Watch Dandy

The Swatch Group have published their 2019 Half-Year Report, revealing some interesting information. The group has reported an increase in their inventory levels, which include components, movements and watches, to a total of 7.1 billion Swiss francs (up 2.6 per cent from 2018). More broadly, the group, which owns brands such as Tissot, Longines and Omega, has reported a 3.7 per cent dip in sales compared to the previous year, attributing a portion of this negative result to efforts against the grey market, which undercut their retail channels by selling watches at heavily reduced prices.   Swatch Group have taken “uncompromising action against grey-market dealers, especially in Europe, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America, at the expense of a short-term negative impact on sales in the first half year in the triple-digit millions. In the long term, this will lead to positive effects, especially in the major markets.”   One part of this effort was explained as a “suspension of deliveries to grey-market dealers”, clearly attempting to dry up their access to stock by limiting the number of watches that leave Swatch Group production facilities. However, these numbers have reached concerning heights, with the 7.1 billion Swiss francs…

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Editor’s note: Flipping is one of the hot-button watch issues of 2019, and TBH we’re a little over it. So here’s the other side of the equation — what makes a watch a keeper? In this story from a few years back we asked our readers what made their watches keepers, and then we chimed in on the personal keepers …  Without getting too first-year political science on you – the basis of modern life is disposability. We live in a consumer society. And that’s what we do – we consume. Everything is designed to be discarded and replaced with something newer and more expensive — from our clothes to coffee cups to computers. It’s a vicious cycle that can be hard to escape, but if you’re reading this, chances are you have an appreciation of things built the old-fashioned way. Much of the appeal of fine watches is that they’re machines designed to endure, to serve us faithfully for the course of our lives, and often beyond. Of course, just because something’s designed to be forever doesn’t mean it will be (just look at the divorce rate or the lifespan of a political promise). And so it is with watches.…

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In the past, owning a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date meant something different to what it does now. It was the President’s watch, worn by those who controlled the destinies of millions around the world, making daily decisions that mattered. Now the perception of the Day-Date is influenced by rappers and Instagram hustlers, offering an ostentatious feeling that hints at missing parental attention during formative childhood years. Sean makes a strong argument to change this with his Love Letter to the Rolex Day-Date. While he acknowledges this unfortunate shift in perception through some contemporary wearers, he focuses our attention on the positive ambassadors for the Day-Date, including one of the most suave athletes on the planet, Roger Federer (as well as the broader Federer clan). I couldn’t agree more with Sean, and would also love to see the SoundCloud beat-makers of the world stick to their after-market ice, and leave this symbol of classical control out of their music videos. Sure, some may say that it is over the top and a disgusting act of opulence. Though they have a point and I do agree that it is loud, all I am calling for is some balance in one’s perspective. Why…

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