Rosneathian
1471
There's no doubt in my mind which of these two watches is the more attractive: the GP.
Feb 24, 2021,19:21 PM
But GP is in a difficult spot. It's not as large or as relatively insulated from financial turbulence as PP or Rolex. PP can take a 20% decline in YoY sales and battle through.
At the same time GP is not as niche as GF and other small independents who operate at a scale that can consistently satisfy their small fan base. These operators don't need to grow to sustain, so to speak.
Both these characterisations are simplifications, and I'm not suggesting they explain the situation in toto, but it does sum up where GP is in the food chain.
Last autumn GP and UN laid off 25% of their workforces, each. That is not a good sign. If it can't retain capacity in difficult times it'll be increasingly vulnerable the longer the current market uncertainty continues.
Making nice watches or having a long history won't help it. What will? Horizontal integration? Something along the lines of what the Sandoz Foundation has invested in across the Swiss industry? As opposed to the untenable pursuit of in-house manufacture? It's hard to say.