This from the Swatch web site:

"The Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection is not available for the time being for purchase online."

Certainly implies that it will be on-line at some point.

 

I’ll also add that they removed all advertising for the MoonSwatch. No display box or anything like they had in prior weeks. Interestingly, the Omega boutique across the mall still had the display box/ models in the window.

 

Yes, and still some left-over chatter that it could be today (the 8th), but I’m personally not sure where that date first became associated with the discussion.

But if/when they do load online, an acquaintance will be able to “look through” the back end to capture the total number of stock for each colorway that was made available. Not that Swatch couldn’t reload more later, but still interesting to potentially see what numbers an initial online release involved.

 

I was disappointed that the 8th turned out to be a false alarm, but please share the back end numbers if you can get them if/when they go for sale online.

 

In London Carnaby Street is no longer going to be stocking the MoonSwatch, but Oxford Street and Covent Garden are - confirmed by store staff I spoke with this week.

I called into Oxford Street on Wednesday to buy another Swatch, and in the 10 minutes or so I was there, there were somewhere between 30 and 40 people that came in to enquire... and all left when they were told that there was no stock, that they didn't know when stock was coming, and they didn't know when the MoonSwatch would be available online.

Also interesting to note that the Oxford Street store had 4 security staff... so I guess there are concerns about people misbehaving.

 

It's a bit funny that people think that Hayek pulled off some kind of marketing coup when all he did was pull the halo effect of an expensive brand down to a cheaper brand's level. They're basically selling a cheap knockoff of their actual product for pennies on the dollar. Unlike the Chinatown versions, these are sanctioned. I hope people realize that you can literally do this with any premium brand? You can slap the Hermes label or any other expensive brand name on dog shit, sell it for pennies on the dollar, and you'll have lines out the door. This is not heroic. The reason that premium brands would not do this normally is that it lifts the cheap brand at the expense of the premium brand. So, unless you’re desperate, which Hayek is at this point, you wouldn’t do this.

 

You’re correct except in this case, as I’ve stated previously, Hayek Jr will not let the brand that created their entire family fortune die. There’s a whole lot of sentimental value.

Sure, but when you’re desperate, what can you do but something desperate? What they should really be doing is creating a health monitoring strap, that also tells time, around the $150 price point, that leverages mobile devices computing power to track your vitals. Most people don’t realize that that’s ultimately what the Apple Watches’ essential feature is - healthcare.

Sure, it use to be that the biggest trick was to churn out products that people really wanted. But after Steve’s passing, no one at Apple can pick the right products anymore.

 

So only desperate brands do high-low collaborations?

And every high-low collaboration necessarily creates “lines out the door” success?

Doesn’t square with reality.

 

I get the impression you’ve missed a lot of what’s been discussed in this thread, especially as it relates to high/low brand collaborations, their aims, effectiveness, ubiquity, history, etc. Far from a “marketing coup”, it’s a well trodden strategy that was popularized in the early aughts — premium brands do it quite often, as @cvalue13 has repeatedly illustrated.

I understand the sentiment here but I have to point out that competing with Apple in this area would probably be ill-advised. Brand loyalty and market capture aside (it’s easier to sync across Apple devices), Apple has made investments in wearable tech and its software for years. That’s partly why their success is so tied to health and bio-information tracking. The level of investment that Swatch would have to make to move in that direction and take on a Goliath like Apple just wouldn’t be worth it, IMO.

 

I think it has been a marketing coup in the sense that it has a lot of media attention, a lot of on line attention and tens of thousands of people around the world trying to get hold of one.
H&M, regularly do collabs with big ticket designers and people love them. Whatever we think about it, it has been a huge success in terms of marketing, god knows how many millions of monies they would have to spend to generate the amount of publicity this release has generated.

 

Or he/she simply understands the keyboard warriors here maybe aren’t the marketing geniuses they think they are

 

I don’t think you’re talking about me but I’m no marketing genius, nor would I consider myself a keyboard warrior; I’m simply a watch enthusiast.

However, I’ve only seen (compelling) evidence presented by one “side” of this debate. I have no dog in this fight and I’d be happy to change my mind if there was any credible evidence to overwhelm what’s been discussed so far. But I haven’t seen any.

 

Tbh not sure there is a debate here?

I personally don’t like the Moonswatch and to me it devalues (and I’m not talking price) the Omega Speedmaster!
It’s a feeling and I’m not the only one who feels that way.

There are toilet roll companies doing better then RollsRoyce……, not sure people are arguing Swatch Moonswatch won’t sell like hotcakes or won’t increase Speedmaster sales……..some of us simply feel a tacky cheap plastic replica of the Speedmaster with Omega on the dial does our personal image of the Speedmaster no favors

 

In that case, I don’t understand your original quip about “marketing geniuses” on this thread. But fair enough; you’re entitled to your feelings.

 

Well there’s pages and pages of people talking (expertly) about Swatch marketing, on a watch forum.
Marketing talks dominating the watch talk, just confused if I’ve accidentally stubbled into a market research forum
I was more looking for a bitch about watch forum

 

I'm still waiting on Rolex to release a cheap plastic Sub. Yellow preferably so I can have a yellow Submarine(r).

 

I tend to think that discussing the watch industry generally is appropriate subject matter for a watch forum, but then again I’m more interested in a forum that offers a space for enthusiasts to come together and celebrate this niche hobby than a “bitch about watches” forum. But hey, to each their own

 

Swatch should just be Apple

That’s is the irony of it: you don’t remotely have to be a genius or expert to grasp Omega’s intent.

Whether they execute on that intent, is a separate matter.

But if this thread irritates you for being off topic, you’re gonna really love the “What Shoes Are You Wearing Today” thread

 

#iseewhatyoudidthere

 

I went into Hamburg yesterday, mainly to look at the 2022 Omega releases, but decided to pop into the Swatch store first, in the off chance that they might have some MoonWatch stock to look at (they didn’t, nor did they know when they were going to get new stock) and a few thinks struck me by the visit.

The store wasn’t full but was doing brisk business (quick sales, in and out). Parents with teenagers looking at Irony chronographs, parents with little kids (6 - 10 year olds) looking at simple 3-handers.

While I was waiting in line to talk to one of the sales staff I saw how happy one little girl was, presumably getting her first watch, and exclaiming with delight “Papa, can I have this one? Oh, this one is also nice and this one is really nice, Papa, Papa come and look.” To which “Mama” interjected “No Schatz (treasure), you have to choose just one.” I think Papa was probably there for the MoonWatches also and looked like he would have let the kid have multiple watches.

It brought a smile to my face seeing someone get such happiness from something so simple and the thought that the seeds of the collecting bug had been sewn right there, swiftly followed by the observation: how untroubled our lives are compared to those of parents and kids in Ukraine. I feel that a great many people have forgotten how privileged they are to be able to argue about such trivia as watch brand values.