2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

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2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by nbg »

This is an interesting article, worth posting, although YMMV.

Rolex deniers please don’t be put off by the headline to the article. Rolex is only a small part of the article. :lol:

https://www.watchpro.com/rolex-sales-ro ... -2021/?amp

AVO will have torn loyalties with Cartier overtaking Omega to take 2nd place in turnover. :wink:

The article would have benefited from proofreading of the stated turnover of one particular brand - did make me smile. :)

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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by Thegreyman »

I'd better get my Carrera in for a service and help poor TH double their turnover :lol:
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

nbg wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 12:13 pm AVO will have torn loyalties with Cartier overtaking Omega to take 2nd place in turnover. :wink:
Given the stuff Omega are turning out at the moment, I’m pleased to see an uptick of good taste and refinement. :cylinder:
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by nbg »

^^^ Louis would be very pleased. :)
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by JAFO »

Just how on earth can the world's biggest watch company BE the biggest without apparently selling a watch. Where do they sell a million watches every year.

How many retailers are there. Lets say the UK sells 50,000 of these watches. There must be 500 Rolex retailers in the UK. That's 100 watches each per retailer. Really? 10 watches a month? It's just hard to work out how these numbers make any sense at all.

On that basis, a retailer probably only get 5 omegas a month. How on earth do they make a living. They have expensive plush shops, and never do any business.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by nbg »

JAFO wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 5:55 pm Just how on earth can the world's biggest watch company BE the biggest without apparently selling a watch. Where do they sell a million watches every year.

How many retailers are there. Lets say the UK sells 50,000 of these watches. There must be 500 Rolex retailers in the UK. That's 100 watches each per retailer. Really? 10 watches a month? It's just hard to work out how these numbers make any sense at all.

On that basis, a retailer probably only get 5 omegas a month. How on earth do they make a living. They have expensive plush shops, and never do any business.
Somewhat less than 500 in the UK. Probably about 103, with that number including a significant proportion operated by WOS group.

Maybe only about 1,700 in the world, a number that has reduced over the past few years.

All are listed on the Rolex website, if anyone fancies counting them.

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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by JAFO »

I'm amazed there's so few in the UK. I would have thought every substantial town or city has a Rolex dealer.

So does the watch count sound close? 50000 watches, 100 outlets, still only 40 watches a month.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by iain »

I thought this line was interesting.

“That rise in wholesale revenue has come almost entirely due to rising average prices”

So no one is making and selling any more watches, they are just charging more for those they do sell. Looking at some of the numbers quoted, considerably more in some cases.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by JAFO »

It occurred to me when I was taken by the new speedmaster 57, for £7740. Pay off for a year, that's £650 a month. For £650 a month you could buy a new CW pretty well, every month.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by watchaholic »

Omega has been for the past few years gotten a bit wacky with the price increases IMO. Great watches mind you, I own one and it’s a keeper. Silicone parts, the infamous co-axial movement, real improvements in anti mag properties that have spurred the entire industry. But as good as these improvements are, it’s not new. And isn’t R&D where the real money gets spent? Point is, these price increases are getting hard to swallow when paying for styling. IE another take on an old design. My local AD complained to me a couple years ago that the price increases had nearly killed his Speedy sales. With inflation hitting everything else, seems the mid luxury watch market needs to tread lightly.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by rkovars »

In the US the '57 speedy is a price reduction from the 2015 model. There was a discussion on another forum trying to figure out why and there was no resolution.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by JAFO »

watchaholic wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 12:38 am Omega has been for the past few years gotten a bit wacky with the price increases IMO. Great watches mind you, I own one and it’s a keeper. Silicone parts, the infamous co-axial movement, real improvements in anti mag properties that have spurred the entire industry. But as good as these improvements are, it’s not new. And isn’t R&D where the real money gets spent? Point is, these price increases are getting hard to swallow when paying for styling. IE another take on an old design. My local AD complained to me a couple years ago that the price increases had nearly killed his Speedy sales. With inflation hitting everything else, seems the mid luxury watch market needs to tread lightly.
it often seems to me just marketing spiel.
Why is anti-magnetic a big deal. I don't think magnetism has affected my watches historically.

I like the speedmaster because of it's history. The exact model didn't matter. They all look roughly the same anyway. You can't tell them apart without a domesday book of speedies,

Very few goods are completely insensitive to price increases. They need to remember that.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by Lavaine »

What is particularly impressive, at least to me, is how Cartier has eclipsed Omega in sales with a relatively small lineup, against Omega and the roughly 6 million different models on offer (4 million of which are Seamaster models).

Ok, those estimates might be a bit (not too much though) high. A quick count on the Omega website shows 148 Speedmaster variants and 629! Seamaster models, 575 Constellation models, and 459 Deville models. There are 82 models of the Connie 29mm alone!, not to mention the 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39 and 41mm models. 91 Ladymatic 34mm models (Who said ladies watches don't sell?). The Seamaster range in particular has models I've never heard of or seen. Seamaster City Editions? Seamaster Official Olympic Timekeeper?
If my math is right that's over 1800 Omega variants.

In comparison, Cartier sells a rather paltry 488 watch models.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by JAFO »

Rolex make do with 25 models.
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Re: 2021 Swiss watch sales - Watchpro article

Post by Lavaine »

JAFO wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 9:42 pm Rolex make do with 25 models.
Not quite. They have over 300 Datejust models alone. I stopped counting on page 22 since Rolex aren't nice enough to list how many models of each line they have like Omega and Cartier do.
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