another mail

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
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footycrazy
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Re: another mail

Post by footycrazy »

Why would i need a six pack to buy/wear a new watch, I am quite happy with a medicine ball for a stomach thanks :lol:
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Re: another mail

Post by Leo David »

Warning this is a bit of an angry post.

I was just about to post a thread on the latest email and the website when I saw Jag had already started one. I don't know if others share my opinion on the website but it just seems to be lacking class compared to the old one. I feel like I'm on the Debenhams website not a bespoke watch maker/retailer. I'm also becoming increasingly annoyed by the price of the women's collection and the absence of an automatic. I had hoped to buy my daughter her 21st birthday present from Christopher Ward but I'm not paying £250 for a quartz and in the absence of an auto option I've had to shop elsewhere. I don't begrudge the £250 on my daughter obviously, but I won't hand over that amount of money for a cheap quartz movement. Anyone else share these views or am I just being a grumpy sod? Perhaps being stuck at work at 7:35 in the evening with the prospect of a one hour commute isn't helping.
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Re: another mail

Post by nathanclarinet »

Leo David. I agree. I remember posting a while ago in response to some negative comments from another user (sparkuk?) moaning about the number of promotional emails. I think i told him to unsubscribe if it annoyed him so much. Now i don't mind the promotional emails but I am more concerned about the as you put it 'debenhams' feel. This has struck me about a lot of the CW stuff recently, esp the website and the entire ladies range (granted I am not the target audience here). To me personally - despite the Cosc c50 and jump hour additions - the brand is moving away from the ethos that interested me in the first place. I am of course interested in what CW has in the pipe line for release this year but am struggling with the marketing strategy and image change. I look forward to others thoughts on this.
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Re: another mail

Post by Tomsolo »

I have to say, im coming round to this way of thinking too. Now... I like a bargain like the next person and look forward to the January and summer sales... However, CWL seem to be rolling from one sale to the next a bit like a certain sofa maker! And yes it does make the brand feel well.... Cheaper. Buyng a watch at reduced price now seems the norm and so less special and less of a bargain. I find myself less and less looking at the main line of watches and coveting them so much. Now i just think nice watch.... I'll wait for a sale! If CW arent careful they will be heading in that downward spiral where no one buys at full price and they have to keep discounting to shift stock... and that will be damaging....
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Re: another mail

Post by I.I.D »

I'd just be happy to get the odd e-mail. I've tried everything without any luck. Guess they just don't want my business.. :(
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Re: another mail

Post by Loddonite »

The website layout/look is similar to Debenhams, John Lewis, M&S, Watch Hut, Ernest Jones and Goldsmiths. I don't see that as a problem - they're all internet shopping sites... and the watch pictures on the CWL site are better than EJ's.

I wouldn't object to a more luxurious look to the CW site but it may not fit with the image that the company is trying to project and the target market they see being attracted.
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Re: another mail

Post by androo »

I.I.D wrote:I'd just be happy to get the odd e-mail. I've tried everything without any luck. Guess they just don't want my business.. :(
Same here, have even emailed and asked to be added , said it was done - still no emails :(
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Re: another mail

Post by atnits »

Loddonite wrote: I wouldn't object to a more luxurious look to the CW site but it may not fit with the image that the company is trying to project and the target market they see being attracted.
I'd like to know what image and target market they're after.
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Re: another mail

Post by I.I.D »

androo wrote:
I.I.D wrote:I'd just be happy to get the odd e-mail. I've tried everything without any luck. Guess they just don't want my business.. :(
Same here, have even emailed and asked to be added , said it was done - still no emails :(

Weird thing is though I get the magazines posted, so they know I exist & even though I have stated that I would rather get everything electronically, this internet only business prefers to use the snail mail but not the information superhighway.

Beats me?????? :?
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Re: another mail

Post by triffidman »

I have another angle on this - the only way that CWL get their message out into the world, is by electronic marketing. They have no shops, they get no 'passing' trade, they don't have a 'name' that the average Joe would state as a watch maker (e.g. Rolex, Tag, that most people associate with high quality watches....annoyingly), so they need to keep pro-actively seeking out custom and getting their stuff under peoples noses.

I can understand people getting a bit disheartened by certain watches getting discounted in sales, particularly if they'd recently bought the same one full price, but the 'Sale' forum thread was alive and kicking and nobody complained about getting some stunning watches at very respectable prices!

I agree, a more refined and luxurious image would be nice on their website, but who knows exactly what their target market is - I'd hazard a guess at a kind of Tissot market (i.e. respected, mostly good value and lots of choice), with Hamilton levels of quality and refinement.

I tend to look at things from the outside in, being semi-involved in 2 small businesses, e-marketing is sometimes the only choice. I mean, I get weekly spam from Amazon, but would still buy from them!

So there you go, that's my take on things!! Picking up a yellow C6 Kingfisher for £122 :D is enough to make anybody smile well into 2012.....!!!
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Re: another mail

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Loddonite wrote:I wouldn't object to a more luxurious look to the CW site but it may not fit with the image that the company is trying to project and the target market they see being attracted.
I'm not quite sure where I stand on this, the website seems fine to me with one exception...the home page, which has suddenly become "in yer face", quasi-hard-sell. When you move to the watch menus, it's business as normal. But if the home page puts off potential buyers...

On the other hand, I recently had to ring two watch manufacturers, both of whom sell direct to customers;
1. To find out what movement was in the watch. The website just said "finest quality Swiss movement" or something like it, and the person I spoke to had to run off and find the answer from someone else!
2. To find out the price of the watch!! (That, to me, is one for the Curmudgeon's Corner!) :thumbdown:
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Re: another mail

Post by Leo David »

Let's clear something up. My gripe has nothing to do with the fact that CWL have regular sales, NN offers or other inducements to get people to part with their cash. They are in the business of selling watches. I get that. They have been advised by some marketing/business consultant types that the way to increase sales is to change their image. So they move from Christopher Ward to Chr.WARD; apparently to be more "quintessentially English" whatever nonsense that is supposed to conjure up in people's minds. The web site changes from one that required very little navigation with a crisp clean feel to it to one that I half expect to be able to buy groceries from. And to cap it all, they don't produce a decent women's watch and all the women's watches are horribly overpriced quartz jobs. So to recap:

- I like sales, we all like sales, there is nothing wrong with sales;
- I dislike the bombardment of email and the web site is starting to irritate me; and
- the absence of a decent women's watch and overpriced quartz watches at that is not in keeping with the very good options in the men's range.

Is that clear :evil: