Watches - another OCD problem
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This arrived today:
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Hajime Asaoka is an independent Japanese watchmaker.
http://www.watchesbysjx.com/2012/12/visiting-hajime-asaoka-in-tokyo.html
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The watch on the right is sublime, but the left…..It's a neat tourbillon but honestly it's too close to the near $25K watches that Corum made about 8 years ago. It's really neat, but I can't imagine spending that kind of money for something like that.
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Agreed. The left is a bit… unrestrained for my preference.
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I saw a very nice watch yesterday at William and Son, an FP Journe Chronometre Blue.
The case is Tantalum, an extremely hard metal, whilst the movement is gold.
The movement is fully regulated as a chronometer. In fact, another model using it came second in the non-Tourbillon category of a competition in Switzerland a couple of years back.
Downsides? It costs £15K, so it's going to have to stay in the shop, rather than take up residence on my wrist. And the watch that beat it was a £700 Tissot.
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Love this watch
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I have a Speedmaster automatic with a silver face and steel band and I love it. It's about 7 years old and its movement hasn't been maintained, still runs extremely accurately, and I'm kind of rough on my things. The materials are very solid and it still looks pretty much new. If you do end up with that watch, you won't regret it.
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Speedmaster Professional is a classic, iconic watch. Probably one of the best chronograph dials for balance and legibility ever. The hand wound movement is fun to look at, too.
The way Omega has been jacking up the price over the last 5 years or so is infuriating, though. Since I started paying attention to it, the price has gone up by virtually double with absolutely no change in the watch.
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Yes, this is true. I feel fortunate to have preceded that recent spike in pricing.
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Speedmaster Professional is a classic, iconic watch. Probably one of the best chronograph dials for balance and legibility ever. The hand wound movement is fun to look at, too.
The way Omega has been jacking up the price over the last 5 years or so is infuriating, though. Since I started paying attention to it, the price has gone up by virtually double with absolutely no change in the watch.
It's totally ridiculous. I paid around 3K for one five years ago and now you can't touch a new one for less than 6K it seems. No way!
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There's a post on A Blog To Watch on watch prices that's rather timely.
An Omega Speedmaster Professional cost $225 in 1973. Today it’s going for $4,500. The CPI in the USA from 1973 to present is 44.4. All things being equal, this watch should be selling for around $1,215 today. Accounting for currency fluctuations, maybe a bit higher. Has the watch evolved into such a higher state of craftsmanship that it justifies this higher price above the normal inflationary forces? It really hasn’t changed much: same watch; same functions; and same materials. Further, Omega did their own in-house movements in 1973, but now they use their parent company’s movement, and share the technology with several watch brands.
Similarly, from Ludovic Ballouard.
I feel embarrassed for the industry today in general, I find it very unjust that certain (brands/people) have sold watches 10 times more expensive than what they are really worth. It will take me about a week to make each one of my watches, so how is it possible for certain brands to make over 10,000 pieces a year with only 20 or so watchmakers in their workshops? If we do the math, that means an average of 10 watches a week per watchmaker, without considering vacations! It's becoming more urgent to sell watches for their real worth, like everything in life. I expect a beneficial effect from the current economic crisis, in the sense that going forward the collector will be more discerning about their new watch purchases.
I think that there's been an issue of companies ramping up prices in recent years, and not just in watches. There hasn't been a real understanding than in a world of 2% or 3% inflation, you can't raise at 5% or 6% and not price yourself out. But then again most people don't grasp exponential series…
As an aside, the Upside Down Watch is really cool. But is $40,000 or so, which puts it outside of my price bracket.
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There's a post on A Blog To Watch on watch prices that's rather timely.
I see what you did there…
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There hasn't been a real understanding than in a world of 2% or 3% inflation, you can't raise at 5% or 6% and not price yourself out.
I think part of the issue is that watch companies haven't found a downside to this policy yet. With the growth of new markets awash in cash and starved for luxury goods, (I'm looking at you, Russia and China) companies like Omega have been able to price out their former buyers and easily replace them with new, richer, ones.
We won't see prices go down until these new markets reach their natural saturation point, or companies raise prices to the point where even massively nouveau riche buyers consider it absurd.
Really makes me regret not buying a Speedy Pro 4-5 years ago when a very nice used one could be had for $1,200 or so.
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I'm wondering too if they are simply trying to move upmarket, raise the prestige a bit and sell at a Rolexy asking price.
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They definitely are. The Swatch Group has said as much in official statements. The problem is that Rolex, too, is making steady price increases. The entire Swiss watch industry has been pushing the upper boundaries for a while now, despite generally poor economies in their usual markets.
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These are restocking in 2-3 months: http://www.maranez.com/layan.php
Already pre-ordered green california dial version.
Happy as a kite!
