Author Topic: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company  (Read 8567 times)

Offline Watchnewby

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Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« on: August 18, 2011, 06:11:08 AM »
Read the followings and extract of the gist is:

" In another step for the Chinese watch industry, the Eterna brand and watch manufacturing company has been sold to a Chinese firm – International Volant Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Haidian.

Eterna is a brand with a good legacy and reputation, from the Eternamatic to the KonTiki divers and more. I’m not sure what the result of this acquisition will be, especially with the details of the deal kept confidential (at least now per the news update). It may simply continue to be a Swiss watch brand just with Chinese financial ownership. I suspect we’ll see some manufacturing/design/brand support between the Swiss and Chinese sides at least.

It will be interesting to see what happens, it definitely provides some opportunities for the Chinese firm outside the more typical “buy an old Swiss brand, manufacture everything elsewhere, and leverage the legacy of the brand without the rality” ploy that has been common this past decade."

My thoughts are that China-based companies are slowly taking over Swiss-designed & manufactured companies. Will we see the manucfacturing base moved to China in the near future? ('coz of cheap labour and watch making, to my understanding, relies heavily on the watchmaker's skills and craftmanship as compared with mass production).

Image from TimeZone Industry News:


Offline siodee

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2011, 07:28:58 AM »
Bro, if you go to China next time, try to watch those TV selling advert at night, ton of them selling watches, some even with Actress claim that Swiss brand with history from 18xx. And those brand are unknown, I think some Bro here in China or frequent to China will know what I mean.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
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Offline brolex

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2011, 07:45:27 AM »
Take it from me (I have access to a lot of watches) - the hardiest watch I have has an unknown Singaporean/hong kong/china automatic movement. And it is cheap as chips.

As I've mentioned before, I used to golf and mountain bike with my watches. Only this one kept true, while the rest ended up with losing 2-5 minutes A DAY (yup, including the TAG... Which IMHO is misrepresented as a sports watch, what a piece of do do that piece was).

I wouldn't write off a going concern with Chinese interests just yet. People tend to overlook Chinese products beyond certai price points.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2011, 07:47:11 AM by brolex »
So, in the nutshell, the finer things in life does not have to be the most expensive or exotic item or place one could have.

Offline brolex

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2011, 05:39:44 PM »
Wow, sifu brolex, you are well connected lah, .......... an AD, pre-owned watch dealer, someone who has watches delivered to you while your golfmate foot the bill or ???  :o Ikan bilis have to kow tow to you lah :laugh:

It may be empirical, but that's my experience and I'm telling it like it is.

What is this forum's preoccupation with the dichotomous "sifus" and "ikan bilis" anyway???? As with Wright, I choose honest arrogance over hypocritical humility.
So, in the nutshell, the finer things in life does not have to be the most expensive or exotic item or place one could have.

Offline Watchnewby

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2011, 07:14:29 AM »
siodee : True. One of my friends who frequent to China lots of time attest to that. There are too many brands & models from China for the local as well as export market of China.

brolex : You must be very well connected and a very knowledgeble person on watches. Salute!
Back to China-made watches - I agree with your statement "People tend to overlook Chinese products beyond certai price points". Not only for watches, but other products (like clothing, electronics, gas cooker, oven etc) of which quality gets better beyond certain prices.

Offline Peiseh

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2011, 09:50:01 AM »
Unfortunately, bonafide Chinese businessmen finds the going tough when trying to convince that their products is equally good as those manufactured in the developed western countries.
This is no thanks get-rich-crazy fellow countrymen who would resort to various unscrupulous tactics to rip as much profit as possible from a sale.
It is not uncommon to have heard about the stocks arriving not matching up in standards as that of the sample product shown. And it is not uncommon to have heard the the phrase " you get what you paid for, so don't complain..".
Many of my business associates in the States were caught in this situation. One of them even have a half container load filled with rubbish instead of products delivered to him !
This is after all, the predicament envisaged by importers if they are dealing in cheap made in China products.

In the context of Chinese businessmen buying over foreign products, there's some pro and cons to it.
Take for instance, Volvo.
Many europeans swore not to drive another Volvo again when the car company was bought over by Geely, China.
But soon after this, with the much needed injection of funds for R&D, Volvo rebound and was again in the contention in the luxury car league. Same goes with Jaguar which was bought over by TATA, India.

So, if Seagull were to buy over a Swiss company, it has to be on truly business purposes and that the only influence on the business management is injection of fund in to the company so that it could remain a true Swiss company.
Watch is kind of a jewelry that very much depended on its heritage. If its diluted in anyway or being associated with an unequal standard label, the value and interest of the watch may drop.











Offline terrenceterrence

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2011, 10:49:58 PM »
how come no one talks about south africans buying over IWC, Pam and JLC?
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Offline genec

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2011, 11:17:45 PM »
how come no one talks about south africans buying over IWC, Pam and JLC?

Hehe, maybe because Johann Rupert is a white guy....so no shock there....

Offline Peiseh

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2011, 05:50:39 AM »
South Africans..? Perhaps it was due to the lower exposure of Made in S.Africa goods in the market as compared with the Chinese and Koreans.

Like many, as long as the heritage of the watch remains intact, it does not matter too much on who is the owner of the company (political issues aside).
Its not uncommon for new owners to remain low profile for personal and also for political reasons.

Offline siodee

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2011, 07:42:08 AM »
Wait for Tony buy over one of the watches company, then it will be a news, prehaps can get cheaper when you are on the plane  :Laughing_on_floor: :Laughing_on_floor:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore... Dream... Discover..." - Mark Twain

Offline genec

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2011, 09:40:25 AM »
Theres actually one Malaysian company that owns a Swiss watch brand, albeit one thats a little obscure.
QI ltd owns Cimier

Offline terrenceterrence

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2011, 10:06:09 AM »
Bedat is owned by a Malaysian retail group
Better outrun my gun....faster than my bullet


Offline Watchnewby

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Re: Chinese Company In Swiss Watch Company
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2011, 10:16:05 AM »
Wait for Tony buy over one of the watches company, then it will be a news, prehaps can get cheaper when you are on the plane  :Laughing_on_floor: :Laughing_on_floor:

"Now, Everone can wear a Fine Watch". ;D