David Walter
250
Tim, a great answer
You have managed to clearly perceive this argument and explain it.
One missing comment is on the cost of the watches in question. From a USA perspective the price has greatly increased, this has more to do with exchange rates and a drop in the value of the US currency than price increases by independent watchmakers.
Roger Smith is manufacturing, in house, with his equipment, by himself and his staff everything required for his watch including the dial and case.
The only items he is purchasing from specialist houses are, the jewels, mainsprings, hairsprings and the glasses for the case and that is it !
Roger is manufacturing, in house with his own equipment the Co-Axial escapement and the balance.
I dont think any of the other makers in this discussion actually manufacture all their components including the case and dial, so to compare them to each other strictly from a cost perspective is unfair to all of them.
David
Why the high price of custom?
A curious post to see what some think. I recently saw the new Roger Smith Watch #2 and checked on prices (not that I was buying) and was shocked to see the cost of this watch. Curious as to why when compared to others of the same vein. Is the priced based...
I have seen a Simplicity and CS in metal before.....
The Simplicity definitely wins easily in term of finishing and beauty compare to a Journe CS. Its parts are hand polished to such perfection that just make you feel breathless Also, there will only be 200 Simplicity as it is discontinued. As for Series 2,...
Marketing 101...
Price is determined by what people are willing to pay. If Roger, or any of them, can sell at that price, then there are obviously people willing to pay the price. I'm don't think there can be any meaningful discussion about the relative costs of labour, m...
how many hundreds of hours do you think it takes to create a custom piece?
And how much do you think the watchmaker's time is worth? Just rough guesses of course.
No idea...
I've no idea. But the question was why are there such big differences in price in products that are apparently comparable. nick
they are only comparable on the surface
Hi Nick, I apologize if my previous post seemed a little curt. I was short on time, but I also felt a little insulted on Roger and Philippe's behalf that you would claim that the prices of their watches are not significantly influenced by the costs of man...
More...
Hi John, Tim's points are valid, and I wasn't aware that Roger was making everything (I had in mind old interviews for the Series ! where he talked about having components such as wheels produced by suppliers in Switzerland). I was wrong and I apologise. ...
Different Strokes
This type of question has been raised before. The point is that if one does not appreciate the difference between a) knowing that a watchmaker has personally produced a watch just for you, and b) a production line model, then one should avoid independant ...
I think that its starting to become less and less true that a
single watch maker (the one with his name on the dial) actually sat down and made the watch for you: may it be Dufour, Smith, Halter, Voutilainen et al they have watchmakers working for them and probably the input of the "master" watchmaker is huge but he...
"Question is. Why the large difference between prices?"
Hello - I think some here have missed your question really. Of the 3 mentioned I've only seen one in person (Dufour's Simplicity at his shop) and of the three if I had the funds and the chance, it would be my choice. The RS price puzzles me too, since I a...
OK, I'll have a shot...
I have seen all three watches up close. While the finishing on the Simplicity is not up for discussion, and the Journe, whilst being lovely isn't in the same class from a hand finishing, making almost all parts inhouse etc. It is a serially produced in ma...
Fair enough, but some questions.
Tim, Thank you for the reply and clarification. I do have some questions/comments however. Tim wrote: " This is not the same co-axial escapement found in the Omega watches. It is a different design, one that is more true to Dr. Daniels' original design, b...
OK, my answers...
Hi Al, In my response to your post, I didn't want to get into lengthy discussions of actual costs of components etc. I don't have exact cost prices, but I do know the differences in parts and finishes, and the time taken to get the finished product. I do ...
No real clarification in my mind......
Other than I now know for sure that you don't know the actual costs involved. I want to say that although I might be mistaken, your post seems to indicate that someone who questions the costing of one of these custom pieces must not fully "appreciate" or ...
Tim, if I understood, you claim Journe does not make his dials ???
Journe does create his dials and that of another great House of watches in his ateliers close by the principle atelierone that composes his watches. If you mean he personally doesn't make them, you are correct. If you claim he outsources them, you are wro...
Standing corrected...
Hi Marcel Philippe, I was incorrect in my statement about the manufacturing of the Journe dials. I do though know this, that Roger's dials take more time to execute. Just for example, the name and any writing on the dial, is first hand engraved, then hand...
With all due respect...
...and at the risk of over-simplfying other posters' points, I think some posters are missing the point when they focus too much on the "marketing" and "market" as the sole price determinating factor. To be honest, I am not a fan of any of the watches at ...
As one of the guilty ones...
Hi Daniel, I guess I'm one of the main "culprits" in this thread. I was giving my opinion of the factors that did and didn't lead to the price difference, and I genuinely have difficulty believing that "what the market will stand" is not a major factor in...
Re: Please let me clarify...
Hi Nick, Thank you for taking the time to explain your points in greater detail. I will try to be more articulate... My point was not that factors like demand/market price do not affect the pricing of luxury goods but that for reasons already explained by...