Quote:
Originally Posted by Watch Expert
The watch trend
Pocket watch
Pocket watch to mechanical dress wrist watch
Mechanical dress watch trend shifts to thin quartz movement
Luxury Quartz movement again changed to luxury steel sport mechanical watch
The Nautilus and AP Royal Oak very successful in luxury steel mechanical wrist watch. Several other brands followed but they come and goes quickly; the Piaget, Vacheron Overseas. Now Lange Odysseus and I expect more traditional dress wrist watch brand think the same.
If Patek so successful in Nautilus and Aquanaut, and AP so successful in Royal Oak, why not they follow the waves; walk on the same path to get some slice of the cakes rather than waiting for trend to change?
I can say the size of diameter and thickness of the wrist watch determines whether steel sport wrists watch successful or fail.
Panerai Hublot Blancpain Omega steel complicated sport watches failed , why? One reason is the diameter over 42mm looks ugly on most wrist.
Patek and AP most successful steel sport watches mostly size around 38-40 mm.
AP Royal Oak offshore size above 42mm also did not go as well as simple non complication Royal Oak.
Other than the diameter will be design of bracelets; bracelet has to have shape, preferably shape of a snake. The bracelet width towards the lug say 35mm and towards the bracelet it curves down to say 12mm; Not just straight simple shape bracelet like Omega Man on the moon or most Japanese Seiko bracelet.
Look at the shape and curves of Rolex oyster shape; Royal Oak bracelet and Nautilus steel bracelet curves and looks beautiful.
Look at Aquanaut steel bracelet or Piaget or Omega steel bracelet it looks ugly because it is straight not curves .
Secondly the bracelet need design or pattern that shines and produce glitter ray of light; I think Rolex President bracelet is the best example for this. The next one that is very eye catching is Royal Oak bracelet. When you wear the watch under the sun, every body within 5 meters know you are wearing luxury time pieces.
One can argue Richard Mille produce 50mm wrist watch and seems successful; yes it does; however Richard Mille design is very different from other watches. Look at the case is so thick that allow movement fit into curves round case and the case fit in normal wrist well despite 50mm in size and the dial is transparent which make the watch looks elegant not covering your wrist, the transparent dial and curved “ bent” watch case; makes Richard Mille even though size 50 mm do not looks ugly as the other huge looking time pieces like Hublot or Panerai.
But still I believe brand like IWC or Omega will soon make something to challenge this successful brand.
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Honestly - can’t say that I disagree.
I think you are 100% right regarding the size piece. While (some) people keep asking for larger pieces they are completely missing the paradigm (going back to the 37mm-40mm range)
AP releasing the 38mm ROC was genius in my mind. If SIHH wasn’t so close - and I wasn’t hoping for a completely integrated, fly back Chrono - I’d have one already!!!!
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