Bulgari

patrick_y
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I am indeed skeptical...

I know that Bulgari has a big challenge before them.

You see, in the past, Bulgari hasn't been selling their watches based on the technical sophistication of the watch itself; it's been selling watches due to its reputable name (a name of quality) and the favorable aesthetic design of their watches.

Today, the Genta and Roth timepieces are no longer as much about aesthetic design nor of reputable name, but instead of technological sophistication and historical complication. The new watches are expected to have very fine movements and become relatively complicated.

This is a 180 degree departure for Bulgari. The biggest challenge will be seeing Bulgari be able to sell these watches to watch connoisseurs. Bulgari's biggest problem isn't the product, nor the marketing, nor the product positioning - the problem is from within.

Bulgari's staff training is geared towards jewelry; the employees at Bulgari do not have the watch expertise of the level to deal with complicated watch connoisseurs. Furthermore, training only goes so far; the employees at Bulgari will have to provide an impressive argument to convince savvy customers to spend a large amount of financial resources for a wristwatch. At the new Genta and Roth level, the buyers of these wristwatches are very watch-savvy individuals who may have questions that are unable to be answered by some employees.

Ultimately, I think Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth will benefit; they will gain unprecedented exposure to international markets. However, the question remains, "does Bulgari staff have the expertise to sell this watch?"

It remains to be seen.

An excellent case study would be Montblanc Villeret. Go to the top Montblanc boutiques in the world and see if the staff has a thorough understanding and appreciation about the Villeret product. Can an employee in this industry change gears from selling fountain pens to Patek Philippe level wristwatches in the timespan of one or two years?

To answer the question, "what will it take for you to buy a Bulgari watch?" I really don't know, but I really have to be convinced of the quality. I'm a long-time patron of Montblanc, but when Montblanc launched their watch line, I was very skeptical. However, Montblanc's new Villeret line has seriously impressed me, in fact, to such an extent that I actually consider it as haute de gamme watchmaking - and more importantly, I would consider to acquire a Montblanc piece. This message has been edited by patrick_y on 2010-02-23 22:56:25