Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Discuss Christopher Ward watches

Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Yes
15
19%
No
52
66%
Don't know / don't care
12
15%
 
Total votes: 79

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rcherryuk
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by rcherryuk »

downer wrote:Running two brands is expensive, so there would need to be a very solid business case for introducing a new brand. After all, I doubt that it is the current branding (CW) that is preventing the sales success of of the womens range...
True, But Breil,Diesel,Storm all make a nice income from mainstream fashion watches. Hiving the 'fashion' side off might actually help CWs mainstream sales.

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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Terminator 2 »

Not being a woman I wouldnt honestly know. However could it be that women like to look and touch things in the flesh ie they love shopping. Maybe they are simply not swooning over purchases that can only be made on the internet. I have this conversation often with women re my "MEN & SHOPPING" theory. Take shoes for instance although it applies to most purchases and a lot of men will relate to this. If they do not then I think they are a little too in touch with their femine side than is healthy lol. If I need a pair of shoes for instance of course I go to a shoe shop, one shoe shop. If that shop has a pair of shoes that will do the job then I will buy them. I dont care that there might be a nicer pair in the next shop. I dont care that I might save £5 in the next shoe shop either. You see I just cant be bothered with the hassle and shopping around is a just a pain in the butt. As it is unlikely that the shop will not have at least one pair of shoes I can live with then it is highly unlikely that I will visit a second shop. As a man I just dont find shopping fun. I want to get in and out of a shop as quickly as possible so I can utilise my spare time in more manly pursuits. As I say I just guessing as to why womens watches are not doing so well but there might also be something in it, ie if the likes of a High Street retailer was selling womens CWL watches then the odds are more would be sold.

:wink: :D
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Loddonite »

I have spent a long time typing and deleting and come to the conclusion that I have no coherent opinion on this issue.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by ianblyth »

Loddonite wrote:I have spent a long time typing and deleting and come to the conclusion that I have no coherent opinion on this issue.
Honesty is the best policy. :D

All we can do is offer opinions. It is Chris's company. He needs to decide on the direction. A few have suggested spinning off the women's as a new sub brand but what a growing company needs is focus and not diversifying all over the place.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by alphajet »

I have bought three CW womens watches, two for the wife and one for my daughter, they were both pleased to recieve them as presents from me, but I would probably got the same result if I had bought them seiko's.
I don't believe there is any brand attraction to CW for most women, companies that make designer clothes and perfume have the inexpensive ladies watch market well covered.
I say drop the ladies range if they are not selling well.
No more Quartz (except when I cannot resist).
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by downer »

Loddonite wrote:I have spent a long time typing and deleting and come to the conclusion that I have no coherent opinion on this issue.
That didn't stop the rest of us! :lol:
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by jimbo »

I think they should carry on making them, as if my wife desired a new watch....which she does not at this time, there are a couple on the site she would choose.

The reason I would buy her one is the customer service we get from the CW brand.

So for me, the service I have received so far has been so good, it deserves my money in the future, and it would be a shame if I had to shop elsewhere.

If CW makes no money from women's watches, then maybe narrow the range, or give up, but for many women, some of the watches are a little big, and on a small wrist maybe a little imposing?
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Mortis »

My wife loves her W7, even though it is just a "scaled down men's model" but she does wear it daily albeit with a fancier (non-CWL as they are too bling) dress watch on standby for more formal occasions. And so she won't need another for a fairly long while, I'd guess.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by TXAG96 »

My wife wears a classic looking, quartz, two tone Tissot. I think there's a market in understated, quality women's watches. Personally, I thought the white dial Matisse was interesting. I showed it to my wife and offered to buy it for her...not interested. I thought the diamond styles were a little too dressy. I like the bright divers. Too colorful for Sandy. It does seem like the women's market is far more difficult than the men's market (or that I'm lousy at picking watches for my wife).

Perhaps the reason Chris raised the issue is not from a profitability standpoint, but more from "I'm spending X% of my time working on a market providing X-y% of my margin. Should I shift my focus to maximize a market I'm succeeding in and leave behind a time consuming, albeit profitable, women's market?" I think IWC has done a good job as a primarily mens if not men-only brand (Yes, I know the Da Vinci is a lady's model, but the collection is almost all men's models.)

I like what Omega did with the reduced speedmaster. It's a smaller case size, but they also have mother of pearl dials, number indices in red with a red leather strap, and a more elegant bracelet option. That approach needs to be to build on the men's line but not do it in a lazy fashion. Make something feminine based on your core men's products. Then sell a husband and wife combo as a set. That would solve my next year's anniversary gift quandry.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by wallbash »

As have posted , I bought a W7 last year , because I have weedy wrists and wanted a small watch.
But I liked the multi dial/stopwatch design.
But if I wanted to replace the watch which I adore , would have a problem.
The new women watches are really really girly, over bright colours and full of sparkle.

So next purchase will have to be a 'man's' watch , a C5 at least I can get that in a 38 mm.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Mortis »

Wallbash, stop being such a... woman!
:lol:

Sorry, buddy, I couldn't resist!
I agree that there is a market for sub-40mm watches and although, as a beast, I won't be buying them they need to be careful not to focus exclusively on the larger gentleman.
Mind you, Monkey pulls off a few larger models on his weedy (but really hairy and super-strong sopleasedon'thurtmeJohnorIwillcry) arms. C'mon, Wallbash, join us in the supersized world! :D
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Mortis »

Terminator 2 wrote:If I need a pair of shoes for instance of course I go to a shoe shop, one shoe shop. If that shop has a pair of shoes that will do the job then I will buy them. I dont care that there might be a nicer pair in the next shop. I dont care that I might save £5 in the next shoe shop either.
I don't get what shoes have to do with it. This is how I do all my shopping. Clothes, shoes, food, drinks, household goods, tools, wallpaper, paint, furniture, etc. Even cars, actually! About the only things it doesn't apply to are watches, electronic goods and houses. Oh, and things like films, obviously.
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Dancematt »

I originally clicked "Don't Know, Don't care" as: A) have had no interest till now B) have not got all the facts to decide C) have never bought a womans watch so i can't really comment....but you guys have made this such a bloody interesting debate i would just like to add myself:
ianblyth wrote:A few have suggested spinning off the women's as a new sub brand but what a growing company needs is focus and not diversifying all over the place.
Definitely.
jimbo wrote:If CW makes no money from women's watches, then maybe narrow the range - but for many women, some of the watches are a little big, and on a small wrist maybe a little imposing?
TXAG96 wrote:I like what Omega did with the reduced speedmaster. It's a smaller case size, but they also have mother of pearl dials, number indices in red with a red leather strap, and a more elegant bracelet option. That approach needs to be to build on the men's line but not do it in a lazy fashion. Make something feminine based on your core men's products. Then sell a husband and wife combo as a set. That would solve my next year's anniversary gift quandry.
If the Womens watches do stay, this is the way forward for me too, the womens range is pulling in an opposite direction to the mens right now, they don't really co-exist under the same brand name to me. I say stremline the brand by cutting off a few dead heads then slowly intergrate TXAG96's genius idea of smaller, prettier versions of the mens range (the dress watches would be easiest at first i should think as the mens sport range is quite macho and would be tough). If this is too hard/costly then a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. The thing is, are the womens watches just being brought by forum members for theres wives and mistresses or are they attracting new customers on there own and if they are how much is a woman willing to spend on one?
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by skidder »

I have bought two women's watches from CW - one for my wife and one as a gift for my mother in law from us (not yet given). They are nicely made quartz watches comparable with others at the price point. They are presented nicely and make good gifts. (my wife wears hers as much as her auto cartier santos, which says a lot about women's interest in watches in my view!)

For me the women's range of watches does not dilute the appeal of CW as a brand as much as the glut of quartz men's watches (but that is just my personal view - i appreciate the quartz men's watches sell well and are no doubt beneficial to the business). CW appeals to me for the c5, c15 etc. - the ability to put a classic auto on the wrist at a fair price is what CW does best. I think that is what the company does well but don't necessarily think ladies fashion watches detract from that. Most brand's ladies watches are effectively fashiony quartz watches - that's what most women want. If the ladies watches make money, keep making them, if they don't, don't :D
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Re: Should CWL stop making women's watches?

Post by Tooks »

Personally speaking, I buy watches for myself, so you could ditch the womans line of watches and I wouldn't care one jot! :D

The only time I purchased a ladies watch, it was for my wife, and it was a TAG. This was before I discovered CW, but even so I don't think my wife would have perceived it as a quality brand. That might sound harsh, but it's true.

She had heard of TAG though, and as it was a gift from me I didn't want to come across all 'cheap' - even though I probably am! :lol:

I wonder how many women buy their own watches from CW, and I wonder how many are purchased by men in an attempt to get them interested in watches and watch brands, or as some kind of apology for their own out of control watch habit?! :)
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