Influence of watch bloggs on the industry

[willy]

It would be intresting to get some views on what you all think about the influence watch bloggs have on the watch industry in general .

I think that without bloggs like Time Zone the demand for mechanical wrist watches would not be what it is today . Millions of people read watch bloggs like Time Zone - Hoodinke-Watchseek etc etc . These people talk to millions of other people about watches and have created a power factor in the watch trade . Indeed it is true to say that watch collectors created the industry as we know it today . Indeed many brands write on bloggs and company directors go out of their way to give interviews and create an image on these bloggs .

The worlds biggest used watch auction house Antiquorum even went as far as to buy the biggest watch site in the world at that time . They used millions of dollars to buy Time Zone . You can ask yourself why did they do this ? Very simple answer . They had to controll it . The critics on Time Zone were begining to have a big influence on the sales of Antiquorums watches .

Brands like Rolex and Patek were among the first to realise that the prices of their used watches has a big influence on the numbers of new watches they could sell . Indeed they started buying their own watches at auctions to push the prices up and create an image for their watches . And it worked to a fantastic degree .

Today Brands can be made on watch sites . And they can also be hurt very badly by these sites .

The Watch industry is without any real consumer body just like the Perfume industry . All we have are watch sites and many of these are owned by the industry . I am in no way trying to say that the watch industry is corrupt and only intrested in cheating the public . This is in no way true at all . The watch buisness is no different than many others good and bad .

My opinion is that without watch bloggs the intrest for mechanical watches would not exist today . And that watch bloggs will continue to have an enormous influence on the industry . But i am very sorry to see many bloggs become a part of the industry .

What do you think ? Willy ps. this link is quite interesting [url]"http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43e8e246-f112-11e1-89b2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2HsG09YzM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43e8e246-f112 ... z2HsG09YzM[/url]

[hannover_dk]

the bigger the blog the bigger the influence clearly - I do however think that the clear majority of watches are sold to peolpe who never visit a blog. I can just look at my workplace - probably 300 people there, and I know most of them well enough to know if the are watch interested to the extend they visit blogs - and none of them do, but they all have watches.
In the management group - lets call it 24 people over 8 countries - most have a watch that would cost around 20-50.000 DKK . A majority of Rolex, Omega and Breitlings, and a few IWC actually - and non of them have any particular interest in watches, other than knowing that the brand they have picked is popular and matches their status somehow.

I think the industry has a rather bigger interest in prices of their vintage watches, as that can somehow justify the scary prices they take for their new watches, and I think they can have an interest in blowing up prices on auctions.

So - yes I do think blogs have some infliuence in particular the very big blogs, but I do not think the industry is as scared as you do Willy. I think, if you or I wrote something bad about Omega on timezone (or here) Omegas management would still sleep relatively undisturbed at night .
br

[Kristofferj]

[willy]

hannover_dk Skrev:the bigger the blog the bigger the influence clearly - I do however think that the clear majority of watches are sold to peolpe who never visit a blog. I can just look at my workplace - probably 300 people there, and I know most of them well enough to know if the are watch interested to the extend they visit blogs - and none of them do, but they all have watches.
In the management group - lets call it 24 people over 8 countries - most have a watch that would cost around 20-50.000 DKK . A majority of Rolex, Omega and Breitlings, and a few IWC actually - and non of them have any particular interest in watches, other than knowing that the brand they have picked is popular and matches their status somehow.

I think the industry has a rather bigger interest in prices of their vintage watches, as that can somehow justify the scary prices they take for their new watches, and I think they can have an interest in blowing up prices on auctions.

So - yes I do think blogs have some infliuence in particular the very big blogs, but I do not think the industry is as scared as you do Willy. I think, if you or I wrote something bad about Omega on timezone (or here) Omegas management would still sleep relatively undisturbed at night .
br

Yes i am sure little old me cannot disturb their sleep <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

But i think you know that anything negative about a watch spreads like wildfire on the net today . And can have a negative effect on new an used watches from the brand involved . That is why more and more bloggs have a Rep from many brands keeping an eye on them . Omega were very quick to comment on bloggs about the problems they had with some of their calibers . They would not do this if it had no importance for them . And i would bet money that in the future collectors will keep away from those Omega with this caliber . The used watch dealers are important to watch brands .

Watches are getting a bit like cars , people change them all of the time . And if they do not get a good price in exchange for the old watch when buying a new . They often change Brands . So used prices are very important to the industry in the long run . I think this is why many brands go under when the used market cannot sell their watches . Quality is very important and image even more so . And today the net is the greatest image maker in this world . And where do new buyers look for info on the watch they are thinking about buying .
The net of course . There are of course buyers with to much money and no brains who walk into a watch shop and buy a Patek -AP-Rolex etc etc because they like the colour . But i think we can agree they are not the kind of people who can help a watch brand survive in the long run . I think for example this site has an influence on watch sales in Denmark . I know for a fact about a dealer who sold 3 very expensive watches in one week after positive reviews on this site about a certain watch . And negative reviews spread like wildfire amongst people today .

So you are not without influence in little Denmark John Willy

[willy]

kristofferJ Skrev:

<!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> They cannot make bloody tea in Denmark its like mosquito piss . Willy

[khbk]

Er det ikke en kaffekop?
Hvor og hvornår begyndte urfirmaerne at opkøbe "egne" ure ved auktioner?
Hvad er der blevet af disse ure. Er de fjernet fra markedet/destrueret eller solgt videre.
Har det været muligt at "styre" priserne på denne måde?
Har man exempler på at bil-blogs har kunnet påvirke bilindustrien?

[Kristofferj]

Du har helt ret, te smager bare bedre i England:-)

Ved ikke om det er kaffe, men udrykket er: storm in a teacup

[Stenstrup]

hannover_dk Skrev:the bigger the blog the bigger the influence clearly - I do however think that the clear majority of watches are sold to peolpe who never visit a blog. I can just look at my workplace - probably 300 people there, and I know most of them well enough to know if the are watch interested to the extend they visit blogs - and none of them do, but they all have watches.
In the management group - lets call it 24 people over 8 countries - most have a watch that would cost around 20-50.000 DKK . A majority of Rolex, Omega and Breitlings, and a few IWC actually - and non of them have any particular interest in watches, other than knowing that the brand they have picked is popular and matches their status somehow.

I think the industry has a rather bigger interest in prices of their vintage watches, as that can somehow justify the scary prices they take for their new watches, and I think they can have an interest in blowing up prices on auctions.

So - yes I do think blogs have some infliuence in particular the very big blogs, but I do not think the industry is as scared as you do Willy. I think, if you or I wrote something bad about Omega on timezone (or here) Omegas management would still sleep relatively undisturbed at night .
br

I diffently agree on the part taht not many with expensive watches like PP, and in parteculer Rolex, Brietling and Omega, cares much about the watchindustry. They like a good brand, read the homepage of the url to check on models. Read a bit about the brand hoístory perhaps, and forget about it 3 weeeks later, and then they get there watch and don´t think much about it again. I believe that less than 1 % of watchowners read much about watches in Forums. And perhaps max. 2 % who buys expensive watches are often checking in on forums. We are a very very little majoity in this world. Sure many like watches, but they don´t want to write in forums and a perhaps 10 times as many likes to read in forums, but all togethe of the whole, we are really small in the whole affair. As far as Timezone goes, then they are really getiing really picky. You can´t discuss prices, dealers, if you show a picture of a frankenwatch you are almost expelled, if you show a pic. of a fake you are almost also expelled, you can´t show links to auctions. All you can almost do is discuss watches themselv, and by making all these limitation, I think Timezone had gone vary bad. I was a member of them for 4 years but now I have tking a long brake from them. They get borring. Here on vintagewatches the rules are extreamly simpley. Only postwatches for sale at the right place and don´t discuss prices of watches you have in your porsation. This forum is the place to be. Sorry about my poor spelling.
Regards
Nicholas

[willy]

Stenstrup Skrev:

hannover_dk Skrev:the bigger the blog the bigger the influence clearly - I do however think that the clear majority of watches are sold to peolpe who never visit a blog. I can just look at my workplace - probably 300 people there, and I know most of them well enough to know if the are watch interested to the extend they visit blogs - and none of them do, but they all have watches.
In the management group - lets call it 24 people over 8 countries - most have a watch that would cost around 20-50.000 DKK . A majority of Rolex, Omega and Breitlings, and a few IWC actually - and non of them have any particular interest in watches, other than knowing that the brand they have picked is popular and matches their status somehow.

I think the industry has a rather bigger interest in prices of their vintage watches, as that can somehow justify the scary prices they take for their new watches, and I think they can have an interest in blowing up prices on auctions.

So - yes I do think blogs have some infliuence in particular the very big blogs, but I do not think the industry is as scared as you do Willy. I think, if you or I wrote something bad about Omega on timezone (or here) Omegas management would still sleep relatively undisturbed at night .
br

I diffently agree on the part taht not many with expensive watches like PP, and in parteculer Rolex, Brietling and Omega, cares much about the watchindustry. They like a good brand, read the homepage of the url to check on models. Read a bit about the brand hoístory perhaps, and forget about it 3 weeeks later, and then they get there watch and don´t think much about it again. I believe that less than 1 % of watchowners read much about watches in Forums. And perhaps max. 2 % who buys expensive watches are often checking in on forums. We are a very very little majoity in this world. Sure many like watches, but they don´t want to write in forums and a perhaps 10 times as many likes to read in forums, but all togethe of the whole, we are really small in the whole affair. As far as Timezone goes, then they are really getiing really picky. You can´t discuss prices, dealers, if you show a picture of a frankenwatch you are almost expelled, if you show a pic. of a fake you are almost also expelled, you can´t show links to auctions. All you can almost do is discuss watches themselv, and by making all these limitation, I think Timezone had gone vary bad. I was a member of them for 4 years but now I have tking a long brake from them. They get borring. Here on vintagewatches the rules are extreamly simpley. Only postwatches for sale at the right place and don´t discuss prices of watches you have in your porsation. This forum is the place to be. Sorry about my poor spelling.
Regards
Nicholas

Hi Nicholas do not worry about the spelling your opnion is what counts here . I do not agree about your procents on the number of people that visit watch sites . Let me give you an example . For many years Patek was the watch brand that top excutives in the USA recieved on their retirement . Today according to a survey i read Lang & Sohn have replaced Patek as the ultimative watch gift to a top boss . This did not happen because Lang have been sending brochures to firms or using Billboard ads . It all happened on the net when watch freaks discovered a brand that could match and sometimes surpass Patek . There are so many examples of brands that only exist because of watch sites . The picture of the Lange Datograph Caliber is hanging in offices all over the world thanks to Time Zone and other bloggs .

I could not agree more about Time Zone today . It is a joke without any critical content . But that is exactly what Antiquorum want and is the reason they paid a fortune for it . Hoodinkee used to be ok , they used to really give bad watches hell . Today they are also in the pocket of watch brands . Everything they write is positive . I tend to get very suspicous of sites without any real critical content . And i do not mean making a remark about a dot on the dial being one millioneth of a MM out of place . Looking at some watch sites can give the impression that everything made by some brands is absolutly fabulous .

So the day i disapear from this site never to be seen again . You can be sure i am either dead or sitting on my sofa admiring the 4-5 complication watches i have just been given by a watch brand . <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> Willy

[mnielse]

willy Skrev:

Stenstrup Skrev:

hannover_dk Skrev:the bigger the blog the bigger the influence clearly - I do however think that the clear majority of watches are sold to peolpe who never visit a blog. I can just look at my workplace - probably 300 people there, and I know most of them well enough to know if the are watch interested to the extend they visit blogs - and none of them do, but they all have watches.
In the management group - lets call it 24 people over 8 countries - most have a watch that would cost around 20-50.000 DKK . A majority of Rolex, Omega and Breitlings, and a few IWC actually - and non of them have any particular interest in watches, other than knowing that the brand they have picked is popular and matches their status somehow.

I think the industry has a rather bigger interest in prices of their vintage watches, as that can somehow justify the scary prices they take for their new watches, and I think they can have an interest in blowing up prices on auctions.

So - yes I do think blogs have some infliuence in particular the very big blogs, but I do not think the industry is as scared as you do Willy. I think, if you or I wrote something bad about Omega on timezone (or here) Omegas management would still sleep relatively undisturbed at night .
br

I diffently agree on the part taht not many with expensive watches like PP, and in parteculer Rolex, Brietling and Omega, cares much about the watchindustry. They like a good brand, read the homepage of the url to check on models. Read a bit about the brand hoístory perhaps, and forget about it 3 weeeks later, and then they get there watch and don´t think much about it again. I believe that less than 1 % of watchowners read much about watches in Forums. And perhaps max. 2 % who buys expensive watches are often checking in on forums. We are a very very little majoity in this world. Sure many like watches, but they don´t want to write in forums and a perhaps 10 times as many likes to read in forums, but all togethe of the whole, we are really small in the whole affair. As far as Timezone goes, then they are really getiing really picky. You can´t discuss prices, dealers, if you show a picture of a frankenwatch you are almost expelled, if you show a pic. of a fake you are almost also expelled, you can´t show links to auctions. All you can almost do is discuss watches themselv, and by making all these limitation, I think Timezone had gone vary bad. I was a member of them for 4 years but now I have tking a long brake from them. They get borring. Here on vintagewatches the rules are extreamly simpley. Only postwatches for sale at the right place and don´t discuss prices of watches you have in your porsation. This forum is the place to be. Sorry about my poor spelling.
Regards
Nicholas

Hi Nicholas do not worry about the spelling your opnion is what counts here . I do not agree about your procents on the number of people that visit watch sites . Let me give you an example . For many years Patek was the watch brand that top excutives in the USA recieved on their retirement . Today according to a survey i read Lang & Sohn have replaced Patek as the ultimative watch gift to a top boss . This did not happen because Lang have been sending brochures to firms or using Billboard ads . It all happened on the net when watch freaks discovered a brand that could match and sometimes surpass Patek . There are so many examples of brands that only exist because of watch sites . The picture of the Lange Datograph Caliber is hanging in offices all over the world thanks to Time Zone and other bloggs .

I could not agree more about Time Zone today . It is a joke without any critical content . But that is exactly what Antiquorum want and is the reason they paid a fortune for it . Hoodinkee used to be ok , they used to really give bad watches hell . Today they are also in the pocket of watch brands . Everything they write is positive . I tend to get very suspicous of sites without any real critical content . And i do not mean making a remark about a dot on the dial being one millioneth of a MM out of place . Looking at some watch sites can give the impression that everything made by some brands is absolutly fabulous .

So the day i disapear from this site never to be seen again . You can be sure i am either dead or sitting on my sofa admiring the 4-5 complication watches i have just been given by a watch brand . <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> Willy

Not 100% sure with the 1% and 2% from Nicholas, but I think that he is on the right track.
Internet blogs aren't the media that controls much regarding watch brand fashion and prices.
Magazines and fashion events are the main advertisement media for watches.

Martin