think I posted this prior. Apple outsells the entire Swiss watch industry. If apples watch division were it’s on entity it would still be high up on the SandP. Pretty funny they were not introduced to the world until 2015.
Doesn’t mean Swiss watches will be gone. Serious brand loyalty and it’s not like they don’t sell loads as it is, just apple sells more. Then all the Android watches and other makers following along. I’m curious as hec about them. It’s very rare I don’t see some type of smart watch on someone. I took someone to Walmart to get there state phone fixed, since it to 40 minutes I checked out all those smart watches. They had a sale on 2nd generation apple watches I really considered picking one up as it did look pretty cool. Most of the people I talk to who wear them laugh at me for “wearing a watch with hands” so I don’t think this will make people rush out and get Tags, seikos, etc. they are pretty cool. I hate to admit it I’d like to try one someday. In the end I don’t think they will be the demise of mechanical or quartz but a lot of people love them and say they can’t go without which is kinda what we say about our old fashion stuff.
I think I posted this prior. Apple outsells the entire Swiss watch industry. If apples watch division were it’s on entity it would still be high up on the SandP. Pretty funny they were not introduced to the world until 2015.
Doesn’t mean Swiss watches will be gone. Serious brand loyalty and it’s not like they don’t sell loads as it is, just apple sells more. Then all the Android watches and other makers following along. I’m curious as hec about them. It’s very rare I don’t see some type of smart watch on someone. I took someone to Walmart to get there state phone fixed, since it to 40 minutes I checked out all those smart watches. They had a sale on 2nd generation apple watches I really considered picking one up as it did look pretty cool. Most of the people I talk to who wear them laugh at me for “wearing a watch with hands” so I don’t think this will make people rush out and get Tags, seikos, etc. they are pretty cool. I hate to admit it I’d like to try one someday. In the end I don’t think they will be the demise of mechanical or quartz but a lot of people love them and say they can’t go without which is kinda what we say about our old fashion stuff.
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tyrantlizardrex
·Apple outsells the entire Swiss watch industry.
This is true - however, the Swiss Watch industry isn't the watch industry. And I think that a lot of journalists forget this, or are persuaded to forget this, because it is the story that Apple want to tell.
Roberta's article says that in 2019 the Swiss watch industry sold 21.1 million units.
In 2017, Casio sold 8.5 million G-Shocks.
I suspect that Citizen and Seiko might have some serious unit sales numbers too...
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Walrus
·This is true - however, the Swiss Watch industry isn't the watch industry. And I think that a lot of journalists forget this, or are persuaded to forget this, because it is the story that Apple want to tell.
Roberta's article says that in 2019 the Swiss watch industry sold 21.1 million units.
In 2017, Casio sold 8.5 million G-Shocks.
I suspect that Citizen and Seiko might have some serious unit sales numbers too...
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Wahlberg
·If TPG and others have hooked new eyeballs, then let me paraphrase Thierry Stern:
You do realize what kind of people are enamored with TPG and the other youtube crowd? They like the glitter and glamour, the fast cars, the drama and only know Rolex, AP and RM. They don't care about anything else. Those aren't watch lovers or is the crowd that Patek wants.
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tyrantlizardrex
·perhaps it relates to, as you point out, the way apple wants the story to be told
I would bet good money on the angle and the story having come from Apple's PR team.
That's not to say that outselling the entire Swiss industry isn't a big deal - it's just not the whole picture.
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Walrus
·I would bet good money on the angle and the story having come from Apple's PR team.
That's not to say that outselling the entire Swiss industry isn't a big deal - it's just not the whole picture.
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Awetaylor
·This is an uneducated opinion.
I think apple watches will likely kill off the functional and affordable watch market, the people who need a watch to tell the time. The mainly quartz and digital watches.
You can almost thank the quartz crisis, it prepared the mechanical market for this by forcing it to evolve. To become a luxury good rather than a functional one.
Luxury watches are pieces of art, fashion item/ jewellery, a hobby/passion, a way of peacocking (sadly), heirlooms, and investments.
An apple watch does not fit in with many of these categories, and in my opinion are not really competing.
Louis Vuitton have a really crappy smartwatch, they should focus on creating accessories for smartwatches instead.
I think apple watches will likely kill off the functional and affordable watch market, the people who need a watch to tell the time. The mainly quartz and digital watches.
You can almost thank the quartz crisis, it prepared the mechanical market for this by forcing it to evolve. To become a luxury good rather than a functional one.
Luxury watches are pieces of art, fashion item/ jewellery, a hobby/passion, a way of peacocking (sadly), heirlooms, and investments.
An apple watch does not fit in with many of these categories, and in my opinion are not really competing.
Louis Vuitton have a really crappy smartwatch, they should focus on creating accessories for smartwatches instead.
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tyrantlizardrex
·This is an uneducated opinion.
I think apple watches will likely kill off the functional and affordable watch market, the people who need a watch to tell the time. The mainly quartz and digital watches.
.
Many of the people who need a watch to tell the time spend £10 on a Casio F-91w.
The person buying a £10 watch to tell the time is unlikely to buy a £300 watch which requires a £1000 phone to make it work.
I suspect there will always be a market for affordable watches - until the zombie apocalypse of course.
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Awetaylor
·Many of the people who need a watch to tell the time spend £10 on a Casio F-91w.
The person buying a £10 watch to tell the time is unlikely to buy a £300 watch which requires a £1000 phone to make it work.
I suspect there will always be a market for affordable watches - until the zombie apocalypse of course.
OOh i disagree!!
Firstly, there are more affordable smart phones and even iPhones that go way below £1000, my iPhone was a couple of hundred and would have been even cheaper if bought used. Plus, the majority of people around you have smartphones now, and even with standard phones.... it tells the time.
Already the £10 watch you're thinking of is redundant.
True, for manual labour workers who can't check their phones, there is a need. But as the technology becomes cheaper, you will see more and more of these smartwatches the same way smartphones took over.
All while this is happening, luxury watches will continue, because that's Art now, evolved from its functional roots
Again just my opinion, worth as much as the next person
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Walrus
·OOh i disagree!!
Firstly, there are more affordable smart phones and even iPhones that go way below £1000, my iPhone was a couple of hundred and would have been even cheaper if bought used. Plus, the majority of people around you have smartphones now, and even with standard phones.... it tells the time.
Already the £10 watch you're thinking of is redundant.
True, for manual labour workers who can't check their phones, there is a need. But as the technology becomes cheaper, you will see more and more of these smartwatches the same way smartphones took over.
All while this is happening, luxury watches will continue, because that's Art now, evolved from its functional roots
Again just my opinion, worth as much as the next person
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mrbreen
·Interesting thread. Forgive me for adding to its off topic digression. I bought the very first Apple Watch in stainless and it wasn’t cheap. If anyone wants it, it’s located somewhere at the bottom of the NW side of Lake Mendota in Madison, WI. I decided afterwards to replace it with a vintage Omega.
All and all, hard to compare the smart watch market with the analog. I see smart watches as a burgeoning technology in the wearable sector and I’m not sure what that’s gonna look like product wise in 20 years. Whereas I’m pretty sure what the analog products will look like in 20 years.
All and all, hard to compare the smart watch market with the analog. I see smart watches as a burgeoning technology in the wearable sector and I’m not sure what that’s gonna look like product wise in 20 years. Whereas I’m pretty sure what the analog products will look like in 20 years.
