Blancpain

I believe that marketing does have a bearing on how the watch sells. As nice as your pictured BP looks, would you have bought it if it had Fossil written on the dial instead of Blancpain? Part of what compels you to buy it is the image and luxury it portrays, no? I believe even with a great product, it may just not sell well due to the lack of effective marketing.

If Fossil made this watch, they would be a VERY different brand than the brand they are today. In this parallel universe, they would be like the Blancpain are so I would see them in the same light as I do Blancpain. If you are asking if I would if Fossil of our universe made this watch, would I buy it... No, because Fossil in our world doesn't have the skill or facility to make this watch. Your question is an impossibility disguised as a thought experiment.

The BP watch in house due to the lack of skill or facility but I was more so trying to illustrate that if say they were to have somehow gotten that watch into their line, that their lack of product image would make it harder to sell the watch to all but the folks in the vast minority like you who buy more so based on the watch than the marketing.

BP has, essentially, no marketing (which is the point of this thread).  Your question was, essentially, would you buy that watch if the brand had no "equity" (eg Fossil).  My answer is, yes.  BP already essentially has no equity (ie marketing) and I bought the watch.

Just bad marketing. They market their watches. Just look at the IG, YouTube or X accounts. It’s just that they use chefs instead of more well known celebs to market their product as well as saying they have an initiative to preserve the Ocean while pushing their Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphe models. I just think they can do better and not focus so much on their large dive watches.

It's a shame that which celebrity was paid to wear a watch is more important than the watch itself.  It speaks volumes of our superficial culture.

But it is what it is as at the end of the day, it’s a business, and I am more of the mindset that I don’t care if they use superficial marketing to sell more watches. I just want the brand to thrive so that they can make more great watches. I know many are not in agreement with me, and that’s ok.  

You and I have a very different idea of what good looks like in the watch world.

But often not the reality I think. Regardless, it’s good to hear others’ perspectives on the topic as I can always stand to learn a few things.

Does well on cost savings, but struggles with internal cannibalisation. IMHO brands like BP, and GO could do much better if spun off to a new owner who would focus on a single brand only. Ok, may be not a single but not more than 2-3. May be management buy out could help.

There probably is some struggle with internal cannibalisation and priorities that come before other brands within the group. I think to some extent too, that the reason we are seeing what we are now (a strong focus on dive watches instead of their other lines) is because of Hayek being an avid diver, and so his commitment to the FF and Bathy line is more pronounced.

I once asked him if he thought there was a major difference between BP and Omega (he said there was) and based on Swatch I was perplexed but this discussion has reframed that perspective for me. I don’t think I will ever be a BP guy as previously stated it is (for me) an oxymoron (fancy tool watch) but I get why there is a real following.

What I should have said instead of it is too fancy is…I am not fancy enough for it🤣

I get what you’re saying. It’s definitely confusing now the direction they are going. Maybe they can hire me for their re-issue of the Leman! 😆

Blancpain Leman Flyback Chrono

Double edged sword…you give up the dedicated focus but you get the technology sharing…

They had a great run with a lot of variants within a clearly identifiable family with excellent finish

Do it again! (In 38mm again, SVP)

When I was in the NYC boutique 3 months ago to bring my Flyback in for service, another gentleman walked in and asked the salesman if they had any gold Aqua Lungs, as he still liked that model and wanted to get another. I spoke up and said, “yes, I love the Leman too, and just handed mine in for service but they don’t make them anymore.” They do have a following for this model, and it would be great to see a Leman 2.0!

They need better watches before they spend more on marketing. By this I mean that we need to see smaller models across the entire catalogue, more refined dress watches and a reintroduction of the Leman line.

They really do need to spend some time on some lines other than the Fifty Fathoms and Bathyscaphe. It seems like that and their Ocean Commitment program is basically all they are pushing nowadays. Not everyone likes to wear large Dive watches. They should highlight some of their Villeret line pieces and yes- bring back the Leman!

....but BP would be even better with broader offerings.

And I’ll be happy.

Surprises coming, including a revival of the Leman line. I saw that episode too, but didn’t get a warm feeling that he’d be bringing back any previous models.