Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
bloomberg.com
Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
1–10 of 58 posts
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#2"Aside from TAG Heuer SA, which released a $1,500 smartwatch last year, Swiss companies have been slow to respond this shift. Only 25 percent of watch executives consider smartwatches a competitive threat, according to a survey last year by Deloitte. There's been no major effort so far to design a way out of the current crisis."
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#3"Aside from TAG Heuer SA, which released a $1,500 smartwatch last year, Swiss companies have been slow to respond this shift. Only 25 percent of watch executives consider smartwatches a competitive threat, according to a survey last year by Deloitte. There's been no major effort so far to design a way out of the current crisis."
And that's because:
"Much of the pain has to do with factors the watch companies couldn't hope to control—including the strength of the Swiss franc and climbing gold prices"
Smartwatches are a niche product, they have little to do with the problems that the Swiss companies are currently facing.
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#4Smart watch , and I love tech I own a pebble and apple watch and an Android wear, it doesn't have anything to do with a watch. In fact a mechanical watch is already far far away from a quartz movement watch. IWC , Omega, junghans(German), Nomos , rolex, Patek... all this brands all this watch making houses are something that a smart watch can't compare with. The person that likes watches, will wear a smart watch to exercise. TAG made the smart watch because the CEO is amazing and he doesn't fear anything. But when people confuse smartwatch market with mechanical watch market doesn't know what is talking about and doesn't own a real watch. Btw, one of the problems I see with smart watches is that they are ugly objects, even the apple watch if you compare it to a Hublot or a simple Hamilton is just an ugly object, and watches are more than time keeper devices are objects that when you look at them in your wrist , the give you the sensation of beauty of harmony and also they tell time.
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#5"Aside from TAG Heuer SA, which released a $1,500 smartwatch last year, Swiss companies have been slow to respond this shift. Only 25 percent of watch executives consider smartwatches a competitive threat, according to a survey last year by Deloitte. There's been no major effort so far to design a way out of the current crisis."
And that's because: "Much of the pain has to do with factors the watch companies couldn't hope to control—including the strength of the Swiss franc and climbing gold prices" Smartwatches are a niche product, they have little to do with the problems that the Swiss companies are currently facing.
The Apple Watch is out selling every luxury brand except Rolex. Definitely a generation shift here
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#6I used to be a watch fan. Not hardcore - I didn't collect or anything, but I liked good quality quartz watches.
Then I got given a Huawei smartwatch as a gift. It's good.
Firstly, it looks nice. Maybe not as good as a high-end Swiss watch, but it's much nicer than a Pebble (I think it's nicer than a iWatch, but YMMV). Also, changing faces is fun.
Secondly, it's amazingly useful. I can be in a meeting or talking to someone, feel my watch buzz and check to see if I need to respond to a message without pulling my phone out.
Also, the battery life is really good. I went away and forgot my charger and got 2 1/2 days out of it.
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
And that's because: "Much of the pain has to do with factors the watch companies couldn't hope to control—including the strength of the Swiss franc and climbing gold prices" Smartwatches are a niche product, they have little to do with the problems that the Swiss companies are currently facing.
The Apple Watch is out selling every luxury brand except Rolex. Definitely a generation shift here
I don't see how that's relevant. A luxury watch is typically ten times the price, serves a different purpose and should last 50 years.
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#8Smart watch , and I love tech I own a pebble and apple watch and an Android wear, it doesn't have anything to do with a watch. In fact a mechanical watch is already far far away from a quartz movement watch. IWC , Omega, junghans(German), Nomos , rolex, Patek... all this brands all this watch making houses are something that a smart watch can't compare with. The person that likes watches, will wear a smart watch to e…
I live near TAG factory, the CEO is far from amazing (if you talk of Biver) but the previous one was.
And they made a smartwatch which was outdated before entering the market.
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
And that's because: "Much of the pain has to do with factors the watch companies couldn't hope to control—including the strength of the Swiss franc and climbing gold prices" Smartwatches are a niche product, they have little to do with the problems that the Swiss companies are currently facing.
The Apple Watch is out selling every luxury brand except Rolex. Definitely a generation shift here
I'd argue the people buying digital smart watches are a new market: they are not giving up their mechanical watches to buy a smart watch. Instead they are smartphone users who have realized that taking a 5" smartphone from your pocket every time you want to check the time is not always convenient...
Re: Saving the Swiss Watch Industry Again
#10Shouldn't the Japanese industry be more worried? They don't have the same prestige to shrink back into. Only Casio is having a stab at the smartwatch category and its not exactly anything more then an also ran.