Watches that will become the Birkin Bags of 21st century (1 of 12)
“I frankly have serious difficulty understanding the appeal of really expensive (and by that I mean over $600) bags. Six hundred dollars is the bare minimum when it comes to those stratospheric bags. The Hermes culture of “Well it’s mad e by 60 people in an attic in the countryside of France” — to be blunt, who cares? And all these matching pelts. Who fundamentally cares? It’s a big slouchy hobo bag. It’s not as though it’s a tailored piece of luggage. I just don’t understand it. I say to people who really want to reach and are looking at $5,000 handbags, “Spend half that amount and give the other half to charity.” I just don’t like conspicuous consumption. I find it distasteful. ”
This message has been edited by bernard cheong on 2011-10-04 18:47:33
I used to laugh at Birkins and poke fun at my friends...but
I recently bought not 1 but 3 Birkins, one was new...a facebook challenge with good results.
Two were almost vintage, from the early circle stamp and no stamp days, HAC type.
I learnt that aftercare service was IMPECCABLE and customer was king, not brand.
Two....the bags were made well enough to last 200 years plus easy...and more if "serviced"...called the spa.
The really gool Barenia leather...these were special.
In fact, I agree with my wife that Birkin bag is beautiful.
The Hermes Birkin bag made its public debut in 1984 - 27 years testimony.
Let's wait for another 5 years and give MB&F a chance to prove itself.
I think MB&F watches are at least not boring and in fact quite interesting. But, it will not qualify as classic. For that, the watches need to withstand the test of time.
Regards
Ling
As a preface to further discussion
Bernard,
Thanks for the start of discussion thread.
As a preface you wrote: Were paintings superfluous items of luxury back in the "day"? Yes......
Maybe paintings were not all superfluous as they served the same purpose as cameras and video recorders today. They preserved memories and archived history.
Who married Whom? Who was the Mistress and who was the Wife? Which children were legitimate and carried the official heriditary title?
Where did they conquer What? Look at the pretty view from my castle window........
I agree that only the wealthy could afford the high-class paiiters or support the upcoming talent. The same today with the Canon 1Ds camera and Volker Vyskocil.
But surely, not all paintings were superfluous.......
Not argumentative....just to expand the preface for future discussions as you threatened 12 instalments!
MTF
But MTF is more right than you are :-D ....
Marcus
highly volatile..
Remembered Nubeos, Wylers, Gentas were once on the it-list but they are long gone.
It seems the common key factor is the "longevity" of the company to etch out classics, because people are confident they can be serviced after handing them down, and can sell them off relatively easily. I don't have this confidence in RMs, MB&Fs, Journes, etc because of the fear that the companies will go after the visionary founders are gone.
My take of the future Birkins:
- A big bang (yucky, but the company is looking strong on growth)
- Cartier Ballon Bleu
- any AL&S watch
- And I agree with you on the RMs and MB&Fs (Only if they are bought over by a conglomerate partially - less fear of liquidation)
Mike
Our words and thoughts will be a story for our children
Psalm 90:9
We live our lives as a tale to be told.
And when Tim said "luxury" was a possible substitute for charity...I disagree. I can. Because I am charity..I live t. I practice it.
I don't nurture showoffs and dispalys of toys...but I encourage all to take life with ten spoons of fun...and make anyone happy, given a chance.
Yes Bernard..
there's only 1 you around - unique, polarizing, and always respectable.
Catch u at the next event for a chat. I was rushing off to work at the Louis Moinet event, and had u come EARLIER, we'd be talking all right!
Looking forward to parts 2-12/12. It's always good to read your posts!
Mike
Will Birkin bags become the Birkin bags of the 21st century?
It's not clear to me that the Birkin bag will hold its status for decades, let alone a century. I suspect that certain very early examples may always be highly collectible, but the winds of fashion will blow in many directions before the century ends. An item that is widely known to be desirable but that still can be acquired simply by paying a lot of money and waiting for a while is not necessarily a top candidate for "iconic" status. Of course, it's a highly-effective status symbol as it is highly recognizable and everyone knows what it costs, but that is not the same thing as saying it has a future as a symbol of something more enduring.
Without making a specific prediction, I think we can define the conditions required for an object to take on such a great cultural value. Of course we have to look for items that will be highly desirable in the future. However, that is not enough: they will have to be items that originally could not be obtained by merely paying large amounts of money. I think that means one of two conditions will have to exist: either they could be purchased only on the basis of a relationship or they were not known to be desirable and therefore were acquired only by individuals of unusual vision. As an example of the first condition, I would propose the Ferrari Enzo: many people want and could pay for them, but my understanding is that the company has to know and like you before they will put you on "the list." For the second condition, consider the Rolex Daytona at the time (still within the memories of some of us) when nearly nobody wanted them.
I am the LEAST LIKELYGUY TO BE FASHION FORWRD (what does that even mean???)..or homosexua.
I am unkempt, egoistic, insensitive, never owned a comb, never been to a spa 9without a lady), always looking for porn...
I can be placed into an episode of "Law and Order SUV", man...I thought the cops were the bad guys!
But...I bought and plan to use the 50cm HAC Birkin. Black with the brown strap. Togo leather. Circle stamp. Old style stitch.
Great topic Bernard!
While the Birkin is THE iconic bag in the fashion world, it's hard to find a perfect parallel in the watch world.
Right now I see Birkin as a combination of Rolex and Patek. Some similarity I'll outline below:
Rolex: symbol of wealth, well known, everybody wants one - and every celebrity have one, iconic, high resale value, massive secondary market, cult status (remember Jane Birkin is a cult icon).
Patek: prestige, status symbol, consumers are played to the manufacturer's hand - we BEG to take it off their hands, not the other way round, able to charge any price yet there is still a waiting list.
Whether the Birkin will stand the test of time I'm not so sure. However, apart from being an "IT" bag, the Birkin also represents the highest quality a handbag can get, which I believe is something that, at the moment, have no viable substitutes. None of the other fashion houses manage to produce a bag of this standard - yet.
As for the watches that will become the Birkins of 21st century..... Looking forward to see your other installments first
I paln not to dissapoint, but to share and entertain....and
Iconic?
Surely this honour belongs to the iPhone and all the other iThingumies? The design of these products is pure industrial aesthetics that has defined a new paradigm (at elast that's what I've read
). Lost in the depths of France, I'd not even heard of the Birkin Bag until you started this thread, and I'll bet that a zillion other people haven't heard of it either, but the iThingumies must be ingrained in the race memory by now. My money for the Birkin watch is on anything large, in-your-face and uber-blinged (those hideous Rolexes, for example).
nick
Fully agree ...
Marcus
You beat me to it, nickd. But there's
..another issue. I have zero knowledge of Birkens, but I would have thought it's the very non-industrial nature of the Birken (handmade, non-mass production, ye olde materials) that makes it stand out.
Handbags? Icons? What about Glomesh clutches (my GF snaps those up....but wrong century for this discussion...wait. just read on the thread that the Birken is 27 years old....)
Here we are talking handbags and brands....I don't know...I'm stopping now.
I think in this case....
) buys lots of bags before they encounter Birkin. Must a "Classic" always be expensive and unaffordable to the common people?
Yes and no
"Let's have some respect for the timeless and classic design..." sure!
But the HM1 is not IMVHO a classic and timeless design.
It is an interesting watch, although not my choice among Max Busser's children.
Timeless, perhaps, not sure, classic, of course not.
What is surer is that it is IMO the more classical and timeless design of the first four HM designs. And maybe that's why it is the least interesting for me....
Timeless and classic, you need maybe 50 years to know!
Cheers
Dje
I once not only misunderstood the MBF, not saying that you are...but
I went as far as to SELL IT!!!
Only to buy it back for $50k more!!!
Now, I hated it...and then I loved it.
Now I like RM tourbillons from the 2003 generation...old style.
I collect them.
Inside me, I am an RM tourbillon person...and a Freak person. On my skin, and in my mind, I think MBF and Vianney.
My next home...the asylum for collectors!
will this timepiece become too..
Wait till I get to De Grisogono!!!
Having "no taste", I would say wait a few decades and..
for me, Birkin bags and their like are a godsend
A desirable thing that I can buy my wife and that she truly enjoys, so I can then continue to splurge on watches with a clean(ish) conscience, ideally in the same street (Rue Faubourg St Honore, anyone?). The watch analogue of Birkins in my view must be Patek Calatravas ... old world classy without being in your face and a lot of recogntion value by the congoscenti. Not hip enough to be an independent, IMO.
Best
Andreas
Kelly vs.Birkin- food for thought
