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What’s happening on March 26th then?
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FL390
·Why on earth would I pay that for watches from this devalued brand you guys keep talking about? I'm taking your side here.
I've already made my offer mate - PM me if you want to go through with it.
This year is brutal so far. First, the big Rolex homage releases, now the Omega quartz plastic Speedmaster. Omega must be in dire straits to go this off the wall. Disconcerting.
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boldtext
·I think this will hurt Omega for some people. There are some watch buyers that want to distance themselves from the "poors". So I agree to some extent that this will have an effect on that segment. But it should be telling that on this forum, other forums, reddit, Facebook groups, YouTube polls, that it's the minority of watch fans upset about this. It seems like people think this will be bad for Omega because they think other people think it's bad, so their opinions are driven by their assumption other peoples' behavior. There's a name for this phenomenon but I can't remember it.
So the question is how does this net out? Because there's also some clear benefits. One benefit is increased recognition for the Speedmaster. The irony is that for people who treat these items as status symbols, the public needs to be aware of your status symbol if it's going to signal anything. This is why luxury brands like high/low collaborations: the public must know about luxury brands for the status conscious buyers to want to buy them. That means luxury brands need to market to both buyers and non-buyers. It's possible that this project will bring more attention to the Speedmaster, and make it recognized as a status symbol to people that would not have recognized it before.
In the past several years we've seen luxury brands do things that you would never expect, and they often work out. There are truly elite luxury brands, that the public is unaware of, that the ultra-wealthy keep to themselves. And then there are mainstream luxury brands, the aspirational brands, that have to exist in the public awareness. The latter category is where Omega lives. The concept of luxury is changing, and I don't know if consumers are dumb enough to mistake a $260 watch for a $7000 one. If anything, it educates a lot more people that the $7000 even exists.
So the question is how does this net out? Because there's also some clear benefits. One benefit is increased recognition for the Speedmaster. The irony is that for people who treat these items as status symbols, the public needs to be aware of your status symbol if it's going to signal anything. This is why luxury brands like high/low collaborations: the public must know about luxury brands for the status conscious buyers to want to buy them. That means luxury brands need to market to both buyers and non-buyers. It's possible that this project will bring more attention to the Speedmaster, and make it recognized as a status symbol to people that would not have recognized it before.
In the past several years we've seen luxury brands do things that you would never expect, and they often work out. There are truly elite luxury brands, that the public is unaware of, that the ultra-wealthy keep to themselves. And then there are mainstream luxury brands, the aspirational brands, that have to exist in the public awareness. The latter category is where Omega lives. The concept of luxury is changing, and I don't know if consumers are dumb enough to mistake a $260 watch for a $7000 one. If anything, it educates a lot more people that the $7000 even exists.
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FL390
·Either your very selective over which hype you are okay with or you somehow forgot all the “stupid hype” that encompassed the release of the 41mm Sub.
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩF
I just wouldn’t get all sweaty over a bit of fun, and frankly the same people getting triggered by it are the ones that would be better off weeded out of the collector world in general, I for one won’t miss the snobbery and pretentiousness.
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eelpie
·While I am an enthusiast, and Omega accumulator on a small scale, I do not worship at the altar of Omega or at the altar of Rolex.
I buy Omegas whenever I feel they’re available at a reasonable price. I have two Speedy Moons, a Planet Ocean c’graph, a Seamaster Bond c’graph, an Aqua Terra, a titanium Bond and a 50th Anniversary Seamaster GMT as well as two or three dozen vintage Omegas I’ve picked up along the way. Oh, and a James Bond Collector’s Piece limited edition Seamaster.
I will buy a couple of the MoonSwatches and wear them in the spirit in which they’ve been produced.
I have a feeling that a lot of people who admire the Speedy Moon will buy the Swatches, and some of them may move up the food chain as they age and become more affluent and knowledgeable.
Some existing Omega devotees may feel offended by the new range, but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest and I’ll happily wear a Connie or a Seamaster one day and a MoonSwatch the next.
I buy Omegas whenever I feel they’re available at a reasonable price. I have two Speedy Moons, a Planet Ocean c’graph, a Seamaster Bond c’graph, an Aqua Terra, a titanium Bond and a 50th Anniversary Seamaster GMT as well as two or three dozen vintage Omegas I’ve picked up along the way. Oh, and a James Bond Collector’s Piece limited edition Seamaster.
I will buy a couple of the MoonSwatches and wear them in the spirit in which they’ve been produced.
I have a feeling that a lot of people who admire the Speedy Moon will buy the Swatches, and some of them may move up the food chain as they age and become more affluent and knowledgeable.
Some existing Omega devotees may feel offended by the new range, but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest and I’ll happily wear a Connie or a Seamaster one day and a MoonSwatch the next.
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scapa
·I'm fine with it. The Moonswatch is a watch. It is only a watch. Fun, colourful, nicely-designed, employing interesting materials, inexpensive. Nothing hinges on it. Few people will confuse it for an Ed White, or Alaska Project, or any other of its illustrious forebears. It will not send the brand down the drain. It will not provoke potential customers to ask themselves, "Why the hell would I spend 8k on an Aqua Terra or Speedy 3861 when I can buy a Swatch for 250.00?" anymore than that customer will grab a textured-dial Tissot to scratch that Royal Oak itch because, hell, they both have little squares on them. People will buy them and sell them and mod them and be irritated when the seconds and chrono hands fall to hit their markers. They will praise and complain about them. The batteries will stop and the movements will wear out. That X61-based Speedy will still be ticking. Life will go on. Omega will go on.
It's gonna be okay.
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FL390
·I'm fine with it. The Moonswatch is a watch. It is only a watch. Fun, colourful, nicely-designed, employing interesting materials, inexpensive. Nothing hinges on it. Few people will confuse it for an Ed White, or Alaska Project, or any other of its illustrious forebears. It will not send the brand down the drain. It will not provoke potential customers to ask themselves, "Why the hell would I spend 8k on an Aqua Terra or Speedy 3861 when I can buy a Swatch for 250.00?" anymore than that customer will grab a textured-dial Tissot to scratch that Royal Oak itch because, hell, they both have little squares on them. People will buy them and sell them and mod them and be irritated when the seconds and chrono hands fall to hit their markers. They will praise and complain about them. The batteries will stop and the movements will wear out. That X61-based Speedy will still be ticking. Life will go on. Omega will go on.
It's gonna be okay.
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blubarb
··IG: #blubarb19Possibly a stealth move by Swatch to introduce Digital watches to the lineup, whereby the owner can get a colourful plastic case and a digital dial of their choice, eg: Seamaster, Speedmaster, Aqua Terra or some other Omega design. Just saying, but saying it here first. If you go with this Swatch/Omega my royalty share will be 2% of all sales of that being 50% to my good self and 50% to the Omega Forums please. You're welcome, Swatch.
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Scooterino36
·Possibly a stealth move by Swatch to introduce Digital watches to the lineup, whereby the owner can get a colourful plastic case and a digital dial of their choice, eg: Seamaster, Speedmaster, Aqua Terra or some other Omega design. Just saying, but saying it here first. If you go with this Swatch/Omega my royalty share will be 2% of all sales of that being 50% to my good self and 50% to the Omega Forums please. You're welcome, Swatch.
A Swatch x-33? Sign me up!
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marcn
·TL;DR: My judgment is pending.
If these colorful, adorby, mamma-jammas have a pleasant amount of heft to them, then I’ll be officially “camp MoonSwatch”. If they’re light and plastic-y Swatch-y feeling, then it’s a pass.
If these colorful, adorby, mamma-jammas have a pleasant amount of heft to them, then I’ll be officially “camp MoonSwatch”. If they’re light and plastic-y Swatch-y feeling, then it’s a pass.
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105012
·Nobody cares, but I think these show just how good is the design of the iconic Speedster, it can even work with odd colours and plasticky looking finish! Might get one for my kids if ever I come across one. On the other hand (in jest):
The horror...
The horror...
The horror...
The horror...
The horror...
The horror...
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watcher1900
·I have to say, I have been genuinely saddened by the reaction of so many people on this forum. I don't care, on a personal level, very much about watch releases. Nor do I get worked up about them beyond the passion I have for collecting and the watch collecting hobby. What has bothered me, because it is bigger than watches, is the conduct I have seen by so many people on this forum. Tribalism, assumptions, aggression, sarcasm, and disdain seem to the primary emotions. I thought this was a forum to have engaging conversations with fellow watch people. I even had the naive idea that watch collectors, on average, were slightly better educated than the general population and so the discussion would be less ridiculous as those on other types of forums/online. I live and I learn.
It seems that unless someone is totally, completely, one-hundred percent onboard and complimentary of Omega, they do not deserve to speak and are (take your pick): idiots, money grubbers, people who are not 'true' watch collectors, are into watches for the wrong reasons, flippers, buy watches for the wrong reasons, are not true fans of Omega, are Rolex fanboys, have toxic feelings, are getting worked up, and don't know how to have fun. It doesn't even matter if anything in their comment suggest any of the above, no matter, one of the listed characteristics applies--end of discussion! It seems the rule is that a person cannot seem to possibly dislike an Omega release; have a genuine, well thought-out, and nuanced opinion of the release and/or the trajectory of Omega and/or about the watch industry as a whole; or have well intentioned (if different and maybe even wrong) opinions without there being some underlying failure or morale bankruptcy on that person's part. Oh and if your opinion is in the minority of OF opinions, just be quiet. Mob rules!
People seem to talk over rather than to each other and that's truly sad. In the end, we can all have differing opinions, all are valid for now. I fall into the mistake at times too, but I try to centre myself as much as possible. Time will be the judge of all things, until then, I wish we would just engage in positive discourse as much as possible and actually address the points people make and do so honestly. Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox 😀.
It seems that unless someone is totally, completely, one-hundred percent onboard and complimentary of Omega, they do not deserve to speak and are (take your pick): idiots, money grubbers, people who are not 'true' watch collectors, are into watches for the wrong reasons, flippers, buy watches for the wrong reasons, are not true fans of Omega, are Rolex fanboys, have toxic feelings, are getting worked up, and don't know how to have fun. It doesn't even matter if anything in their comment suggest any of the above, no matter, one of the listed characteristics applies--end of discussion! It seems the rule is that a person cannot seem to possibly dislike an Omega release; have a genuine, well thought-out, and nuanced opinion of the release and/or the trajectory of Omega and/or about the watch industry as a whole; or have well intentioned (if different and maybe even wrong) opinions without there being some underlying failure or morale bankruptcy on that person's part. Oh and if your opinion is in the minority of OF opinions, just be quiet. Mob rules!
People seem to talk over rather than to each other and that's truly sad. In the end, we can all have differing opinions, all are valid for now. I fall into the mistake at times too, but I try to centre myself as much as possible. Time will be the judge of all things, until then, I wish we would just engage in positive discourse as much as possible and actually address the points people make and do so honestly. Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox 😀.
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cvalue13
·It seems that unless someone is totally, completely, one-hundred percent onboard and complimentary of Omega, they do not deserve to speak and are (take your pick): idiots, money grubbers, people who are not 'true' watch collectors, are into watches for the wrong reasons, flippers, buy watches for the wrong reasons, are not true fans of Omega, are Rolex fanboys, have toxic feelings, are getting worked up, and don't know how to have fun.
not buying the holier-than-though “let’s keep it posi guys” high road turn of coat
Far as I can tell, you flew into this conversations with this as your first contribution:
I have to say that the people you reference or have spoken to seem incredibly insecure and hyper focused on what other people think. To go out of their way to, as you said, "actively avoid any chance of appearance as a “watch guy” - proudly seeking out g-shocks, etc., to *emphasize* (almost in protest) that they're not “watch guys.'" is incredibly insecure and a bit immature or impish at best--not to mention, in trying to not be something, they are being something and something I personally find distasteful. Wear what you like is something we say to often in this community, but its very true. I'd add that we should have the courage to like what we like and not worry if we will appear to be anything "watch guy" or otherwise.
On my count, I was relaying that increasingly people outside the watch world view it as gate-keepy, cringy, over-lavish, etc. - to which your contribution was “no, it’s those people that are immature and distasteful.”
The irony not ending there, you closed out by instantiating exactly that sort of cringy, off-putting zeitgeist of your “disgust”
I told my fiance about this release today and she … was aghast. Her exact words "why would Omega do that? … Omega has cheapened itself".
Do you miss how this implicates the people here expressing excitement and support of this collaboration?
The “let’s keep it posi guys” turn of coat is welcome but not missed
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Newatch321
·With all due respect, a replica is never better than anything. They are illegal and insulting to every watch honestly made anywhere.
I have two Speedy Moon watches (along with about forty or so other Omegas) and I still would buy two of the MoonSwatches if I were living close enough to get in the queue . . .
They are just disposable watches, my kid will destroy it, but I could care less.
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JetLinks
·This has to be a f$##@_&- joke. Apologies for the language. Not possible.
And no, it doesn't make me want to wait in line at 6am on Saturday morning. I'm flying home to put on one of the real Moonwatches I own (and letting others have fun with the cheap knock-offs, if that's what floats their boats!)
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watcher1900
·not buying the holier-than-though “let’s keep it posi guys” high road turn of coat
Far as I can tell, you flew into this conversations with this as your first contribution:
On my count, I was relaying that increasingly people outside the watch world view it as gate-keepy, cringy, over-lavish, etc. - to which your contribution was “no, it’s those people that are immature and distasteful.”
The irony not ending there, you closed out by instantiating exactly that sort of cringy, off-putting zeitgeist of your “disgust”
Do you miss how this implicates the people here expressing excitement and support of this collaboration?
The “let’s keep it posi guys” turn of coat is welcome but not missed
Thanks for proving my point 😀. I shared only my thoughts, nothing holier-than-thou. I am not sure how me having an opinion, a personal opinion, is offensive--but it if was, I do apologize. It is my personal opinion that people should wear what they like and have the confidence to be whoever they are. I also said "I personally" (never claimed a universal truth) find it distasteful to set one's tests in opposition to something rather than forming something in a positive way. That's my opinion, but that's it, an opinion that was genuine and not intended to offend. If it did, because (I did not consider this) some of the people you mention may be close to you, then my sincere apologies. I also did mention in my last comment, I am guilty of making the very mistake I was wrote about but try to catch myself as much as possible.
As for the remainder, your logic is something I do not follow so perhaps I am missing something. You mentioned that my comment is somehow "sort of cringy, off-putting zeitgeist of your “disgust”" I am confused, because I said nothing of disgust. The quote you mentioned is this "I told my fiance about this release today and she … was aghast. Her exact words "why would Omega do that? … Omega has cheapened itself"." You, very interestingly, also selectively applied the quote. The full quote is "Her exact words "why would Omega do that"? Once she saw photos "these actually look okay, much better than I expected, but Omega has cheapened itself". Now, her opinion isn't the point, I just wonder how many other people--not "taste makers"--would think the same. Because I love Omega, I hope not many." Interesting and also flabbergasting that you drew the conclusions that you did from that. Also, I shared my fiance's actual opinion, is she not entitled to them? Am I not entitled to share them? Am I not entitled to an opinion?
Most confusing is your next comment, "Do you miss how this implicates the people here expressing excitement and support of this collaboration?" absolutely I miss it because it does not exist. Do you work for Omega and were you one of the people behind the decision and implementation of this project? If so, yes, that might implicate and thus offend you. Otherwise, why on earth would you be offended by what I said or my fiance's thoughts (which I shared because your post was littered with the opinions of third parties, so I sought some of mine to make sure I wasn't in tunnel vision myself)? She did not say "I find anyone who buys this watch to be cheap and disgusting". She simply asked why Omega would do this, mentioned the watches look good, but that she thinks its cheapens the brand--her fair opinion which she is entitled to. Her comment does not, and nothing I have ever said, has anything to do with the consumers who buy this watch--correction, I did say, based on the screenshot someone shared here of one of these on Ebay going for over $60,000, that anyone paying that kind of money for this watch is an idiot and I stand by that. I am happy for anyone who is excited about this release, wants to buy it, enjoy it, and loves it.
Thanks again for the point. I think it strange that I comment on Omega's decisions and my opinions about the potential impact this will have, on a corporate level, on the brands' reputation and you extrapolate that I am condemning the people who want to buy one. We don't have the same processes of logic, so perhaps that is the difference in our views. In any event, I will not give any more time to this back and forth. I wish you the best of luck and sincerely hope you enjoy and own these Swatch pieces! Good luck (no sarcasm of any kind intended, seriously).
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFNobody is actually paying the ebay listing prices, people are just joking around and being silly with that, they’re getting produced in mass and will soon be available at MSRP online
