Which Chrono would you choose and why?

[Friedrice]

Another analogy is the Luis Vuitton: did anyone get any discount from them, & anyone refuse to buy it, if within their means?

LV 10 years ago was very cheap. I managed to hog around 5 louis viutton handbags for my mom when I was visiting Europe. Each one costing me no more than rm2k for even the biggest bag you can throw your money at. Ditto for mont blanc. I managed to get a fountain pen and a roller ball pen from their meisterstruck series from way back in 2001 for a song. RM500 for the rollerball and RM700 for the fountain pen in 14k gold. Hehe... I recently got the UNICEF limited edition mont blanc gold fountain pen with a sapphire gem cap and it cost me around rm2k. Yikes!

Nowadays, I only buy chanel, gucci and CD bags for my wife as they are more affordable. LV prices have hit the roof recently.

But now she wants a Berkin bag and a freaking ladymatic. Die lah...

[terrenceterrence]

yeah the same goes to "yuppie" jewelry like tiffany, bvlgary and cartier.

bought those silver bracelet and choker for my wife 7 years ago for only USD150 and also the surfer bracelet for myself and a money clip for my brother for only USD120 and USD110 7 years ago.

fast forward now.. the same choker is selling for SGD650 and the surfer bracelet for SGD360.

with the rising economic capabilities of the population in the far east.. i think things would just go up and up and up

just like HK was used to be a economical place to get a Rolex.. but with the Mainlanders flocking down and can buy everything retail without discount, how am I going to compete?

thank God europe is still a lightly "harder" place for the mainlanders to get to due to the visa restrictions, i can still get discount from shops over there.

shops in HK and SG are not for locals anymore... it's for the rich Indons and Mainlanders

[TheHobbit]

First time I hear The House of Cartier being called a 'yuppie' jewellery. Perhaps we should start a new thread for this discussion?

[terrenceterrence]

I was referring to the more "affordable" line in Cartier like the love ring, trinity ring. that every other female regardless of age seems to have in any developed country. not the diamond crusted panther bracelet.

[hanz079]

Luxury goods are defined as "In general, a good (or service) that is not essential but makes life more enjoyable. Luxury goods are often more expensive and primarily purchased by people with more wealth and income. Using more precise, technical language, a luxury good exists if the income elasticity of demand is positive and greater than one. In other words, as people receive more income, they devote an increasingly larger share of income to the purchase of luxury goods."

Most brand like JLC, Patek, Rolex, Panerai are all over priced. But there are reasons why you pay more for these brands. The watch itself, the movement inside, the advances made in the case, movement and what ever else. It is the comfort you receive when you know when something goes wrong, there is a service center in your country that can sort you out. Even than, the quality of the people behind these service centers differs like heaven and hell, but I digress. Of course you also pay for the adverts, the need to have popular people wearing the brand, fight against counterfeit and a whole host of other things.

In my 20 + years of collecting watches, I have seen and noted that prices have gone up and up with little or no apparent reasons. With regards to one brand having better value as compared to others, let me tell you no. Most brands do not offer good or great value, no matter what you have been lead to believe. Retail prices and actual cost of the watches do not co-relate.

Just enjoy what you have, buy what you want and can afford. Watch companies will price a watch at what ever price they believe they can get away with and trust me, most of the time, they do.

All I can say is I agree 110%
Well said... +10 

[TheHobbit]

Sigh, PAM00356 has been released and already on the second hand market. Sad, very sad.

[terrenceterrence]

yeah there was one listed on SGROC

dunno if it's sold by now

[TheHobbit]

yeah there was one listed on SGROC

dunno if it's sold by now

PM you.