Jump to content

Watches 2


RadX
 Share

Recommended Posts

An interesting article written in 2000.

http://www.forbes.com/global/2000/0918/0318046a.html

 

The players

Among the big boys the battle lines have now been drawn. With the three brands it just acquired, Richemont now controls 19% to 22% of the market for watches priced over $1,500. It also owns Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Piaget and the trendy Italian navy watch, Officine Panerai.

 

Left gnashing his teeth is Bernard Arnault, the head of French luxury powerhouse LVMH, which amassed an estimated 10% of the prestige market last year by buying Tag Heuer (for close to $1 billion), Ebel, the jeweler Chaumet and the movement-manufacturer Zenith. Arnault griped about the all-Swiss coziness of the Richemont deal, but he got little sympathy. "Where I come from, we have a saying--cowboys don't cry," was the reported response from Richemont's South Africa-born chairman Johann Rupert.

 

Another competitor is Swatch Group, better known for the cheap plastic watches that helped save Switzerland when the quartz revolution looked as if it would relocate the entire watch industry to the Far East. Nowadays the fun little plastic Swatch is taking a beating, but the company itself is doing just fine, thanks to the mechanical watches Swatch rescued. Last year Swatch bought the watchmaker Breguet, which was founded in 1775. It also owns Omega, Blancpain, Longines, Rado and the movement-maker ETA.

 

Which leaves only Rolex, an unstoppable force that holds 25% of the high-end market with essentially one watch, the Oyster, while keeping the company's inner workings almost completely hidden behind a gold-clad fortress in Geneva. Rolex sells an estimated 650,000 watches a year, worth perhaps $1.4 billion at retail. But unlike other manufacturers that are constantly cutting new dies for new models, Rolex has far lower costs.

 

The big4 are still here in 2013.

 

The margin

Before you know it, a watch that cost $500 to manufacture ends up with a price tag of $4,000 to $5,000.

 

Wonder whether apple iWatch will come out this year and shake things up.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Rolex , truly the unstoppable force.

 

 

Viceroy, you buy already full solid gold or not? Wah lao eh! I wait for you sibei long leh, hurry up lah!

Edited by Throttle2
Link to post
Share on other sites

The following is a 5-part post by SJX on a visit to another watch manufacture powerhouse in this part of the continent.

Seiko in Shizukuishi Watch Studio.

 

http://home.watchprosite.com/show-forumpos.../ti-687753/s-0/

Many picts, info and thoughts. Well worth a read.

 

Another report by KIH with some trivia.

http://home.watchprosite.com/show-nblog.post/ti-691308/

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

High net worth means $100mil and above. Don't think anyone here is or even remotely close to :D

but if all who participated in watches thread replies, more than 100m combined!

Link to post
Share on other sites

No pressure and dun assume. I have lost all good credibility of you since the last furore.

 

but pls reflect again on the condescending attitude and I see it persists

 

I will not hesitate to ban if it persists. Remember that your blatant condescendance was the key

 

For the record I dun see Ted, cook, menthol exhibit half the attitude that you portray... So there.

 

Good day

 

This reminds me of http://www.mycarforum.com/index.php?act=fi...amp;pid=4167670

 

I really wonder how do people go around their daily life thinking that the whole world envies them or are "green-eyed" monsters. Must be a very sad and paranoid way to live life, difficult to maintain any long-term friendships as well because a simple disagreement or quarrel can easily escalate into an "I know you envy me lah dude, that's why you don't agree with me right?" episode of drama. Tsk. :o

Link to post
Share on other sites

If anyone is serious on a beautiful, early 2000s Turnograph Datejust on silver dial jubilee bracelet + extra links + japanese certificate and pouch, let me know

↡ Advertisement
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...