Live data from Hacker News

Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

bloomberg.com

1–10 of 103 posts

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#2
Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product.

I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical.

If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher and make this more difficult, but it would be a step in the right direction. Globalism has brought down prices and made many things very cheap and affordable, but at what cost?

I'd like comments from anyone with more understanding of the issues.

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#3

Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product. I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical. If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher an…

Just wondering how the economics of us manufacturing handles global logistics. Can a product made in the USA ship to the rest of the world at a price competitive to those made in China?

I honestly don't know the answer to this. If it's "yes", then bring on us production!

I ask because I'm in Australia, and we're a wierd case when it comes to global logistics.

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#5
The question is why? It's a $20 movement in a poorly finished case. The most important part of the watch isn't made in the USA. It's a $50 product being sold for $500.

Further, it completely misses the point of what made Timex famous to begin with; excellent quality at a low price. This is neither.

For $500, they are going up against some vastly superior products. For example, this cannot hold a candle to any similarly priced Seiko.

The price is, frankly, insulting. It would be an iffy sell at $50, but at $500, this has complete failure written all over it.

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#6

Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product. I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical. If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher an…

Manufacturing output in the US has more than doubled in the last 3 decades, but the number of jobs in the sector has shrunk from 17.5M to 12.4M [1]

The main reason for this is automation.

I think the right question to ask is how to make the productivity from automation benefit more the workers?

[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/07/25/most-americ...

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#7

Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product. I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical. If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher an…

Just wondering how the economics of us manufacturing handles global logistics. Can a product made in the USA ship to the rest of the world at a price competitive to those made in China? I honestly don't know the answer to this. If it's "yes", then bring on us production! I ask because I'm in Australia, and we're a wierd case when it comes to global logistics.

Textile manufacturing is coming back to South Carolina, USA as it's cheaper to produce in SC than in China. Along with favorable trade agreements they're able to access/use South American markets for cheaper as well.

There are fewer jobs than in the past in part due to automation.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article91482...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/04/why-i...

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#8

Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product. I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical. If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher an…

Watches are a weird market in that a $30 one from Walmart keeps better time than pretty much any watch from a luxury brand costing $5000 or more. $500 is way more than the average person will spend on a watch but once you get into the watch world a little bit you start to become numb to prices and all of a sudden $500 seems dirt cheap. I don't think this is targeted to a normal person, but the type of people who already own tens of thousands of dollars in watches and will buy this as a novelty with out even blinking. It's a weird and very rich (elitist) market.

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#9

Interesting article on doing more manufacturing in America. The problem is that this is an extremely expensive and niche product. I want slightly more expensive products made in the USA and I'll pay a premium for it, but nothing astronomical. If I can pay 20% more on coffee and chocolate to make sure the farmers were paid a living wage, we can do similar things in the US. I understand that US wages are much higher an…

> Globalism has brought down prices and made many things very cheap and affordable, but at what cost?

See this oped by James Rebanks, a sheep farmer from England https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/opinion/an-english-sheep-...

Re: Timex Is Making Watches in America Again

#10
post #5

The question is why? It's a $20 movement in a poorly finished case. The most important part of the watch isn't made in the USA. It's a $50 product being sold for $500. Further, it completely misses the point of what made Timex famous to begin with; excellent quality at a low price. This is neither. For $500, they are going up against some vastly superior products. For example, this cannot hold a candle to any similar…

Conspiracy theory: deliberately fail in order to demonstrate that “Made in America” doesn’t work so they’ll get less criticism about manufacturing elsewhere.

More realistic: fleece suckers who think “Made in America” make it worth spending $500 for a $50 watch.

Post reply on HN