FabR[Senior Patek Moderator]
26166
A very interesting topic, though it requires really long and delicate answers! :-) What I'll briefly say about Patek is the (general) planning of a collection is done some 10 years ahead.
Jun 19, 2020,17:15 PM
And yes, obviously market research and listening to collectors or other key individuals normally plays a MAJOR role. Then decisions are made by the executives, and only a handful of people are aware of the content of all upcoming collections up until just a few months before their launch (unfortunately I'm not one of them, so don't ask me anything about the 2030 collection! ) Next, normally 3 to 6 months before a launch, the process opens up a bit so that a broader group of people get a chance to provide their input. This is an important time where some last, minor changes to a collection are still possible. Finally, the process wraps up when everyone else -- the press, the public, and even the ADs -- can see the new models, just a few days before (or even on the same day of) the official announcement.
I'm not aware of how other watch brands operate in detail, but I wouldn't be surprised if, especially at the very high end of the spectrum, they had a similar system in place. In fact, for certain aspects I don't see why watch brands should be any different than other companies operating in the private sector... And in this sense, I'm happy when many collectors, even if necessarily as a group or indirectly, can have their voices heard.
Since your question in part originates from the fact that the initial reactions to the 6007A seemed all over the place (and all opinions are of course totally respectable), let me finish by saying that I am highly confident this model will be a success. No matter how careful you plan things, selling watches is not an exact science, so it's impossible to make predictions with certainty. But I wouldn't be surprised if Patek got it right with the 6007A -- in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they got it SO right that a new 6007 will make its way into the Calatrava catalog in the future ;-)
I have spoken really a lot, so thanks again for a nice topic, and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say!
Since the replies to this thread so far concerned multiple brands (and I'd be curious to learn about them!), I'm moving your thread to HoMe. Cheers.