Tickets sold out on the first day: Exaggerations about Blancpain-Swatch distract from Hayek’s real problems

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What excitement about the new Swatch collection! From Madrid to Zurich to Vienna, watch enthusiasts waited for hours on Saturday to get their hands on a coveted replica of the newest watch. In fact, dozens of people spent the night in front of Swatch stores. The reason for this rush was the five models from the “Blancpain Interesting: Marc Hayek (52), nephew of Blancpain president Nick Hayek (68).

The name of the new collection is “Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms”. It is modeled after the Blancpain diving watch of the same name. Each model is named after one of the five oceans: “Arctic Ocean”, “Pacific Ocean”, “Atlantic Ocean”, “Indian Ocean” and “Antarctic Ocean”. They come off the counter for 375 francs. This is much more than the last special edition called “Moonswatch” developed in collaboration with Omega. And it triggered a similar study in March 2022. However, it can still be purchased today for 250 francs.

Available at an expensive price online

The result is a textbook marketing coup that garnered worldwide media attention. The first delivery of watches quickly sold out. Shortly thereafter, the first copies were offered for sale on relevant sales portals at exorbitant prices. However, criticisms are now emerging. More than a year of success distracts attention from the Swatch Group’s core problems, writes “SonntagsZeitung”.

Because: The company, led by 68-year-old Nick Hayek, is losing market share in the key price segment of luxury watches and languishing on the stock market. “Sometimes it seems to me that Nick Hayek controls the company according to the strict flight schedule left by his father, Nicolas Hayek. “The weather and technology have changed greatly since then,” Oliver Müller, a company consultant specializing in the watch industry, tells “SonntagsZeitung”.

Two million watches sold

Swatch does not believe such assessments. “The so-called studies are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, in most studies, at best, they are half correct at best. Or they are completely wrong,” says Biel. He is not completely wrong. Because the figures for the collaboration with Omega are clear. One million “Moon Watches” in 2022 According to the expert, it will be two million this year.

Source :Blick