Investment or not

[willy]

Hi Gert,Watches are not shares,and your argument does not apply here.You have to understand watch history,to understand the market for watches.In this branch prestige means everything,in the eyes of people who buy these watches.Most people who buy these watches,have no bloody idea what they are buying.
                                 Vacheron Constantin were in past years considered to be the ultimate high end watch,Patek were in second place.At this time VC were considered to be making the best factory produced watches,the rich elite could buy.In fact VC are the watch brand that were No 1 for the longest time in watch history.Their big mistake was that they did not keep the same quality and new thinking in developing new watches.Patek overtook them in terms of quality and development of new watches.
                                One thing both of these brands have in common.Is the fact that they out scourced all their calibers-cases-straps etc etc out of house.They both built their reputations on finish and the development of complication watches.Technically they were no where near JLC ,who built many of the famous calibers these two brands built their reputation on.
                                      Lange are very different,and are changing watch history.This is the first time a top 5 high end brand is really what you can call inhouse.They have made more new calibers in the last 30 years,than PP or VC have made in all of their history! Why is this you might ask?Answer is, they have resources the other high end brands do not have.Once all the watch experts in the world think you are No 1,it does not take long to reach the general public.People in China or India are not stupid.They can read. In a survey i read a couple of years ago,about the USA high end watch market,Lange beat Patek hands down as the No1 most exclusive watch gift for a out going director.
                                       Forget the general public,they do not buy these watches.These watches are made mostly for the wealthy top 10% of our populations.And believe me they allready know all about Lange,and what they stand for.Rarity- prestige- exclusive-and being no1, mean everthing to the type of buyers PP and Lange aspire to.

                                           Patek remind me a bit of Rolls Royce.They had fantastic traditions of handwork in their cars,but tecnically they were years behind Mercedes.They were loosing their market to other manufactures.And if they had not been taken over,and given access to new engines and finance,they would no longer exist.

                              Stock market analyse is very flawed.These people have failed to predict any stock market crashes for about 150 years The reason i think,is because they do not know enough about history or long term politics.
                                   It is nice to read a constructive argument with for and against elements in it for a change,and you have done it well.
                                     If Patek get taken over by someone with financial muscle.Then all my predictions can turn to dust.My guess is that it will not happen untill it is to late.