Marcus Hanke
[PuristSPro Moderator]
11296
China is not Switzerland's biggest customer ...
Sorry to correct you, but your statement is wrong. According to the official Swiss statistics, only Asia as a whole, including the strong Middle East, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.) accounts for 52% of the export value. (Jan.-May 2015)
China without Hong Kong is responsible for 6.7 % of the export value, including Hong Kong it is 23%. The USA as a buyer of Swiss watches is considerably stronger than China (without Hong Kong), and Italy only a bit weaker than China.
However, a small-production brand can - and has to - concentrate on a narrow market profile. However, this can lead into doom, as several examples show (Daniel Roth, Gerald Genta).
Marcus
Things that make you go hmmm...Seven Friday and MBandF - Why is it that...
Seven Friday, with its "lowly" Miyota (Citizen) mechanical movement is generally dismissed by "serious watch enthusiasts" while "cult" watches like MBandF's "flights of fantasy" are so coveted, even revered? Photo by Foversta To what extent does price - t...
I DO think high prices intrigue us.
Conversely, inexpensive watches might not grab our immediate attention. But sites like this and Hodinkee et al. can educate about the virtues of the less expensive. As for Richard Mille: I don't get it and I've never gotten it. If, in fact, that company e...
Thanks for your thoughts. There is no question price, besides its quantitative value, has powerful qualitative connotations, both explicit and implicit.
How often do we hear the old adage, 'you get what you pay for" (not always) How often do we hear the sincere but naive question, "How much is that" before the questioner even begins to fathom the other aspects of what makes tthis field so interesting to l...
Very good question
I think MB&F are given praise by serious watch enthusiasts because the watches have movements designed by the best of the best watchmakers in the world and they use the best materials and finish their watches on the level of the highest end brands. As to ...
RM
is a master of marketing. They don't make their own movements, frankly you can basically say they are just a watch case maker. RM makes around 4000 watches a year and yet they have over 20 boutiques world wide, not to mention all that marketing efforts. S...
RM
RM is for the minority who drives Lambo to show off another expensive thing they can afford in life
LOL I understand the stereotype and it is a real one. But of course I hope you were mostly joking and realize not all RM owners fall into that stereotype.
I know lots of Lambo drivers who wear MBandF... :-) But seriously, yes, there are lots of "show offs" who own Lambos and RM ("The Billionaires Bracelet") but that doesn't, shouldn't take away from the legitimacy of RM as a cool cutting edge horological wo...
China is not Switzerland's biggest customer ...
Sorry to correct you, but your statement is wrong. According to the official Swiss statistics, only Asia as a whole, including the strong Middle East, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.) accounts for 52% of the export value. (Jan.-May 2015) C...
For the most part I agree, but be careful before accepting the "obvious" conclusions from the "facts"
Dear Marcus, The DOMESTIC Chinese market is a highly complex one - not the endless land of milk and honey panacea so many thought over the past 10 years, but also not the moribund one that now is so (wrongly) seen by the lemmings, either. But too often th...
data doesnt capture visiting Chinese tourists who visit ther Wempes of Europe....
....and buy by the dozens. domestic sales in China attract huge punitive luxury trade, so there is a thriving grey market from Berkins to RMs. other markets like Australia, from anecdotal evidence from Richemont and Singapore ADs with Aussie presence, the...
Interesting points, a few thoughts in return.
It couuld be argued that ALL commercially available luxury goods are "overpriced" - how else would the owners afford their new cars, castles, or even new factories? But of course I don't think any of us would begrudge them their "rewards" of hard work and...
part of coveting psychology
Price is absolutely part of the 'coveting psychology' when it comes to watches. At least I think the (sub-conscience) thought is: Higher price, higher exclusivity. Of course if you get more into watches and understand more about the quality of finishing a...
I happened to see a higher list price watch today
I can't fathom it, but here it is -- perhaps the dealer is trying to get a "highest price" ranking or something? Both watchmaker and dealer are fiends (oops) I mean friends of the PuristS Cazalea ...