GreatScott wrote:Ok, I know that title is going to get a lot of flack, but I want to let everyone know I am a huge CW fan. I am having a little trouble here recently due to a number of issues so my main concern n bringing this up is that hopefully CW will see it and make some needed corrections. Yes, this is 100% my opinion, but others certainly have to have thee same concerns.
1) Sale, Sale, Sale, Sale. Every week a new sale. All constant sale's do is cheapen the product an make anyone who paid full price feel like a fool. Let's get back to twice a year small sales. If the product is overpriced then make it cheaper from the get-go.
2) Something for everyone. Yep, there are waaaaay to many choices. Every color, every type, every tie-in. CW - don't worry about being something for everyone, make a smaller selection with a higher quality. Be the best a few things rather than good a lot. Extra inventory results from failed color schemes or failed designs leading to problem #1.
3) Rebranding. Time to get the right answer. 2 logos. Keep the new Christoper Ward for dress watches and add a CW logo = the new swiss heart stuff for tool watches. Rolex has 2, it can work. Also, constant rebranding leads to more sales and back to point #1 above.
4) Crappy movements. The SH21 is a masterpiece. Make larger production runs to decrease costs and put them in a greater number of watches. If you keep the same price point increase some of the needed areas of improvement such as the bracelets. Or decrease overall cost to increase value and decrease the need for constant sales. Use ETA/7750 as a back-up but only use top grade and for the love of humanity make them all regulated to 5 positions. Case in point, the problem with the Trident Chronograph is that it used an unregulated 7750. Getting a top grade movement is less than $50 more. No more of this 24 seconds a day stuff, that is a complete failure to your customers. Regulating is cheap. By the way, advertise it, TOP GRADE and REGULATED. This will make happy people.
Bottom line, I think CW is trying to be too much to too many people and cheapening the brand. Be the best at a few things (movement, colors and style) and drop the rest. If CW manages to get the best value proposition by using the SH21 in a perfected Trident, etc. then they will have many happy lifelong collectors.
Being a bit familiar with CW over the past few years, allow me to offer some counterpoints. I will start by saying that I may not always agree with what CW does, or how they do it. However, they must be doing something right as, despite the flagging sales of many major brands, CW has continued to grow and be profitable.
1) Sale, Sale, Sale, Sale - CW used to have more defined sales that tended to overload their staff as well as their computer systems. Since they have gone to a Sale section on the website, it has proved far more manageable and with shorter turnaround.
CW has only one store and that is the website. How would you propose that they eliminate returned, discontinued or slow moving items? They could simply dispose of no longer wanted items, but that would costs thousands. That would also have to be added to the cost of goods initially.
Many brands have sales and many major brands do not. This does not prevent other brand AD's from having them. Many brands flog off to the grey market just as many AD's do. Does this cheapen those brands?
2) Something for everyone - Hopefully, but probably not. Not like it used to be, Aside from the C60's of 2015, which peaked at over 200 dial color/strap/size combinations, overall sku's have actually been reduced. The reduction of the C60's, the elimination of the Ladies Collections and the reduction of strap options all point to a reduction overall.
Even with reduced model selection, not every model introduced will be a winner or be around long term. You can keep them in inventory forever trying to sell through or sell at a reduced price to recoup cash to put into more profitable items. If you are selling off then we go back to point 1. How to get rid of them...
A company like CW does not continue to grow by being stagnant. many brands may choose to specialize or run with a very limited selection. None that I can think of have grown continuously or are the size of CW. CW is operating with the vision they have while I presume that many niche, micro brands are operating as they see fit. If they wish to grow, they will be forced to expand their selection as well.
3) Rebranding - I wasn't going to touch this. CW has rebranded twice. Once in 2011 and the most recent being last year (model transition in progress). The company has grown considerably since the 2011 re branding with many more models. Therefore it is taking longer to turnover the stock. Yes I would have tried to do it differently, but I do not run the company. Still I do not consider 2 re brandings to be constant despite the fact that this one has been ongoing for 8 months due to the size of the overall line.
As to 2 logo's..not a choice I would make. Two categories perhaps, such as we are seeing with the development of the Grand Malvern series. Rolex/Tudor or Seiko/Grand Seiko I understand, but 2 logos, I think, would only be confusing. I am unaware that Rolex is using 2 logos, unless you meant the Rolex/Tudor thing.
4) Crappy movements - I agree that the SH21 is a masterpiece. It is limited by its size which also enhances its flexibility.
I do not consider the 7750 a crappy movement. Regardless of the grade, it is a well proven engine for many years now. It is not an El Primero, but neither does it carry the cost.
CW has usually opted to use the middle grade movements aside from COSC models. These have proven more than sufficient to the mass world wide market that CW markets to. I doubt that most of the market cares what movement is in a watch, never mind what grade. Why 3 positions instead of 5?....because in all but the more expensive pieces, it doesn't matter to most. Everything has a cost.......everything!! These costs must be translated into retail. Maybe the next grade up is only $50 more, but using the well known 3X margin of CW, this translates to $150 retail. Worth it to you?
I agree we may have different opinions and perceptions, but CW is the most transparent company that I know of and has shown continued growth since inception. We may not always like what or how they do things, but they must be doing something right.
The above is my opinion just as I may like a certain watch that makes you sick.....style is subjective.