Golden geese … ?
Given the money grabs in the industry like the MoonSwatch fiasco the two biggest mysteries in the modern watch world - for me - are as follows:
Why don’t Tudor produce a decent dive watch without snowflake hands; and
Why don’t Bulova produce their Lunar Pilot in the smaller size (maybe even a fraction smaller) with just a little curvature on its lugs, and all brushed finish (including the bracelet) and a fold over clasp - so it fits way more people and looks like the tool watch it is?
If I could implement these two “innovations” and be on a very small commission … happy days.
Do you have any similar simple and obvious winners for the marketing departments?
Driven to watches (researching and collecting affordably) by the boredom of COVID lockdowns. My - possibly attainable - grail watch would be a 6245 (Seiko or Grand Seiko) in nice condition … someday.
Patek and Casio, putting a F-91W chip into a plastic Aquanaut.
They'd sell millions.
It would be amazing to see a Tudor Sub reissue (without snowflake hands), right? Too bad it’ll probably never happen. I’d gladly eat my hat, though… 😆
Eliminate the HEV on the Seamaster and give it sword hands. Instant classic that would sell like hotcakes.
“But the HEV is what gives the Seamaster it’s character!!!” Yeah, it’s also what keeps about half the enthusiast community from buying one. Omega won’t change it. So good luck hanging out in third place behind Cartier. You stick to your guns, Omega.
Snowflake hands, agree entirely. It's just too chunky.
Eliminate the HEV on the Seamaster and give it sword hands. Instant classic that would sell like hotcakes.
“But the HEV is what gives the Seamaster it’s character!!!” Yeah, it’s also what keeps about half the enthusiast community from buying one. Omega won’t change it. So good luck hanging out in third place behind Cartier. You stick to your guns, Omega.
Yes - violently agreeing with that one!
It looks as though you can almost get there but they are charging an extra £6k plus for the privilege…
🤣
The HEV, Snowflakes, Mercedes , Cyclops excessive size, etc are what makes these watches what they are.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder "
Marilyn Monroe would be generically pretty without her signature mole.
You can't like everything
Why won't Hamilton release a dress watch, like the Jazzmaster or Broadway in anything less than 40mm? They wear large, being all dial.
Also, all rectangular re-issues, usually Hamilton or Bulova, are also bloated. Rectangular dials wear large. Large ones are ungainly. (I am still miffed that the Boulton was quartz with mineral crystal, at that price.)
They hate us.
🤣
The HEV, Snowflakes, Mercedes , Cyclops excessive size, etc are what makes these watches what they are.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder "
Marilyn Monroe would be generically pretty without her signature mole.
You can't like everything
Sort of agree on the Marilyn Monroe point but, as the MoonSwatch creators have so clearly shown, for the big players it’s more about money than art so why not meet demand that’s there? Esp. when it’s such easy money. And let’s not pretend they have very many scruples. Also look how desperate they are for innovation as they raid their back catalogues for inspiration.
Why won't Hamilton release a dress watch, like the Jazzmaster or Broadway in anything less than 40mm? They wear large, being all dial.
Also, all rectangular re-issues, usually Hamilton or Bulova, are also bloated. Rectangular dials wear large. Large ones are ungainly. (I am still miffed that the Boulton was quartz with mineral crystal, at that price.)
They hate us.
I’m with you on the Hamilton dress watches.
And on that subject - an Orient Bambino 38mm with no date would be a nice addition to the range.
The internet would collapse if Bulova made a smaller & automatic version of the Lunar Pilot.
I’m with you on the Hamilton dress watches.
And on that subject - an Orient Bambino 38mm with no date would be a nice addition to the range.
Dream big (or small): 37mm.
I think this topic has been covered by a few different content creators on YouTube including Pete McConvill and Bruce Williams: big business are in the business of making money, enthusiasts are a niche market, nobody is getting rich catering to any minority that might be more vocal than action. Does anybody really believe the HEV is the single factor keeping Omega behind Rolex and Cartier? When Tudor returned to North America, I supported the brand with my whimsical dollars, snowflake hands are at least interesting but generally the watches are a little bland not refined, I will not be looking at another, until Tudor produces some watch more compelling.
For good or for bad, the snowflake hands are what makes a Tudor in the eyes of their customers - who are also notoriously adverse to changes.
Sort of agree on the Marilyn Monroe point but, as the MoonSwatch creators have so clearly shown, for the big players it’s more about money than art so why not meet demand that’s there? Esp. when it’s such easy money. And let’s not pretend they have very many scruples. Also look how desperate they are for innovation as they raid their back catalogues for inspiration.
Guess they have had whole teams dedicated to deciding whether to drop their signature features would be more profitable than retaining them and it's clearly more financially advantageous to keep 'em . 🤔🤑👍🏻
I think this topic has been covered by a few different content creators on YouTube including Pete McConvill and Bruce Williams: big business are in the business of making money, enthusiasts are a niche market, nobody is getting rich catering to any minority that might be more vocal than action. Does anybody really believe the HEV is the single factor keeping Omega behind Rolex and Cartier? When Tudor returned to North America, I supported the brand with my whimsical dollars, snowflake hands are at least interesting but generally the watches are a little bland not refined, I will not be looking at another, until Tudor produces some watch more compelling.
I get what you’re saying but there was a time not that long ago in business where you were looking to nurture “net promoters” and “brand advocates” who would proselytize your products for you. The knock on effect of that was powerful and the enthusiasts formed a natural target group for that.
But I guess now you just want one Kardashian product placement or web influencer to go viral … and that makes pleasing enthusiasts look like really hard work!?
It would be amazing to see a Tudor Sub reissue (without snowflake hands), right? Too bad it’ll probably never happen. I’d gladly eat my hat, though… 😆
Rolex cannot allow that to happen. Imagine a BB58 with Mercedes hands and the option for a date at HALF the price of a Sub..... 🤣
Rolex cannot allow that to happen. Imagine a BB58 with Mercedes hands and the option for a date at HALF the price of a Sub..... 🤣
Exactly! That’s why I said it’ll never happen.
I can imagine it, though. Sounds fantastic! 😆
The market will direct those companies if their sales start to decline. Money is the great equalizer. Watches are trending with the smaller sizes atm.
Agreed, smaller bullova will sell like a hot cakes
Omega happily made a sword hands Seamaster for ~6-8 years from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s.
They also have a back catalogue model they could reference from the mod to late 1960s or just reissue, the Big Triangle model.
The HEV is staying though
I almost considered buying one of those older Seamasters but then I remembered what the HEV reminds me of.
The internet would collapse if Bulova made a smaller & automatic version of the Lunar Pilot.
Or hand wound.
I'd just settle for some of the higher end watches bringing back the option for acrylic.
Why Seiko don’t make SKX anymore.
Why the Seamaster has grown so big.
Why Rolex don’t produce more Watches people really want (steel sports).
A simple tweak in pretty much any Casio digital (whether A158, A168, A700, etc) is to swap out the silver painted resin with a stainless steel case. They tried doing it with the A1000 but they shot themselves in the foot by giving it an MOP dial 🙈.
The A1100 and the Casiotron are probably the closest they’ve gotten. The former is an acquired taste with the bottons on the front rather than on the sides. The latter is $500 a pop and limited edition. Come on Casio 🤦🏻.
Moonswatch wasn't a fiasco.... It was a money grab to sell garbage at a high price by leveraging marketing, branding, and a low average knowledge of huerology. It executed to almost perfect greedy capitalism. Kudos to them. Capitalism in its purest form should not be labeled a fiasco lol
Omega happily made a sword hands Seamaster for ~6-8 years from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s.
They also have a back catalogue model they could reference from the mod to late 1960s or just reissue, the Big Triangle model.
The HEV is staying though
Can't wait for the second (or third if you're counting those 50th anniversary GMTs) coming of the big triangle, sans HEV. Probably going to be a limited edition and well out of my price range but I'd like to see it come back.
Agreed, smaller bullova will sell like a hot cakes
The movement might not fit in a sub 41mm case. The 43mm is pretty size accurate to the original. Now they just need a blasted case option and we're set.
You had me at the snowflake hands
I've also had these Q's come to mind:
On No1: There is an "avenue" they can take without sacrificing the Tudor look, by using the only "other" set of hands they have - That of the Ranger! - If they used those on even Limited/Special Editions of any of their other dials, I think it would spice things up for those of us not super crazy about the snowflake hands.
On No2: Far more unlikely... Hell they went from 45 to 43 and called it a day! L2L on the smallest being 50! Until that sucker goes down to 47 L2L, I can't really use it.
I've also had these Q's come to mind:
On No1: There is an "avenue" they can take without sacrificing the Tudor look, by using the only "other" set of hands they have - That of the Ranger! - If they used those on even Limited/Special Editions of any of their other dials, I think it would spice things up for those of us not super crazy about the snowflake hands.
On No2: Far more unlikely... Hell they went from 45 to 43 and called it a day! L2L on the smallest being 50! Until that sucker goes down to 47 L2L, I can't really use it.
In agreement with you on both - but I am a little more hopeful on the last one. The “smaller” release honored the dimensions of the original - fair enough. But I think they just might have had enough feedback to go smaller down the road - though doubt it’s a priority.