Reply With QuoteA combination: Thrifty Fathoms.Originally Posted by Qatar-wol
You mean that as a current and previous owner of more than one FF you are buying this one because…
It’s a bit of fun and you like the look of it far more than the hideous Citizens and Seiko watches touted as better value.
Seems a good enough reason to me.😀
A combination: Thrifty Fathoms.
I quite like these. Swatch x Blancpain x Polo Fruits.
Thrifty Fathoms is the winner.
And that's why the Moonswatch was a stroke of genius. Build massive hype around a "genuine" Omega for pennies, make this plastic bioceramic thing a "thing" and then use it to promote other brands in the Swatch group. Blancpain is a brand with a lot of cachet but not amongst the general public who, when asked to name a premium watch brand, will always just think of Rolex, then Omega. If this plays out as planned, demand for Blancpain will skyrocket.
Love 'em, we're staying at Battersea Power Station when we go to see Roger Waters next month, if they have them in the Swatch store there I doubt I'll be able to resist especially being my first break away in ages!
Still I'm sure they won't be readily available like that so my money will be safe. Will be eager to check when we arrive though just incase, the grey one is a stunner imo, that would be my choice by quite a margin.
I really like the blue and the green. Quite fun.
Canny Swatch outlet salespeople should require you buy a Moonswatch to get on their waiting list for the Blancpain x Swatch
Blanc what?
Shifty Fathoms, the possibilities are endless
It’s not openly scamming if they’re clear on the price and spec of the product. Customers will buy these from Swatch stores, knowing they’re buying a Swatch. And that little bit of printing is the whole design. Case, dial, hands, typefaces, bezel style - the whole lot is very clearly and heavily influenced by The Fifty Fathoms.
Nobody is paying £350 thinking they’re getting anything other than a Swatch styled like a Blancpain.
The middle finger you think they’re sticking up to the brand isn’t that at all. It’s a finger pointing out a brand very few people are aware of. My bet is that Blancpain does well out of this collaboration. More people today know the name then yesterday and that’ll continue for the coming weeks and months ahead.
Savvy business then, no?
lol. dont give them such ideas please!!!
I'm in two minds.
On the one hand I stand by what I said earlier, I do think it cheapens the luxury brands (even though I accept it may well help the bottom line through promotion). It would make me think twice about spending a lot of money on any iconic model across the Swatch Group brands, knowing that sooner or later they're probably going to drop a plastic co-branded version.
On the other hand, I guess I don't much care about point #1 as I don't personally have any plans to buy any of those watches anyway. So these homage Swatch watches are a bit of fun and almost become more appealing as they add more models into the mix (if that makes sense?). I don't much care for different colours of the MoonSwatch, but if could be fun building up a box of icons from the Swatch Group for relatively little money.
In conclusion, I'm not buying the Swatches, or the Omega/Blancpain luxury equivalents, so my thoughts on it really don't matter
Would I still want a genuine Blancpain 50 fathoms, yes. Would I want one of these as a temporary substitute, no.
Agreed. Simple truth
I think they look great but at 45mm just a little too big. Now if Blancpain made a Fifty Fathoms at 42mm like Swatch version that could be nice.
Quite like the blue one, but I still wont buy one
I quite liked the look of this, then did a bit of reading on the movement, I believe it's a Sistem 51.
Taking a step back... Generally speaking, as somebody with an interest in watches, any initiative that gets watches back on to people's wrists gets a thumbs up from me. In the age of smartphones and smartwatches, it is difficult to make a compelling argument (at a mainstream level) for traditional watches.
I won't repeat some of the excellent opinions given earlier in this thread but, for me, this over the past couple of years has been if nothing else a marketing masterstroke. And, as we all know, much of the luxury business world is indeed about marketing not product.
Love them as a bit of fun and, personally, I think they’re far nicer than the moonswatch. I’m after the orange or grey version as a bit of a fun summer watch.
Really,
We’ve just spent a week in Ibiza and Swatches were the biggest brand on show with many MoonSwatches on wrists.
The Swatch store in Duty Free was doing brisk business too.
Agree with this. Was in Mykonos recently and it was either moonswatches or Rolexi!
Looks like people are already in the queue!
I’m not including the Moonswatch - I was wondering if it had invigorated the ‘standard’ plastic 80’s Swatch design in all its colours and flavours. I can’t remember the last time I saw what we called a ‘swatch’ back in the 80’s. Perhaps you saw them on the beaches this summer but I’ve certainly not seen one in years
Looking at eBay not a single person who purchased one wants to keep it! I really don’t think the resellers will have the same amount of success with this time around. Folk hopefully know they will be readily available soon with the only limiting factor being able to physically get to a point of sale. Anyone who pays more than a few quid over retail needs to give their head a wobble.
Moonswatch is generally available less the delayed production on Neptunes.
They will make these generally available too and sell millions.
Good fun. The price of a strap for a cool no worries watch, if you are a hater thats very sad.
RIAC
[IMG][/IMG]
You can see here, interest for the Swatch Brand is over twice what it was pre Moonswatch, another increase at the end following the latest announcement.
[IMG][/IMG]
'Speedmaster' interest also peaked at the MoonSwatch launch and has increased since. Time will tell if Blancpain has the same bounce, I'm sure the data analysts and marketers at Swatch Group know what they're doing.
There's no need to start calling people sad and generally casting aspersions about views, making this a ,matter of personality. There is far too much attacking the man rather than the ball.
I am a hater of this (and the Moonswatch, and System 51 as well), I think that it all aspects of life an adherence to quality goods that last is a good thing.
This type of throwaway product should generally be avoided, it is consumerism for its own sake.
It is much more sustainable to use a little more resource to create something that lasts multiples of time longer.
And I know people will believe the company line that this is great, an entry point to a specialist brand for the masses. And of course Swatch want people to buy it.
And throw it away and buy another one, and so on.
I am not going to, that is all.
Partly because I am not a great believer in inflated brand pricing (most of my watch money over recent years has been spent with smaller brands, other than Tudor).
But more importantly I am a devout non-believer in throwaway stuff. It sucks.
And I am not going to be persuaded that it is cool, when it is landfill in the short term.
I have plenty of fun with my watches, but this isn't it.
And there is nothing sad about that.
Hating a watch is sad. Love them or save energy and emotions.
Anyway. Note the large capitals and look forward to getting one.
If anyone is in town grab me one and ill add a decent meal and beer on top
RIAC
I recently bought a strap for 115 Euros and even that was enough to make me baulk, let alone 390! I'm a tight git!
Last edited by neuman356; 8th September 2023 at 21:26.
Cannot see any issue here, they are just a bit of fun and if you don’t like it then don’t buy one.
I’m glad I bought my Tissot PRX quartz for similar money and would far rather have that than one of these but I do think it’s fabulous marketing by the Swatch group.
Regardless of the watches - in fact totally regardless of the product sector - I don’t really understand the logic behind producing a cheap branded product paying homage/referencing or emulating the ‘real’ luxury product. Imho it’s a cynical exercise where the ‘brand’ doesn’t really have any value - it’s just one of a stable of brands owned by a huge corporation which is now being used as an exercise in ‘clever’ marketing with no real concern about the values related to the core brand itself. It’s a gamble and if it doesn’t pay off, in the global scheme it’s no harm done. Reminds me of Pierre Cardin - once a luxury designer fashion label with a visionary designer at its helm, sold off and by the 90’s you could get official Pierre Cardin branded pants, aftershave and tat on the local market. Just don’t get it personally. Is PC even a brand anymore? - nope
My friend bought two yesterday
He's not a watch guy really but must have heard about this. He bought for his wife and dad.
When he initially asked me about this I advised against queues, especially in London given the types who will be in the queue. To my surprise he said he'd already bought two
Ive had my pop-swatch since I was 10 ish.
It's 35 years old and has thus far avoided landfill.
Consumerism is good for the economy.
The articles I have read so far indicate that this is not released to save the high end Swiss Industry, which is doing very nicely thank you.
It is using the high end to save to low end Swiss Industry.
I was reading a Hodinkee article suggesting that up until recently, although the Swiss exported more in terms of value (+3%) year on year, the number of watches sent was down a huge amount, because the low end (Swatch itself notably) was very badly affected by the new arrival of smart watches, in a way that the high end never was. Figures of down 95% were mentioned for watches below CHF500. (Which as a side note is exactly what ETA wanted when it stopped supplying 2824s outside the group - more money from fewer watches.
The problem is that the ownership rests with Swatch, and they need to be successful to persist, so Omega and now BP have been conscripted into saving Swatch, which they seem to be doing.
The article then argues that the MoonSwatch has increased global sales of the MoonWatch (Swatch claim) whilst posting a graph showing how the MoonWatch itself has declined in value since the MoonSwatch was released.
I still think the jury is out on this, but I am sure a collab like this does more good for the lower end partner than it does the higher end one.
That makes a lot of sense - I tend to see either a Smart watch (usually an Apple Watch) , no watch, a cheap fashion watch or a Casio digital on my friends, colleagues and family members under 30. I no longer mix in a ‘city’ crowd which I’m sure makes a difference but I’m the only person I know in my office who wears a mechanical watch. I don’t think as many people wear a decent watch as they used to - and I’d include something like a quartz PRX in this context
Who's your friend? They're not on sale until tomorrow (9th Sept). 1 per customer.
"Got a one of each colour, and popped into Rolex and picked up a couple of Daytona's".
Makes sense - interesting to see how they sell. Think they did a much better job with the Moonswatch. From the pictures these look more like kids watches.
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We haven’t had a WTB listed for one yet, anyone who is lucky enough to get one tomorrow and doesn’t bond with it, I’m here to take it off your hands bla bla bla.
Come on, be the first and give us a laugh
Who's your friend? They're not on sale until tomorrow (9th Sept). 1 per customer.
"Got a one of each colour, and popped into Rolex and picked up a couple of Daytona's".
Classic, must be Jay off The Inbetweeners
Last edited by 100thmonkey; 8th September 2023 at 14:55.
RIAC
That is an interesting take on the position; I have to say you rarely see under 30s wearing a watch these days ... that has probably hit the lower end of the market.
Ha, sameHating a watch is sad. Love them or save energy and emotions.
Anyway. Note the large capitals and look forward to getting one.
If anyone is in town grab me one and ill add a decent meal and beer on top
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I think that Swatch Group understand the current trends well and things like this could help the entire industry in the long run. The young people that either wear a smart watch or no watch now probably won’t hit forty and suddenly think “I need a Rolex/Omega/Patek.” Higher end sales are holding up much better because they are still selling to the same customers that have always worn a watch, it’s the younger buyers that need to be targeted if the industry is to have a future.
I'm gonna stick my neck out here and say maybe that´s because of what design they are, they ape...to me the real Blancpain always looks big, simple and kinda clunky, lot like a kids watch...Now people often seem to mention the quality of the finish which really stands out, clearly lifts the real deal...SO if you then make em in plastic, they´re gonna look like a kids watch...mebbe something in this?
I quite like the blue one, cute bit of fun novelty watch and swimmable so we´re led to believe... but wouldn´t pay 300, 200, 150 quid for such a novelty...so needs must learn to live without.
Anyone know the lug width on these btw, doesn´t seem to get mentioned anywhere?
Last edited by Passenger; 8th September 2023 at 16:46.
I like them
Gonna head to the Glasgow shop tomorrow AM and try get one. Shouldn’t be mental queues as it’s in a shopping centre so I don’t think people will be able to line up early
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Misunderstanding!
He bought the moonswatch not the new one
It does make you wonder though why someone wouldn't just wait for the stainless and sapphire, Seiko powered Pagani Design lookalikes that will inevitably follow.
I guess it's just the power of the name...
M
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