We’re getting warmed up for 2012 eRelyx Watch Madness. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Check out this image – 2011 eRelyx Watch Madness. You’ll get the idea.
Before the tourney gets underway, we will have a “Brand Battle” here and there. Today’s battle – Panerai vs. Breitling. If you had to chose one brand, which one would it be?
VS.
A client is deciding between a Breitling and a Tag Heuer. Overall, which brand do you prefer?
vs.
Click here to view Breitling Watches on eRelyx.
Click here to view Tag Heuer Watches on eRelyx.
The Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph is one of our favorite watches. But the question is – blue or black?
Let’s settle the debate!
Both watches are available on eRelyx:
Blue Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph.
Black Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph.
As you all know, we’re huge fans of women wearing oversized watches – seems like we blog about it every day.
One of the watches we like to see women wearing is the Bell & Ross. It’s big. It’s bold. It’s different. What do you think? Can women pull off a Bell & Ross BRo3-92 like the one above?
Some people may feel awkward giving a friend or loved one a used watch as a holiday gift. But why? Does gifting a $5300 pre-owned Rolex Submariner in mint condition instead of gifting a $7000 brand new Rolex Submariner make you cheap? No! It makes you practical and wise! Think about it this way: Would you rather have:
A pre-owned Rolex Submariner in mint condition ($5300), an iPad 2 ($500), an iPhone ($200), a Kindle ($150), a pair of Cole Haan Loafers ($200), a Cashmere scarf ($200), a pair of awesome nerd glasses ($100), and a PS3 ($350)
OR
A new Rolex Submariner ($7000)?
I think the answer is obvious, but what do you think? Do you think it’s acceptable to give a pre-owned watch as a gift?
Which watch closure do you prefer for your watch? Are you in favor of the more traditional, basic approach of the tang buckle or the more expensive, snazzier style deployment clasp? Vote before Friday 9/16 at 2pm ET and make your opinion heard.
When it comes to US Open tennis, we’ve grown accustomed to watching famous rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal duke it out for the title of Champion. But this year there’s a new top seed in town- and his name is Novak Djokovic. With wins at the Australian Open & Wimbledon already under his belt, the Serbian superstar enters Monday’s tournament as “the man to beat.”
But, this isn’t a tennis blog.
So, say we were to put those technical playing skills aside- Who would be your pick to win the US Open championship of watches? Nadal’s $525,000 custom Richard Mille watch, Federer’s Rolex (of which he has several different models- “a crown for every acheivement”), or Djokovic’s…uhh…sweatbands??
1. Novak Djokovic, Serbia, ??? Somebody get this man a watch.
2. Rafael Nadal, Spain, Richard Mille
3. Roger Federer, Switzerland, Rolex
Poll closes Friday at 3 pm ET
Photos courtesy of PR photos
“Are original Box & Papers included?”
When buying pre-owned, many customers are concerned with having the original Box & Papers. Some are collectors who want to have all the accoutrement & full set for the watch. Some want the extra elements for investment purposes, as having the Box & Papers can help to fetch a higher price at resale.
Meanwhile, there are other customers who couldn’t care less about Box & Papers. They just want the watch, and are happy to save the extra dollars by buying a pre-owned watch without them. Some even find the extra accessories to be a nuisance, serving only to add more clutter to small closet spaces and the like.
So we want to know, what you think about Box & Papers- Are they a necessity? Or do you just care about the watch itself? Tell us in our latest Poll! We’ll reveal the results Monday 8/22 at Noon (ET)!
For many years the top watch brands like Rolex, Breitling, and Omega have been fighting to suppress online sales of their watches. I think it’s time for the brands to embrace the Internet and allow their authorized dealers to sell online. The Internet is here to stay. Rolex, Breitling, and Omega will sell online at some point in the future – the time is now.
Clearly consumers want to buy luxury watches online. Some consumers aren’t close to a Rolex, Breitling, or Omega authorized dealer. Why should they have to drive hundreds of miles to buy a watch? And I’m sure that there are millions of people who live in big cities right next to authorized dealers who just prefer the convenience of shopping online. The demand is there.
Retailers want to sell online. It’s a growing channel and allows them to reach new audiences. Consider a Rolex retailer in a small NH town. The store probably doesn’t generate a high level of foot traffic. I’m sure that they would love to sell online to move product. Since they can’t, perhaps they look to unload product through other sources (gray market dealers). It seems as though the supply is there – or could be there.
Some would argue that selling online damages a brand. I disagree. Is Tiffany & Co. an exclusive brand? Yes. Do they sell product online? Yes. Is their stock close to an all-time high? Yes.
Fine. Tiffany only sells through its own boutiques and website, making it easier to manage/monitor. Then what about Coach? Sure, it might not be on the same level of a Rolex in terms of brand strength, but it is a great brand. And all of the arguments that I just laid out about Tiffany hold true for Coach.
Others may argue that a full-out price war would ensue. Retailers in NY would be competing on price with retailers in CA. I think the solution would be manufacturer-imposed price floors. Don’t let your authorized dealers sell for more than 5% off. Then all of the authorized dealers are competing on customer service levels. Isn’t that what the brands want?
To be honest, I think that Rolex needs to act first. If they act, others will follow. Plus, Rolex was slow to move in Asia and fell behind Omega. I don’t think they want to fall behind Omega in the race to capture the online channel. Look at it from another viewpoint – perhaps this is a great opportunity for Omega to hit the gas.
There are many more arguments in this debate. What do you think? Should big brands like Rolex, Breitling, and Omega allow their authorized dealers to sell online?
We’ve had an overwhelming response via Facebook to our post of a Rolex Sea-Dweller, so we decided to host a poll about this obviously popular and hotly debated watch! Rolex recently announced it will be retiring the Sea-Dweller model, which is very similar in style to their ever-popular Submariner model. So we want to know- Which Rolex do you prefer? The Sea-Dweller or the Submariner? Vote below! Poll will close Friday June 24 at 3pm ET
