March 19, 2024

In response to receiving the message from the people who they want to have more value in their own watches, the business has simply gone out and began to produce less costly watches. This makes sense, however it misconstrues the issue. The main reason is that they’re simply making lower-priced watches which often simply suck. Many have potential, but cost-cutting approaches in both materials and construction are glaringly obvious in watches from all but the most detail-obsessed brands. Let me clarify what the business appears to have misunderstood — folks didn’t request cheaper watches. There’s a major difference.Why do industry decision-makers believe that a $10,000 watch that feels just like a $5,000 watch will have any greater difficulty in being marketed than a $4,000 watch which feels like a $1,000 watch? The issue on the cost-cutting facet of the industry is that watches do not feel like they are worth what brands are charging for them — and I am not even going to bring up the gray market in this discussion. When people complain of “greed” and “stupidity” from the watch business — what they are actually referring to is making watches which no one would like to buy for the purchase price. There happen to be legions upon legion of cheap watches on the market that connoisseurs would never be interested in. Why, then, do “prestigious” watch manufacturers appear intent on after this model?There is not even a precedent for this approach. Their sole argument in defense of this practice of selling cheap watches for a lot of cash is that they can attempt to compensate for it in advertising and promotion (such as star ambassadors, etc.). Yet again, this is a very clear sign of someone who does not know how to evaluate a fantastic watch, making decisions about creating watches. Rolex, for instance, does counter the market with advertising messages, but they also happen to deliver an industry-leading product concerning overall quality for the money. Why, then, would anyone buy a non-Rolex opinion of lower intrinsic quality for the same or even more money? Other than “they want something different,” I have yet to hear a good answer to this.Even though fresh versions (shown to press) from several watch brands were limited this year, there are some standout versions which defy the standard and offer excellent artistic craftsmanship or appealing designs and approachable value propositions. Regardless of what your price range is, there is something new for you to be excited about from SIHH 2017. Especially at the lower-end (regarding price), there is actually something new to report on from SIHH, even though the show is more typically associated with releasing things of amazing beauty and complexity, but generally at costs just the world’s elite may try to afford.

In reference to the new collection of timepieces featuring deep-blue galvanised dials, A. Lange & Söhne chose to collaborate with visual artist Sebastian Kite. At the Saatchi Gallery in London, he interpreted the power of the colour blue in an immersive site-specific artwork, entitled “Continuum”.