nickd
1591
Price...
Apr 17, 2008,07:56 AM
Salut Nicolas,
Price isn't a problem so long as there are people out there willing to pay it. I've no idea how many such people are out there and how big the market is. So long as the brands are selling I see no problem. They don't owe anyone the right to be able to continue to be able buy their products - it's a good-old free market economy and if you can't pay the price find another hobby (as I've done).
The uber-top-end stuff was always out of reach of 99.999999998% of the population of the US and Europe, and the fact that it's now out of the reach of 99.999999999% is prettly irrelevant to all but the 0.00000001% impacted.
I wonder how much has actually changed in pricing. And as I pointed out in a previous post, I don't think that the low-end of the top-end (eg the bog standard Reverso or MK XVI) have increased drastically compared to inflation over the last 8 years or so.
What does seem to have increased are the number of brands trying to compete in the over-priced techo-jewelry market (eg the new Montblancs etc). Is this a bubble? My guess is that it is. Will there be repercusions if it bursts - my guess is that these are the ones who take the hit. They remind me a bit of the low-end wine producers who have upped their quality and are now trying to play with the big boys (this weekend we saw a Vin de Pays de l'Herault at 15 euros: I don't care how good it is, that's a serious price that's probably not sustainable).
nick
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Your impressions of BASEL/SIHH 2008?
By: Horolographer : April 16th, 2008-18:22
Now that they much anticipated horological event of the year has ended, I thought about the trends and impressions of the new watches I have from the reports and images shared. It looks like there were several common themes from a few brands. First is the...
Everybody's going upscale.
By: mkvc : April 16th, 2008-20:54
I wasn't there personally, but it appears that every company has decided that whatever the customers were expected to spend before, now they should spend twice that. They are doing their best to present the upscaling as being based on improvements to qual...
SIHH brands are marking time until......
By: MTF : April 17th, 2008-02:55
the next SIHH with revised timings. SIHH has vowed to get each year's novelties out to the buying public within the same year of introduction i.e. while they are still novelties and also before December because 30% of annual sales happen in the 2 weeks be...
Some impressions
By: amanico : April 17th, 2008-03:17
As for Basel, I will make it short, as I wasn't there... Bu t we had a fantastic team who covered in a perfect way the event, so I have few ideas... I expected more from UN, and I'm a bit decieved with the only real new interesting watch they presented, t...
Price...
By: nickd : April 17th, 2008-07:56
Salut Nicolas, Price isn't a problem so long as there are people out there willing to pay it. I've no idea how many such people are out there and how big the market is. So long as the brands are selling I see no problem. They don't owe anyone the right to...
No problemo, Nickd
By: amanico : April 17th, 2008-09:50
I just think that it's sad if some true passionate can not anymore pay themselves a nice watch only because of an insane raise of price... As fpr the rules of the market, I agree with you.Manufcatures are working to get some profit, and that also have som...
Hi Nicolas, IMHO, JLC's price is NOT fair.
By: ling5hk : April 17th, 2008-16:27
It is merely RELATIVELY cheaper than others. Sorry if I sound a bit too harsh. This is not only my opinion. This is also the unanimous or 100% view of the collectors (not less than 20) whom I know. Yesterday evening, we were honoured to be invited by JLC ...
I hear you, Ling, but expensive compared to what other watch?
By: amanico : April 17th, 2008-21:17
Which is an Automatic Diver watch, with an In Hpouse movement, and alarm??? What are the TRUE contendants to the POlaris? How can you rate the price, and what are the factrs of the comparison? In an other way, making a re edition is sometimes by far more ...
Hi Nicolas, I said JLC watches are relatively cheaper.
By: mokling : April 17th, 2008-23:31
Certainly, they are not the most expensive watches by comparison but they also cannot be considered "cheap/fair" in any circumstances. The Mamovox Polaris is priced at approx. USD15k plus. It is not expensive? How difficult can it be to produce that watch...
couldnt agree
By: DaMctosh : April 18th, 2008-09:21
more with you harry. price inflation is tremendous (and we're not taling about food and commodities here! ). i just saw the sinn u1000 chrono today and was shocked that it now costs more than US$6.5k list! jlc polaris msrp is about euro10k. i cant help bu...
sorry but
By: DaMctosh : April 18th, 2008-09:23
