Blancpain X Swatch

[Bob_Defly]

Mosdef said:

ChrisH79 said:

Wallace12R said:

Mosdef said:

Great way to trash another brand.

Has that happened with Omega?

I can't imagine Lange & Sohne or Breguet doing the same; this just feels like Mercedes going for higher volumes only to realise it's not a great long term prospect, hence their plan to rationalise their range and get their reputation back.

It's just a 'x' collab, it's not supposed to solely represent the higher end brand. It's a fun project that brings a higher end brand to a new customer demographic, and judging by sales of both Omegas and Swatches, it was a runaway success.

A Mercedes A Class can be had new for £32K, not what I'd call high end.

[Actus Reus]

Now live on the Swatch website.

They’re bloody hideous.

[-Cappo-]

Actus Reus said:

Now live on the Swatch website.

They’re bloody hideous.

Can't argue with that! They're like something out of a manga cartoon.

I didn't dislike the Omega ones, although I'm not a fan of chronos, and I have often admired the 50 Fathoms, but no, not these.

[Mr_C]

I like the white one.

[abzmike]

As I said on the other thread, it’s a yikes, no thanks…

https://www.swatch.com/en-gb/bioceramic-scuba-fift...

[Bob_Defly]

The white one looks alright, but not for me at $500 (CAD).

[jdw100]

Certainly a decent depth rating.

Otherwise- yuck.

The Atlantic blue probably the pick of the bunch.

[Dan_1981]

Quite like them... Pacific or Arctic for me.

£340 is a bit toppy tho!

[ChrisH79]

I don't like them, price/brand etc is irrelevant they're just not my thing.

Then again I wanted an Omega one until I had one in my hand in Edinburgh and went and bought a couple of pairs of shoes instead.

[rex]

I really like the moon swatches. Got a few of them alongside a couple of real moon watches. I admire how they have created new watch wearers rather than smart watches. This collaboration feels like they are trying to milk it already. No issue with that, they are a business after all. I will not be buying one of these though as they look like a toy in the picture. From the moon swatch images they looked good and in real life looked a bit toy like but acceptable to me. God knows what these will look like in the flesh if they look like toy watches in the pictures.

[Alex Z]

Dan_1981 said:

Quite like them... Pacific or Arctic for me.

£340 is a bit toppy tho!

Same here. It’s a jump in price but then it’s automatic rather than quartz and they know they’ll be able to sell them as fast as they can make them.

[funinhounslow]

TBH better than I was expecting- at least you can get it wet.

But does Blancpain have the same brand awareness/desirability (in general ie outside watch forums) as Omega?

The price is “optimistic” to say the least. For the same money you could get a decent Seiko or Citizen diver or an all singing all dancing G shock that will last a lifetime.

[Filibuster]

Dan_1981 said:

Quite like them... Pacific or Arctic for me.

£340 is a bit toppy tho!

Me too!





I was hoping for a FF Barakuda inspired one, but I'm glad they build them with a 42mm case and not the new usual 45mm of the FF (FF Barakuda is only 40mm).
I will probably get them both!

The price is ok by me, especially considering the Sistem51 calibre, which is not a cheap quartz. Hopefully the higher price, the lesser know Blancpain brand, that many people find them hideous, the hype that has cooled off and the fact that there are only 5 watches will deter one or two so I can get mine sooner!

[RacerMike]

Unfortunately the flipping attempts have already started. It's going to be the same carnage as last time. Will drop by Covent Garden on Saturday to at least see them, but suspect I'll have to resort to my friend in Austria to actually get one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295880651542?hash=item4...

[Jamescrs]

RacerMike said:

Unfortunately the flipping attempts have already started. It's going to be the same carnage as last time. Will drop by Covent Garden on Saturday to at least see them, but suspect I'll have to resort to my friend in Austria to actually get one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295880651542?hash=item4...

I can already imagine it will be lines camping outside the night before to be ambushed by groups of youths at opening time pushing in and Youtubers outside videoing it for their channels.

How long the initial rush lasts will be down to how the reselling goes on eBay.

[Percy.]

RacerMike said:

Unfortunately the flipping attempts have already started. It's going to be the same carnage as last time. Will drop by Covent Garden on Saturday to at least see them, but suspect I'll have to resort to my friend in Austria to actually get one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295880651542?hash=item4...

It is so easy to pick up Swatch X Omega on the Continent.

See Swatch shop
Walk into Swatch shop at 11am
Pick up as many watches as you'd like to purchase

[RacerMike]

Percy. said:

RacerMike said:

Unfortunately the flipping attempts have already started. It's going to be the same carnage as last time. Will drop by Covent Garden on Saturday to at least see them, but suspect I'll have to resort to my friend in Austria to actually get one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295880651542?hash=item4...

It is so easy to pick up Swatch X Omega on the Continent.

See Swatch shop
Walk into Swatch shop at 11am
Pick up as many watches as you'd like to purchase

My friend got me a Saturn about 3 weeks after the initial launch of the MoonSwatch by doing exactly this.

[Mosdef]

Bob_Defly said:

Mosdef said:

ChrisH79 said:

Wallace12R said:

Mosdef said:

Great way to trash another brand.

Has that happened with Omega?

I can't imagine Lange & Sohne or Breguet doing the same; this just feels like Mercedes going for higher volumes only to realise it's not a great long term prospect, hence their plan to rationalise their range and get their reputation back.

It's just a 'x' collab, it's not supposed to solely represent the higher end brand. It's a fun project that brings a higher end brand to a new customer demographic, and judging by sales of both Omegas and Swatches, it was a runaway success.

A Mercedes A Class can be had new for £32K, not what I'd call high end.

You’re right on the idea behind the collaboration project but it still affects the wider Blancpain brand. Mercedes’s brand value has definitely been negatively affected by its lower end models, same goes for BMW I think.

I think the difference between the Swatch / Omega collaboration, is Omega is a much bigger brand than Blancpain in terms of marketing and sales volumes. It makes sense that some Moonswatch owners will look to get an Omega at some stage. Blancpain is a bit different because the sales prices are that much higher and volumes much lower.

I see the rationale of doing collaborations with brands on iconic models but I don’t see it ultimately ending that well.

[BOR]

What a shame.

They look even more plasticky than the omega swatch.

[Castrol for a knave]

Nope.

If that makes me a watch snob then so be it.

I bought a Blancpain because it is under the radar and has heritage and you don't have to sell your first born to an AD to get on a waiting list.