Tudor stores in lower class shopping malls

[APhound]

If I were at that mall i would be excited to go in and check them out
When I’m at a Rolex dealer I never give the tudors the time of day


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Easy E]

Originally Posted by espanol

this thread is everything that is wrong with rolex fans of today.

+1.

[huncho]

i think it's important to note that there's a big difference in areas of high unemployment and public housing vs a giant/generic group of blue collar jobs that make enough to live comfortably and afford rolexes. here in nyc public housing means apartments with lead/mold and at times, no heat or hot water in the winter. yeah that's the "working class" but they're not buying luxury watches. having a tudor store in a blue collar suburb with a median income of like 70k is different than having one where half the population is unemployed and on food stamps - this would be weird, and isn't a thing in any major city in the USA pretty sure? lol

regardless, still a snobby thread

[Gearjockey]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[daysky1]

Originally Posted by Ninja Master

Yes I know I'm being snobby, but I don't think it's good for their brand.

I was in a shopping mall today in a suburban town with around 100k people. Most of the residents live in public housing.

The shopping mall is kind of run down, and has a poor vibe.

Tudor has a store there.

I don't think Tudor should be doing this. Having a store in a mall aimed at working class and unemployed people just makes the watches look "cheap".

There's a reason Rolex, Breguet, Patek Philippe, and so on avoid malls like this. It's not just the lack of sales, it's protecting the brand from being associated with poor people.

Anyone agree with me on this?

If I remember right Hans wilsdorf created the Tudor brand for the sake of the Working Class People. And if that means some people are unemployed some people are on unemployment compensation some people are on welfare some people are on disability should they no less have a good watch to wear. I'm pretty sure that was the original intent for Tudor watches. It doesn't matter if you work pushing a broom in a fast food restaurant part-time if you Aspire for a good quality watch there should be one priced appropriately so that you can have one and that is where Tudor watches originally began. With that being said 1500 to $2,000 is nothing to sneeze at for a watch but if somebody wants a good quality and they can save up and buy a watch that will last Generations I think Hans willsdorf has accomplished his mission.

[zengineer]

They know their customers...
...but probably best to send the help to buy your Tudors though just to be safe.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Ninja Master

I have to go back to the area next week so I'll drop into the store and ask them how are sales compared to their other stores.

Feel free to keep the response to yourself.

[daysky1]

Originally Posted by Bro Watch

Proverbs 13:7 KJV
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.


Some of the richest people I have known are some of the poorest people. They live pathetic, sad lives chasing the almighty dollar. What a waste of life. I found true happiness only in Jesus Christ!

Mark 8:36-37 KJV
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? [37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

I couldn't agree more

[White Collar Boy]

Originally Posted by espanol

This thread is everything that is wrong with Rolex fans of today.

I agree. I think it’s also partly why some owners are turning away from Rolex.

[173rdabn]

'Nuff said

[joe100]

Banned. Looks like he had a good run…Five months lol

[East of Eden]

Originally Posted by Bazil

Rolex = Very hard to buy ..
Tudor = Nice and easy to buy …
I know which I prefer, seriously couldn’t care less where they sold them, it doesn’t diminish the watch itself ..

Try buying a new Tudor 41 Monochrome, or even looking at one.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by garyk

They built a brand new boutique Tudor store in Beverly Hills at the Westfield Mall. This cancels the assertion of Tudor in low class malls.

For clarification, the mall in Century City? That’s in the city of Los Angeles. My office building is across the street from the mall.

Perhaps OP’s wording was inelegant, but the reality is that in the commercial real estate market, malls, office buildings, stores etc. are graded, class A, B and C. This is a “thing,” like it or not. Commercial tenants do look at the class of mall.

I didn’t read OP’s remark as suggesting in any way that lower income people are inferior to upper income people. I don’t believe that. We had no money growing up; I vividly remember going to K-Mart every month, as my mom had bought me a coat there on layaway. How much did a cloth coat coat cost at K-mart in the 1970s? She must’ve given them something like a dollar every month.

Certainly owning a luxury watch (as a Rolex undeniably is) does not make one a better person. Yet, also denying that a Rolex is a luxury good is not inhabiting the real world, either.

I understand Hans Wilsdorf’s initial goal for Tudor. I myself own a vintage Tudor snowflake Sub.

I inferred OP’s post as questioning Tudor’s brand marketing strategy. Yes, I agree that Tudor having a boutique store in the Century City mall suggests that it is a luxury brand.

Indeed, Jomashop says unequivocally that Tudor is a luxury brand:

https://www.jomashop.com/blog/articl...atches-luxury#

Agree or disagree, that’s what it says.

So, it is a fair question, I think, of what Tudor’s marketing strategy is. Does Tudor see itself as a luxury brand? They are still far too expensive to be an entry level watch. What does it consider its competition to be? Longines? TAG?

We have all seen comments here about “Department store watches,” and everyone here knows that that means. Is Movado a luxury brand? I know what it was founded to be, but what it is now? Michael Kors? I had a couple of Ann Klein quartz watches in the 1990s that I bought from Macy’s.

Does Tudor help itself craft an image by being in Class A and Class C malls? That is, essentially, the question posed by OP.

Mall grading. Like it or not, it exists:

https://www.modernretail.co/operatio...n-high-demand/

Office building grading. It exists:


https://ipgsf.com/office-building-cl...nd%20amenities.

Noting that the commercial real estate market grades properties does not mean one is passing judgment on the human beings who work in such a building, just like mall classification does not judge the humans who shop at a Class A or Class C mall. The class of office building does not reflect on the quality of lawyers who work there, either. Yet, there are law firms that are considered to be elite (one can debate the merits of that, or whether Manhattan White Shoe firms are really the best lawyers, but there is an image thing), and they do look at where their office space is. Many do want to be in the Class A buildings.

To use a different area from watches, the automotive industry, brand marketing is super important. If a common owner (let’s say “Smith”) owns both the local Kia dealership and the Porsche dealership, are you going to see Smith Kia and Smith Porsche located side by side on the same parcel of land? Or, is the Porsche dealership going to be elsewhere, with perhaps a different name from the Kia dealership, e.g. Porsche of Riverdale, etc.? Porsche is going to make different demands on its dealers as far as location, signage, name, etc. to convey its brand image from the street, even before a customer goes inside and sees the high end espresso bar and other nice amenities. To use an even less dramatic example, I have a Mercedes AMG, and I get the “AMG lounge” marketing materials from MBZ…my new car now has AMG printed on the key fob itself (my 2020 AMG didn’t have that), so now even the valet parkers can know that my car is super special, and isn’t just an “ordinary” Mercedes…

Getting back to the point I inferred OP to be making, I don’t think discussing Tudor’s perceived marketing strategy, and where it fits into the watch market, is a bad thing for this forum. Marketing includes careful selection of brand ambassadors, sponsorship opportunities with events, and yes, location of boutique stores. Does Tudor want to be known forever as “the affordable Rolex,” or its own brand? Does it want to be a luxury brand? How is Tudor perceived in the market, not by us (a bunch of Rolex enthusiasts and owners) but by the general public? Does Tudor have a coherent marketing strategy? Is its marketing strategy working?

I’m not sure why these topics are taboo on the Rolex forums. I’m not in the marketing industry, but I find the topic of marketing strategy to be interesting.

[East of Eden]

Originally Posted by Bro Watch

Proverbs 13:7 KJV
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.


Some of the richest people I have known are some of the poorest people. They live pathetic, sad lives chasing the almighty dollar. What a waste of life. I found true happiness only in Jesus Christ!

Mark 8:36-37 KJV
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? [37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

Well said

[enjoythemusic]

How about a Tudor vending machine by the one that offers Gold Bars. Tudor should start accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum too.


_n2.jpg

[nGage7962]

Originally Posted by Bro Watch

Proverbs 13:7 KJV
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.


Some of the richest people I have known are some of the poorest people. They live pathetic, sad lives chasing the almighty dollar. What a waste of life. I found true happiness only in Jesus Christ!

Mark 8:36-37 KJV
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? [37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

Hilarious! Love the irony.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by Ninja Master

Anyone agree with me on this?

I can't speak for everyone, but for myself no. I do not agree.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by Gearjockey

That's good.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by Boopie

For clarification, the mall in Century City? That’s in the city of Los Angeles. My office building is across the street from the mall.

Perhaps OP’s wording was inelegant, but the reality is that in the commercial real estate market, malls, office buildings, stores etc. are graded, class A, B and C. This is a “thing,” like it or not. Commercial tenants do look at the class of mall.

.....ZIP.....

Yeah, the OP used the following provocative and unfortunate language:

"There's a reason Rolex, Breguet, Patek Philippe, and so on avoid malls like this. It's not just the lack of sales, it's protecting the brand from being associated with poor people".

"Rolex are a super snobby brand and wouldn't be caught dead opening a store in a working class shopping mall".

But facts are facts. Brands like Rolex, Breguet, and Patek generally have authorized dealers located where their customers are. They're generally not going to have an Authorized Dealer in the shady part of the town. I am sure there are exceptions, but generally speaking, they will be located in the nicer sections.

In terms of this Tudor store, I know nothing about this city or town, so I can't comment. But Tudor apparently thinks there is a market there...

[Nodzex]

Originally Posted by Ninja Master

Yes I know I'm being snobby, but I don't think it's good for their brand.

I was in a shopping mall today in a suburban town with around 100k people. Most of the residents live in public housing.

The shopping mall is kind of run down, and has a poor vibe.

Tudor has a store there.

I don't think Tudor should be doing this. Having a store in a mall aimed at working class and unemployed people just makes the watches look "cheap".

There's a reason Rolex, Breguet, Patek Philippe, and so on avoid malls like this. It's not just the lack of sales, it's protecting the brand from being associated with poor people.

Anyone agree with me on this?

Please tell me this is some kind of joke, please!!

[samson66]

Originally Posted by Guppydriver

Let them eat cake!

Great!

[fsprow]

Originally Posted by padi56

have to agree 100%.

200%

[Rebel]

Originally Posted by espanol

This thread is everything that is wrong with Rolex fans of today.

This.

[Kinnakeet]

Originally Posted by East of Eden

Try buying a new Tudor 41 Monochrome, or even looking at one.

Purchased one that was sitting in the case.

[Macnavara]

If you work for a living …like myself …then surely that make us all working class lol

[911991]

I'd say that the working class is what put Rolex on the map back in the 60s 70s and 80s. Lots of military soldiers bought Rolex watches, as well as people that worked in the industry that the watches were designed such as Divers, Pilots, scientist, explorers etc. They all were certainly working class people. Also, working class people were more likely to keep their watches for many many years and wore them everyday vs the trend of trading after a few months or stressing out over a scratch....

[Nova1]

Originally Posted by espanol

This thread is everything that is wrong with Rolex fans of today.

This thread is everything I love about this forum. I don’t see why the original poster deserved to be banned. Just because he openly gave an opinion shared honestly by a sizeable portion of Rolex wearing people in this world? It opened discourse and discussion. We have enough blnr vs blro topics.
I would go as far as to say this thread is no worse than the constant “going to NYC, safe to wear my Rolex?” threads.
The romanticism of Rolex as a working class brand helps people feel better about themselves. It’s been a symbol of affluence and sophistication for over 50 years. Ever seen the Concorde ads?

[joe100]

Originally Posted by Nova1

This thread is everything I love about this forum. I don’t see why the original poster deserved to be banned. Just because he openly gave an opinion shared honestly by a sizeable portion of Rolex wearing people in this world? It opened discourse and discussion. We have enough blnr vs blro topics.

His words were not only ill-considered but entirely lacking in tact. A gentleman should exercises restraint, choosing silence over sharing opinions that might betray poor taste. Honesty is not always the best policy.

[00pumpkin]

I understand where you're coming from. Brand perception is important, and the location of stores can influence that. However, expanding into different markets might help Tudor reach a broader audience. It’s a balance between accessibility and maintaining an upscale image.

[BETRNSX]

Originally Posted by Krash

It’s not as if Rolex, Breguet, and Patek don’t want to be associated with poor people. They sell their watches where their customers are. There’s a big difference between Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, FL vs 69th Street in Upper Darby, PA. There’s not any multi-multi-millionaires walking around in Upper Darby.

BTW, I think it’s okay for me to pick on Upper Darby because I grew up there…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

my grandparents lived around there in Upper Darby!