Time to watch
886
It boils down to the following,
Mar 16, 2015,07:00 AM
will a utilitarian device replace a luxury item? Because mechanical watches are without a doubt luxury items.
The Quartz crisis pushed pretty much all mechanical watches into the luxury item bracket.
I just don't see how a utilitarian device can displace a luxury item because it cannot compete in that way.
Further, with regard to your analogy of film and digital cameras, I believe the Quartz crisis was to mechanical watches
What digital cameras are to film cameras. The watch industry has already survived that.
While the iwatch competes with all swiss watches at or below $1000 U.S. Dollars that doesn't
necessarily mean all watch companies are under equal threat.
Some people have mentioned wearing both a mechanical and iwatch, one on each wrist. I can see that happening.
However the inherent desire of people to own quality, luxury products will not be disminished by the iwatch.
The iwatch is not the end all be all of wrist products IMHO.
I look forward to following the developments in the watch industry as they occur. I'm a betting man and I bet
On quality every time. An iwatch will be bought by many watch and non watch enthusiasts for different reasons.
And they will be used in many different ways, but people who spend $15000-$500,000+ on mechanical watches
are not going to stop appreciating the beauty and workmanship and style of a high end swiss piece, they just may not
wear them as often. I don't take my pateks to the beach, I take my rolex or grand seiko. I will continue to do so after
the release of the iwatch. I will wear my dress watches to dinners and events, I'll wear a Patek and it will evoke an
emotion that an iwatch, I doubt, will ever replace.
Fine art is still very much alive in the 21st century, mechanical watches are art in my eyes as well.
How else can one explain the hammer price of the very high end watches?
It's not for their utilitarian value.
Sincerely
H.