EDIT NOTE
TECH BUMP
Covering the world of watches since 1990 , first as the founder and Editorial Director / Publisher for International Wristwatch Magazine , now known as iW , and now as Editor of WristWatch , I have been fortunate to be a willing witness to the reincarnation of the spring-driven timepiece right from the early stages of renewal nearly three decades ago . The fact that there was a return at all speaks volumes about the consumers at the base of this renewal and underlines the faith required in these consumers as the industry extracted itself from a death spiral in a quartz-regulated world .
Today ’ s buyers are no longer motivated to own a device simply to accurately indicate the time , yet they do continue to buy fine watches at all price points .
In terms of the current consumerism , timekeeping is just an excuse that justifies buying what for some is art , others accoutrement , and for the most indoctrinated of consumers , a work of engineering art with its own heartbeat . This is why the electronic watch , no matter how ‘ smart ’ it might be , cannot capture the same motivating values that drive the purists . That said , quartz watches have secured a strong following and have even broken through to
luxury status in their best iterations . The numbers don ’ t lie : Apple & others are selling millions of units with various data tracking and connectivity options .
I ’ ve discussed the rapid growth of the non-secular watch with a variety of industry mavens . Some decry the type as the next quartz onslaught that will definitely hurt traditional types and claim market share , while others point out that these new wearers are potentially new customers , which means many of these sales are not poaching from the base . The reality is that there ’ s probably a bit of both in play , and if an increasing percentage of new customers find their way to the world of mechanical watches via tech – I ’ m all for it .
Whether on your desk , in your hand , or on your wrist , technology is disposable . Luxury lasts . Keep Watching ,
Gary George Girdvainis gary @ isochronmedia . com
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WRISTWATCH | 2017