[docvail]

Leave it to my wife to make the obvious even more obvious.

I mentioned it to her over dinner, and she pointed out that one of the reasons I chose to focus my brand on the price range I did was because I perceived it as being a bit under-served.

My thinking was (and to some degree, still is) that the big brands seem to see the market as either "$200 and under" or "$600 and up". You really don't see the big brands paying much attention to the watches in between, especially not the mechanical watches, at least not here in the US. I was surprised when I saw a Tissot prominently displayed on the cover of a magazine on a Hong Kong newsstand.

If the pickings are slimmer between $200 and $600, I guess it stands to reason that the manufacturers don't put much effort into promoting new releases within that range.

For my own sake, I hope it stays that way.

 

[MrDagon007]

Perhaps the affordable watch companies are now panicking over the Apple watch, as even while it is only a v1 it is obvious that this kind of mature and elegant smartwatch will shake up the industry.
I love the wis-oriented JDM seikos: prospex, sarb, gs; but I would rather have an apple watch than the seiko models you find in western shops. Same for casio, citizen, tissot, fossil etc: they must be panicking.
The microbrands discussed here should be ok, there are enough mechanical watch fans. But the large audience brands should rather stop regurgitating and will need to reinvent themselves.

 

[docvail]

Perhaps the affordable watch companies are now panicking over the Apple watch, as even while it is only a v1 it is obvious that this kind of mature and elegant smartwatch will shake up the industry.
I love the wis-oriented JDM seikos: prospex, sarb, gs; but I would rather have an apple watch than the seiko models you find in western shops. Same for casio, citizen, tissot, fossil etc: they must be panicking.
The microbrands discussed here should be ok, there are enough mechanical watch fans. But the large audience brands should rather stop regurgitating and will need to reinvent themselves.

I doubt they're panicking over anyone's smart watch, or that it will shake up the industry, or that the large audience brands will need to reinvent themselves. In fact, I was thinking about it today, and I've decided (arbitrarily, and with no authority whatsoever) that smart watches aren't really watches. They're mobile devices for the wrist.

In my view, they're not a threat to watches, because people who wear watches aren't relying on a mobile device for time-telling (not exclusively, anyway), and people who rely exclusively on a mobile device don't typically wear watches.

I'm going to go waaaaaaayyyyyy out on a limb and predict that smartwatches are going to go exactly nowhere, at least not anytime soon. I like my mobile device the size it is, and where I keep it (in my pocket). I don't want it smaller, and on my wrist. I like wearing a watch, and not a smart-watch, or even quartz, I prefer an old-school mechanical on my wrist.

People who like "WATCHES" aren't going to trade in their watches for smart watches. People who like having a smart phone, but don't need to have the latest gadget, or don't want to have their smart phone attached to their wrist aren't going to trade for smart watches either. Who's left? People who MUST have the latest gadget, and people who love being connected 24/7. They'll all buy the smartwatches.

The watch industry has proven that repetitive regurgitation is not only profitable, it's obscenely profitable.

Kind of makes the smart watch look dumb, when you look at it that way.

 

[Thrax]

I'm a PR professional going on 8 years, and it continues to baffle me with how miserable the watch industry is at promoting its own products. YouTube videos are hard to find, reviews are hard to find, webpages suck, news is hard to find... this kind of badness would get me fired if I promoted my products this poorly.

 

[MrDagon007]

I doubt they're panicking over anyone's smart watch, or that it will shake up the industry, or that the large audience brands will need to reinvent themselves. In fact, I was thinking about it today, and I've decided (arbitrarily, and with no authority whatsoever) that smart watches aren't really watches. They're mobile devices for the wrist.

In my view, they're not a threat to watches, because people who wear watches aren't relying on a mobile device for time-telling (not exclusively, anyway), and people who rely exclusively on a mobile device don't typically wear watches.

I'm going to go waaaaaaayyyyyy out on a limb and predict that smartwatches are going to go exactly nowhere, at least not anytime soon. I like my mobile device the size it is, and where I keep it (in my pocket). I don't want it smaller, and on my wrist. I like wearing a watch, and not a smart-watch, or even quartz, I prefer an old-school mechanical on my wrist.

People who like "WATCHES" aren't going to trade in their watches for smart watches. People who like having a smart phone, but don't need to have the latest gadget, or don't want to have their smart phone attached to their wrist aren't going to trade for smart watches either. Who's left? People who MUST have the latest gadget, and people who love being connected 24/7. They'll all buy the smartwatches.

The watch industry has proven that repetitive regurgitation is not only profitable, it's obscenely profitable.

Kind of makes the smart watch look dumb, when you look at it that way.

We should never forget that we here are WIS. The large population is not. Not many will make the explicit distinction between smart/classic watches. Leading fashion magazine editors have already predicted that the apple watch will be big. For me it is the beginning of a snowball, other brands will also release classy ones. But the traditional watches, and then I mainly refer to sub $1000 quartz watches, will mainly find a reduced audience of older consumers. Trendy city slickers will more and more adopt smart watches.

After watching the Apple keynote presentation, my own collection suddenly looks "old" at worst, and "classic" at best. I see myself reducing from 30 to 3 traditional watches (from my sig the Damasko, Tuna and Steinhart pilot), and adopt an appple watch as well.

 

[Mediocre]

Aside from micros, the only new release information I ever see is about G-Shocks. It would be great to see what some of the big name affordables are bringing to market sometime.

 

[theinterchange]

Not many will make the explicit distinction between smart/classic watches. Leading fashion magazine editors have already predicted that the apple watch will be big. For me it is the beginning of a snowball, other brands will also release classy ones. But the traditional watches, and then I mainly refer to sub $1000 quartz watches, will mainly find a reduced audience of older consumers. Trendy city slickers will more and more adopt smart watches.

After watching the Apple keynote presentation, my own collection suddenly looks "old" at worst, and "classic" at best. I see myself reducing from 30 to 3 traditional watches (from my sig the Damasko, Tuna and Steinhart pilot), and adopt an appple watch as well.

See, you're buying into the pre-release marketing hype. I don't/won't let "leading fashion magazine editors" (whatever that means) tell me what I should or shouldn't buy or should or shouldn't expect something to be. That reminds me of people I know who base their music buying soley on what Pitchfork/Rolling Stone/Paste had to say about an album...

And since when did this become a debate about smartwatches versus REAL watches? 'Cause like Doc said, smart"watches" ain't "watches", they're gadgets that happen to tell time.

Randy

 

[stewham]

The way I hear about new releases for Seiko is usually through either seeing it on Seiya's website for the JDM models,there's also a dedicated thread on other forums for upcoming Seiko's (and Orients usually) on the Singapore Seiko Club, WatchSite and Philippine Watch Club forums. Yeoman is also a good source for new release Seikos.

For micro brands it's obviously either here or F74

I also check out aBlogtoWatch and they'll have info on the new releases and upcoming watches from the big brands. But it seems like the Swiss brands only release info at Baselworld, even though they'll stagger the release dates.

 

[93EXCivic]

We should never forget that we here are WIS. The large population is not. Not many will make the explicit distinction between smart/classic watches. Leading fashion magazine editors have already predicted that the apple watch will be big. For me it is the beginning of a snowball, other brands will also release classy ones. But the traditional watches, and then I mainly refer to sub $1000 quartz watches, will mainly find a reduced audience of older consumers. Trendy city slickers will more and more adopt smart watches.

After watching the Apple keynote presentation, my own collection suddenly looks "old" at worst, and "classic" at best. I see myself reducing from 30 to 3 traditional watches (from my sig the Damasko, Tuna and Steinhart pilot), and adopt an appple watch as well.

And if by old/ classic you mean way better looking then some crappy digital Apple product.

 

[gricat]

I'm a PR professional going on 8 years, and it continues to baffle me with how miserable the watch industry is at promoting its own products. YouTube videos are hard to find, reviews are hard to find, webpages suck, news is hard to find... this kind of badness would get me fired if I promoted my products this poorly.

18 years in web branding and strategy, here. The only thing worse than the overall watch industry's use of the web is niching down to the watch modders/suppliers. Good God, some of us would like to actually, I don't know, easily buy your products. Being frozen in 1999 isn't nearly as much fun as I would have hoped.

The big winners are the micros. You guys get it, which folds nicely in to your overall approaches of "technology allows me to attempt this venture in the first place, so i'll make use of it in the best ways possible".

 

[JLesinski]

3. Not exactly a "new model" issue, but related - why is it that if I go to, say, Seiko's website, they don't have their whole catalog or all collections available for view?

This infuriates me to no end. I mean if you're an iconic brand with I don't know how many years of producing quality and recognizable timepieces, is it really so hard to have a damn collection catalog on your website? I mean come on....

Don't even get me started on their lack of an in house serial number repository. I mean you know that you make things that will last a long time and have a chance of being passed down within a family or amassed by collectors. Is it really so hard to give me some basic manufacturing information on my damn watch? I don't want a lot, just a functioning database where I can type in a serial number and be told about the movement and the month/year it was produced.

/rant.

Hmmm, that may have gotten a personal

 

[MrDagon007]

See, you're buying into the pre-release marketing hype. I don't/won't let "leading fashion magazine editors" (whatever that means) tell me what I should or shouldn't buy or should or shouldn't expect something to be. That reminds me of people I know who base their music buying soley on what Pitchfork/Rolling Stone/Paste had to say about an album...

And since when did this become a debate about smartwatches versus REAL watches? 'Cause like Doc said, smart"watches" ain't "watches", they're gadgets that happen to tell time.

Randy

I am not particularly interested myself in opinions from what the editor of say vogue magazine predicts, but I do think that they are right. The larger population will not make the distinction that a smart watch is not a real watch. With the Apple watch being the first smartwatch that a style-conscious person could conceivably wear (more will come of course), I think that the days of those regurgitated by the number quartz seiko or tissots etc in the shops are numbered.

Mind, I am WIS enough: it won't replace my own 3 or 4 favourite watches, but I can me adopting it as well.

And if by old/ classic you mean way better looking then some crappy digital Apple product.

Oh yes I do like the looks of my favourite watches, but I do expect many non-WIS people to adopt the Apple watch and other stylish upcoming smartwatches. The Apple watch, together with perhaps the Moto are simply the first smartwatch products that are aesthetically convincing.

coming back to the main topic of this thread : I answered in this vein because I think that there will be less announcements in the affordable segment while the manufacturers figure out how to prepare for the future. The future won't be for generic quartz-based chronos.

 

[X2-Elijah]

Can we please not have yet another 'smartwatch vs. watch'/'AppleWatch is gonna kill horology' debate?

Although... if there is one thing that the watch industry could learn from the apple watch, it is how to advertise and promote it. You think Apple isn't already sinking massive millions into getting the AppleWatch to be mentioned on all those big-name magazines etc.?

 

[Surfrider]

"I've decided... that smart watches aren't really watches. They're mobile devices for the wrist."

This is how I feel. It is not a watch. If the face always stayed lit-up, and the charge lasted at least a year, maybe.

I'll stick to actual watches. As for poor watch info online, a particularly nagging thorn in my side is how difficult it can be to find lug-to-lug lengths. There are many watches I would not be able to decide on purchasing without that info. Sometimes it is very hard to find, and it's only from forums or blogs. It is almost never listed on the watch company's website itself.

 

[docvail]

Smart watches will have zero impact on the watch industry.

Zero. Impact.

Anyone else remember how the Segway was supposed to reshape the urban landscape, and turn every city into a pedestrian's paradise?

Yeah. I still drive a car too, even if I'm just running out for a gallon of milk. The Segway is a punchline.

The smart watch isn't a "new and improved" watch. It's a smaller and less accommodating mobile device.

Two years from now we''ll be laughing at them, and used ones will be on eBay selling for less than a Milgauss knockoff from Bagelsport.

Smart watches are the BlackBerry/PalmPilot of 2014-2015.

/debate.

But about that watch industry PR...it sucks. I hope it always sucks, at least until I can sell my businsess for a fat package of cash.

Using my mobile; please pardon the brevity of my reply, and any typos.

 

[mrwomble]

I'll add my 2p:

• Seiko - Yeoman's blog, the Seiko 5 finder website by one of our WIS buddies.
• Vostok - just for the SEs, Russian sub-forum and Meranom's facebook page.
• Everything else - Affordables sub-forum. If it ain't on here, it's probably not automatic nor affordable and therefore not an option.

Totally agreee with the other comments about getting decent info. If I'm researching specs I'll check Amazon, but that can be a minefield.

 

[sduford]

With the Apple watch being the first smartwatch that a style-conscious person could conceivably wear

I disagree. To me both the Moto 360 and the LG G Watch R look better with their round conventional case. They actually look like real watches, as opposed to a wrist mounted iPod.

Edit: The Moto 360 is very large however. Also, note that the LG does have a crown, so Apple wasn't exactly first out with this idea.

 

[gricat]

Anyone else remember how the Segway was supposed to reshape the urban landscape, and turn every city into a pedestrian's paradise?

Who could ever forget the ill-fated Lew & Huey ad campaign of 2002?

​

 

[93EXCivic]

Who could ever forget the ill-fated Lew & Huey ad campaign of 2002?

View attachment 1637647
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[Surfrider]

I'll add my 2p:

• Seiko - Yeoman's blog, the Seiko 5 finder website by one of our WIS buddies.
• Vostok - just for the SEs, Russian sub-forum and Meranom's facebook page.
• Everything else - Affordables sub-forum. If it ain't on here, it's probably not automatic nor affordable and therefore not an option.

Totally agreee with the other comments about getting decent info. If I'm researching specs I'll check Amazon, but that can be a minefield.

Amazon is one of my all-time favorite websites, period. That said, their watch specs are very frequently wrong. Because of that, I don't trust that info but I agree it's a place to check at least.