Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show Report — WatchProSite Forum Digest

cazalea · 2016-06-05T14:26:38Z

Cazalea's report from the Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show. Discover insights on brand presence, market trends, and the unique atmosphere of this industry event.

cazalea

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

20 replies7211 views10 photos

Cazalea offers a vivid, multi-part report from the Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show, contrasting it sharply with the automotive shows he typically attends. His initial impressions highlight the show's refined atmosphere, diverse exhibitors, and the unique blend of commerce and community, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the watch brands present.

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Hi Gents and Ladies,

I made a lightning visit to Las Vegas this weekend. Flew in, slept very little, walked 16000 steps around the conference hall, and flew home. As I am still baffled by the whole thing, please excuse my possibly confusing report. I normally go the Las Vegas for the SEMA show, with millions of cars, high energy music, greasy old guys, and so on. This was different. Very different.

Okay, it was similar in that the ground floor was a huge expanse with lots of booths.

And there were some large and loud displays of brand names and new products

and of course people from all over the world gathering to sell and buy and drink and talk

But unlike the car show, there were ladies. And style. And quiet, thick carpets.

and sophisticated marketing displays on huge screens,

plus free coffee, tea and water throughout. Did I mention the classy ladies?

The Swiss Watch area included about a dozen brands who are smaller of marketing budget or exposure, or who didn't care to be up in the 61st floor suites which were invitation-only, and a bit hard to reach.

Perhaps this is a good place to grab a cup and sit for a moment.

Ahh. That's better. I see Speake-Marin, maybe I'll go pay them a visit.

Please come back later for part 2 of my report.

Cazalea

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2016-06-05 14:26:53

Key Points from the Discussion

The Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show, unlike car shows, features a more refined atmosphere with thick carpets, sophisticated displays, and a notable presence of women in attendance.
The 'Swiss Watch area' provided a platform for a dozen smaller brands or those with more modest marketing budgets, offering an alternative to the exclusive, invitation-only suites.
Citizen has significantly increased its business and acquired brands like Frederique Constant and Arnold & Son to gain mechanical watchmaking knowledge, as their own mechanical technology had lagged behind.
Despite Citizen's heritage in mechanical watchmaking and being a major supplier of Miyota movements, the company explicitly stated a need to catch up on mechanical development, having focused heavily on Quartz (Eco-Drive).
The overall traffic at the show, particularly in the Swiss section, was noted as poor by an exhibitor, raising questions about sales ROI for participants.
The show featured multiple distinct watch exhibitions across different venues, leading to a fragmented experience and potentially diluting attendance at any single location.
The Citizen Eco-Drive One, a very thin watch, was perceived by a salesman as feeling too light on a man's wrist, with steel bracelet models offering more substantial feel at a lower cost.

The Discussion

Alkiro1

Jun 5, 2016

Wahouuuu the PSM. A double Tourbillon? [nt]

cazalea

Jun 5, 2016

Yep, one of five

Get your order in. Here's the back, not a good shot but still ...

Alkiro1

Jun 5, 2016

Thank you for this revers pic ;-) [nt]

cazalea

Jun 5, 2016

Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show Report, Part 2

I left you at the Speake-Marin booth, where we had a chat and looked at a few watches, all of which have been reported here before. He's become a "brand" rather than just a nice guy with a case of watches. The same booth is where I found the L. Kendall watches, reported here in a separate post . After a nice chat with some pals there, and a sip of water, I set out to canvass this corner of the show. I passed Cuervo y Sobrinos. Stopped for a talk with Chronoswiss, where I got a look at the update

pingtsai

Jun 6, 2016

Wow, Speake-Marin really has become a brand...

...with a celebrity spokesperson too. Thank you for bringing us this report Mike.

cazalea

Jun 5, 2016

Las Vegas Jewelry & Watch Show Report, Part 3

Hi folks, thanks for hanging in here with me. You better take off your shoes, as your feet will be swelling up as we keep walking. I wandered through miles of diamonds, bracelets, brooches, and pretty girls who wanted to sell me eye cream to take away wrinkles and dark shadows - only $200 for 14 grams of goop. More sleep would help do the same thing, I think. At least these booths are colorful and not filled with guards or tightly locked cases. Suddenly in the midst of the lady-goods I came acro

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