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It's a hard industry to "disrupt", as it already faced it's first disruption when quartz watches became cheap and ubiquitous. Then it became trivial to be able
by ImprovedSilence 14y ago
It's a hard industry to "disrupt", as it already faced it's first disruption when quartz watches became cheap and ubiquitous. Then it became trivial to be able to tell the time. Now swiss watches are just a "brand", sold at a premium to people like me who enjoy a mechanical watch, but can't afford the luxury independent makers (I've got a Hamilton watch, which is owned by Swatch). The real watchmakers are small independents making their own movements, selling watches at 10k plus. Oh, and Rolex still does their own thing too. Russian and Chinese mechanical watches are good enough these days too, they just dont have the swiss branding... Also cell phones kinda killed the need for watches too.
So now it's really a fashion statement, and you've got fashion houses like Gucci selling quartz watches at 200+. If I were a betting man, I'd bet the fashion watch world is where the money is at. Nobody is getting SUPER rich selling 10 watches a year at 20-50k. They're making bank selling a $5 quartz movement at $400 to millions of people a year.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoI went to Basel World in 2006 as part of a day trip, which is the huge Swiss watch exhibition they hold yearly in Basel. I'm not really into watches, but Swiss Rail sold a nice day trip package so what the heck, right? All watches there were like $50K+, lots of Chinese and Arab buyers, I found it kind of crazy. They really are selling an image, and its something the Shanzhai copiers can't really provide. They also had part exhibitions, which I though were the most interesting part of the show; these are buildings that just specialize in watch part, many of them from Chinese vendors; tons of crazy stuff for watches that made me feel like I was in Akihabara. I find watches to be kind of archaic, but I never really "got" them. I think disruption will come more from finding a better use for wrist real estate then making some sort of abstract fashion statement. An iWatch (assuming its useful) would be something to watch in that area.
- superprime 14y agoI actually started wearing a watch regularly a couple of years ago after thinking a cellphone was enough for a long time. There are a couple of advantages: it looks good (maybe the only male fashion accessory acceptable in a conservative professional environment besides a wedding band), and also it much easier to glance at and allows me to not check my phone throughout the day--especially helpful in conversations and meetings where it'd be rude to pull out your phone.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]