this_hobby_of_hours
3669
The SWISS do need to be very careful
I have been saying for the last 3 years that no see a second crisis coming for them.
It is happening now.
Even the initial “quartz crisis” was not actually a crisis about quartz vs mechanical. It was a crisis of Swiss archaic manufacturing practices. They just could not verticalise and rationalise their supply chain.
So yes, this is an opportunity for other countries to take over. But is the business itself worth getting into at this stage?
I really am not sure where the luxury watch industry will be in 20 years. It could take the route of the musical box and fountain pen industry. Never say never.
China has the expertise and they already supply much of finished parts to Switzerland to stamp “Swiss Made” on them and still in on their rather disingenuous laws that require only 60% of ALL manufacturing costs to be of Swiss origin. To be clear for some, this bows not mean that 60% of the watch is made in Switzerland. It could be 90 % if the watch is made OUTSIDE of Switzerland but as long as 60% of production costs comes from a Swiss origin, then all good.
If total watch production cost is $100 and 90% if the watch comes from China at a cost of $20 and 10% comes from Switzerland at a cost of $80 (assembly and QA) then this means that 80% of the watch cost of production is Swiss.
Scary but true.
Smoke and mirrors.
🤝
10 reasons why I think the new GP Deep Diver is a “confused” release …
1. “Reimagined” is what GP says in their marketing but it looks hardly reimagined from the original. (If I’m missing some key design elements that have changed, please let me know). 2. 20 ATM but it’s positioned as pool watch. So which target audience is ...
Not sure about $799 but
it does have a kiddy look about it with the pool theme. I think think it’s totally the wrong direction and a confused release. Almost like one person started work on this project and another person completed it. Disjointed narrative and positioning. 🤝 ...
My fave color is orange, so color me a bit biased. As a $799 watch it looks like a lot of fun to me.
At $5,000 they lost their minds. At $10,000, no bracelet and rubber strap... with typical Panerai obscured display back... insanity!!! But that's ok, high prices are the best cure for high prices. They should make a Swatch version, and in various colors (...
As a gateway to get new and younger collectors in …
I see your point. From I was told by some insiders, the cost of production in Switzerland has reached such epic heights that it is almost no longer tenable. As for test groups, either they used an echo chamber or they just didn’t bother. If this was a col...
Swiss do seem to be pricing themselves out, and imho that's GREAT news for the world of horology. We know Asia make very fine timepiece movments, as does the UK, Germany does really great and this could be their moment... and even Russia....
...but the USA really needs to step it up. For being such a creative country, the USA has been virtually dead for horology production for quite some time. They did so back during pocketwatch days, and if timepieces do become popular the marketplace surely...
The SWISS do need to be very careful
I have been saying for the last 3 years that no see a second crisis coming for them. It is happening now. Even the initial “quartz crisis” was not actually a crisis about quartz vs mechanical. It was a crisis of Swiss archaic manufacturing practices. They...
Agreed with most of your points.
I may be wrong, but I think the new release is bigger. The indices are painted in orange, on the new release and the crowns are much bigger on the new one. I agree on the date, it was not mandatory, as well as Bamford. The strap is good, but the bracelet ...
Original was 40 mm. Legacy new one is 38 mm
So the new one is smaller by 2 mm. I don’t really consider that a design change per se. 😊 Noted on the crown size thanks. 🤝
Welcome 🫶🏼 I’m also wondering
why they used the cal 03300 instead of the cal 1800 38 mm I know but seems like the 1800 would have been a better fit for the cushion case case shape. 🤝
The main issue with this watch remains for me the insane pricing.
I share many of your other critical points but could definitely see myself wearing the watch for something clearly under 10k 🤔
It's really hard to try and disagree with any of your well made points.
Girard Perregaux having decided to release an updated version of a famous dive watch of theirs really could have and should have done a much better job of it and I feel this really was a missed opportunity on their part. I won't just repeat all that I hav...
I think this is also where GP marketing fails
to say exactly what makes this watch special. So we are left to our own conclusions. GP CEO and GM silent. No video interviews. Really not much traction and leverage of momentum. Imagine if this was MB & F. Max like be ALL over social media and doing pres...
Have to sadly agree with your points 🤷🏻♂️
An opportunity not taken, or at least not made the most of 🤦🏻♂️
Oh, that is a question for SWATCH then
GP does not belong to thr SWATCH group so I don’t quite understand. If you mean GP themselves should come out with a SIMILAR prices and look plastic watch as the swatch recent Omega and Blancpain variants, the you may need to understand the massive differ...
You make great points. Ah well, it would have been a very fun $500 timepiece. A colorful series for the kids, and those young at heart.
Maybe it's the Tag Heuer F1 thing recently, which brings me romantically back to the 1970s. i get that retro (streamliner, etc) is now back in style, and so.... Tag Heuer 1970s is probably where my multiple color schemes idea is coming from. Really fun ti...
Actually the colors are nothing special either.
They had red, blue, etc before. This is just orange … no biggie. 🤝
Marc I agree with every one of your points !
So onto the next! Looking forward to Laureato 50th end of this year! As you know all too well, people love to discuss GP pricing. As I’ve stated in other threads. This is a non issue for me. Just wait a year or two, this watch will be available in the sec...
100% agree on your points.
Biggest mistakes are the price and the orange-filled hands that ruin the legibility. Make it 2 mm thinner, legible hands, no date, steel bracelet and under 10K price, and i will be tempted. As for now, i would rather spend 14K on Rolex land dweller althou...
🫶🏼 this is the Pool Dweller ☺️
I really wonder if GP bothered to ask the more experienced GP collectors for their feedback on prototypes and such. Seems like this one they just went off and did it without a lot of thought given to the details. 🤝
Completely agree.
I was invited to a launch event two weeks ago and had the chance to try this diver/swimming pool watch on my wrist. Aside from the fact that the design didn't particularly appeal to me (colours, date window, strap etc.) , I have to say that the watch felt...
I know how you feel. We all love GP and yet
they are making it difficult to stay silent when watching this train wreck happening. I don’t get it … they have so much heritage material to work with and yet this is the best they can come up with. 😳