FLE #8 - major changes

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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by lisnalee »

From what Kip has said I think the two tone ceramic option is not happening for this FLE. I'm sure at some point in the future it will make an appearance in the regular line up.

As for another vote in this design, I would be up for that too but unless it's a straight up red lollipop option or nothing I don't think it would gain the min 25 buyers.

A few have mentioned the scooter FLE from a few years back and while it did get a very large number of backers it was at the end of the day a circa £375 watch on a bracelet. Today that translates to £795. And for this gmt FLE it's pushing to 1k.

I would imagine the price increases over the recent years are forcing people to be ultra picky about the design and unless it's super cheap it's gonna be hard for at least 25 people to settle on any one option.

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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Magnus »

Aluminium bezel doesn't bother me tbh and 40mm is more appealing.

Kip - is there an option to buy a spare bezel insert (i.e. you get a spare with the watch)? That may quash some of the people concerned a=bout marking them.

BTW full disclosure (for what it is worth) - I didnt vote in the most recent 'vote if you'd buy one poll' because (simply) I wan't online for a bit. I would have voted a Yes to all three.

That said - I would happily start this process again now that we have the military collection to throw in the mixer...
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Mikkei4 »

lisnalee wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:52 pm
A few have mentioned the scooter FLE from a few years back and while it did get a very large number of backers it was at the end of the day a circa £375 watch on a bracelet. Today that translates to £795. And for this gmt FLE it's pushing to 1k.

I would imagine the price increases over the recent years are forcing people to be ultra picky about the design and unless it's super cheap it's gonna be hard for at least 25 people to settle on any one option.
This is what I was thinking yesterday. This FLE was going to cost around £1000 so all potential purchasers want it to be a perfect design for them. Totally understandable as £1000 is quite a bit of money for what might be a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc etc watch in a collection. This limits the potential for people to compromise and accept something in the total design that is not quite to their liking - mine would be the 9o'clock logo, others the amount of red on the second hand.

The previous FLE was a case of trying to keep the costs down by going for a quartz. Unfortunately the overall design ended up with what could be called "some issues" so wasn't a raging success.

So is the 2020 FLE design to be restricted by what people are willing to pay?
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Toph »

I didn’t vote as missed it, but, the TT ceramic bezel was one of the main highlights , and would have me involved should the chance arrive.
40 or 42mm seem to be ok with most and is for me.
Aluminium bezel doesn’t work for me, nor several others from reading the posts, unfortunately

The trident light catcher case is superb. Would be great to utilise it :)
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by lisnalee »

Mikkei4 wrote:
This is what I was thinking yesterday. This FLE was going to cost around £1000 so all potential purchasers want it to be a perfect design for them. Totally understandable as £1000 is quite a bit of money for what might be a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc etc watch in a collection. This limits the potential for people to compromise and accept something in the total design that is not quite to their liking - mine would be the 9o'clock logo, others the amount of red on the second hand.

The previous FLE was a case of trying to keep the costs down by going for a quartz. Unfortunately the overall design ended up with what could be called "some issues" so wasn't a raging success.

So is the 2020 FLE design to be restricted by what people are willing to pay?
I think so, at under £400 many more would take a punt on it. But that's not a viable option for this FLE or any other in the future.

Tbh I really can't see many more people coming on board if it's reduced to a £795 version on a bracelet.

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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Andy-Smith »

Is a ceramic bezel totally out?

I would still be in with a single tone bezel (not black). Maybe light grey?
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by timor54 »

If the low potential volumes dictate an aluminium bezel then why not look at some C65 options?
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by welshlad »

Andy-Smith wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:31 pm Is a ceramic bezel totally out?

I would still be in with a single tone bezel (not black). Maybe light grey?
A two-tone ceramic bezel is no longer an option. Hence why there is no point in a re-run of the most recent poll: the options are no longer available.

A single-colour ceramic bezel on the C60 Mk3 is still an option.

If we want a two-tone bezel on the C60 Mk3 then it has to be aluminium.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by lisnalee »


welshlad wrote: A two-tone ceramic bezel is no longer an option. Hence why there is no point in a re-run of the most recent poll: the options are no longer available.

A single-colour ceramic bezel on the C60 Mk3 is still an option.

If we want a two-tone bezel on the C60 Mk3 then it has to be aluminium.
Would we be limited the current available colours ( black, blue or Burgundy) would an all grey version perhaps be an option?
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by welshlad »

lisnalee wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:08 pm Would we be limited the current available colours ( black, blue or Burgundy) would an all grey version perhaps be an option?
We don't know at the moment. That will be a point of detail to work out once we get a sense of where people want to go with this FLE, I guess.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Andy-Smith »

I would buy the FLE as per previous config but with an all red ceramic bezel.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by Mikkei4 »

timor54 wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:38 pm If the low potential volumes dictate an aluminium bezel then why not look at some C65 options?
Kip replied to this earlier in the thread.......

Kip wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:15 pm Let us discuss this for a couple days before getting off track and looking into other models to restart at this point.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by lisnalee »

welshlad wrote:
lisnalee wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:08 pm Would we be limited the current available colours ( black, blue or Burgundy) would an all grey version perhaps be an option?
We don't know at the moment. That will be a point of detail to work out once we get a sense of where people want to go with this FLE, I guess.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by what-time-is-it »

On the subject of ceramic bezel colours, I believe I'm correct in saying that some colours can't be made for technical reasons - orange is a real struggle apparently and not just for CW.
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Re: FLE #8 - major changes

Post by DEV.Woulf »

Andy-Smith wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:31 pm Is a ceramic bezel totally out?

I would still be in with a single tone bezel (not black). Maybe light grey?
An all grey/silver bezel would definitely bring it into Explorer 2 homage-territory; though with ceramic. Actually that might look pretty good thinking about it.

I think at this point unless CW gets like an order of 50 for this FLE they are not going to make a custom ceramic for us. I'd like to be proven wrong but it seems aluminum is the cheap way out.
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