Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
CornishDave
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by CornishDave »

On the 30/12/2008 I purchased a C8 Black Face for £244.00, not in a sale, not Nearly New, a brand new watch at full price. Today the successor to that watch which in essence is the same will cost you £450.00 an increase of £206.00 in five and a half years. Have all brands increased by this much, yep some have but others have not as indicated quite recently when comparing a Steinhart to a C60.

I congratulate CW on many fronts not least their customer service, but I do not see it as progress if a watch nearly doubles in price in six years. I do not blame CW for these increases if they can get people to pay £450 for a C8 good for them, but I think you can see why there is relatively little chance of me purchasing from them at full price currently. The developement of the more expensive models is interesting but no more than that to me, but this part of their developement makes sense, why not sell higher price watches if people will buy them and they are more competitive than others.

I guess I am saying there must be a number of old customers like me who have left the ship during the CW journey, and unless they get back to producing new models like the C8 was in 2008 I will not be getting back on board. So sorry Aifo I am not in total agreement with your post!
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by bootsy »

I can see three reasons for the increase. Firstly pounds vs Swiss Franc. Secondly the 5 year warranty being underpriced in the total price. Far more watches were sent back than was originally priced in.
Thirdly a lot more advertising in print media which has to cost.
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by Dancematt »

I stand by my original comments earlier in the thread although I have been critical of the brand in the past this is a good moment for the brand.

I think the general disappointment shown by many refers more to the un adventurous styling and same here/ at odds giant dress watch case for such a proud movement.

Imagine the reveal of the first Royal Oak or even something like the jaguar f type. It is my personal opinion that huge occasions such as this should blow people away on all fronts. Ford wouldn't put a totally new engine in an old mondeo design.

However the movement should be applauded for the most part (advertising aside) and the power reserve can be debated. :thumbup:
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by DEV.Woulf »

Aifo wrote:I am extremely surprised with the general, negative, reception of this new release and the claims that CW is not moving on...
I think it may have more to do with the statement about this being an important development for a British watch brand. I suppose it is but it's still British designed, Swiss manufactured. You can look at it in both ways, though. I also don't want a 43mm for a dress watch and hope they make a similar version in the c5 case. Perhaps something with a less-yet-still-impressive power reserve? :D
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by CornishDave »

Interesting Bootsy

1. Why then are comparable Steinharts much closer to their 2008 price, they use Swiss movements too?

2. Five year warranty if you are right perhaps quality control is lacking. I have to say I have never had to return any of my CW watches for quality issues. I wonder how many people order three watches keep just one and then the other two get sold as Nearly New? That presumably must impact on profits.

3. You may be right re print media advertising, do not believe I have ever seen a Steinhart advertised in that way. How much that increases costs I have no idea.

Whatever it is I have not purchased a CW watch for well over a year now. I bet the new launch will be way out of my budget in any event.

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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by Rooster »

After midnight here so going to sleep. At 2am I shall dream of CW.
Enjoy the show, hope I wake up to the 10th anniversary watch being a hand wound C1 reissue
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by bootsy »

CornishDave wrote:Interesting Bootsy

1. Why then are comparable Steinharts much closer to their 2008 price, they use Swiss movements too?

2. Five year warranty if you are right perhaps quality control is lacking. I have to say I have never had to return any of my CW watches for quality issues. I wonder how many people order three watches keep just one and then the other two get sold as Nearly New? That presumably must impact on profits.

3. You may be right re print media advertising, do not believe I have ever seen a Steinhart advertised in that way. How much that increases costs I have no idea.

Whatever it is I have not purchased a CW watch for well over a year now. I bet the new launch will be way out of my budget in any event.

Dave
I've had to send back 1 watch but the other 2 my wife has are fine.

I've been thinking about the Steinhart pricing vs the CW a lot.

Steinhart are in Euros. I need to look at the relative levels verses the Suisse Franc I think in that time period the Euro did slightly better as it co-incides with the huge UK bank bailout which dropped the value of UK sterling a lot.

Steinhart also have a long wait for delivery so seem to be a lot more just in time in manufacturing i.e. you pay then they make it. A work colleague has just got his first Steinhart after I introduced him to them but he paid a month before it turned up.

Maybe Steinhart stock piled or got a better bulk deal on movements or maybe they are just a family run concern and don't have to pay back the investors like CW do.

It's a good question and a valid point that the pricing for stock ETA non 7550 stuff appears to have diverged a lot. The C70 range of quartz has really gone up in price.
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by 7ee »

I'll say this much, this thread developed into a far more interesting read than purely speculation about what the announcement is going to be.

Interesting points from both sides of the fence, great that such discussion can freely take place on an official forum.
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by gwells »

sproughton wrote:I'm certainly not knocking the progress they've made - assuming it is actually in-house it's a phenomenal achievement.

I'd just rather it wasn't a C9 - personal preference
this summed up a lot of my reaction. i think the movement is interesting, in general, but if you put that movement in a 43mm C9 case, i won't be purchasing one. add in the roman numerals, it's just not my cup of tea.

hopefully enough other people are interested to make it a strong seller.
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by theaub »

Back to the thread - good amount of Twitter activity at the moment. Photo of Kip chatting away and shots of folks quaffing champagne and chatting. Everybody looks happy...
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by diver69 »

Silly Question -Is it only Twitter/Facebook/Instagram or is there a live stream anywhere??
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by welshlad »

It seems from the Twitter feed that there will be 3 "exciting" announcements! I think we only know one so far don't we?
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by ept55 »

theaub wrote:Back to the thread - good amount of Twitter activity at the moment. Photo of Kip chatting away and shots of folks quaffing champagne and chatting. Everybody looks happy...
what twitter link are you following "young man" :D
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by skimrok »

CornishDave wrote:On the 30/12/2008 I purchased a C8 Black Face for £244.00, not in a sale, not Nearly New, a brand new watch at full price. Today the successor to that watch which in essence is the same will cost you £450.00 an increase of £206.00 in five and a half years. Have all brands increased by this much, yep some have but others have not as indicated quite recently when comparing a Steinhart to a C60.

I congratulate CW on many fronts not least their customer service, but I do not see it as progress if a watch nearly doubles in price in six years. I do not blame CW for these increases if they can get people to pay £450 for a C8 good for them, but I think you can see why there is relatively little chance of me purchasing from them at full price currently. The developement of the more expensive models is interesting but no more than that to me, but this part of their developement makes sense, why not sell higher price watches if people will buy them and they are more competitive than others.

I guess I am saying there must be a number of old customers like me who have left the ship during the CW journey, and unless they get back to producing new models like the C8 was in 2008 I will not be getting back on board. So sorry Aifo I am not in total agreement with your post!

I prefer to stick with CWL then going with Steinhart just my view regardless of the price diffrence..
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Re: Save the Date - 2 July 2014

Post by Helix Von Smelix »

ept55 wrote:
theaub wrote:Back to the thread - good amount of Twitter activity at the moment. Photo of Kip chatting away and shots of folks quaffing champagne and chatting. Everybody looks happy...
what twitter link are you following "young man" :D
https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWbigreveal?src=hash
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