Growing and improving the offer

Now that the most desirable models are unobtainable at list price and that when it comes to percentages, it is no longer a question of discounts, but of overpricing, watchmaking is experiencing a fine moment of creativity, involving all price brackets.
For example, in that segment which in the past was often limited to offering watches similar to the best sellers, but of inferior quality, we now find original pieces in both design and functionality. The phenomenon of youtubers, who review watches with an average price of EUR 500, is the most important sign of the attention paid today to watchmaking with content but not necessarily luxury.

Limiting ourselves to mechanical watches, among the brands that are standing out for the increasing quality of their offer of affordable models are, of course, the Swatch Group's best sellers: Hamilton, Mido and Tissot, which are increasingly moving towards an unrivalled quality/price ratio. But there is no shortage of independent and niche companies, in line with the same trend we observe in haute horlogerie, with the public increasingly eager to discover young or lesser-known brands, but of a level equal to those of tradition.

Remaining in the mechanical price range below 1,000 euros, I am thinking of Doxa, Junghans, Nomos Glashütte, Squale, Timex, Unimatic, mixing historical names and micro-brands. If we then move on to Japan, it is impossible to ignore Seiko and Citizen, but beware: even in the Land of the Rising Sun, small watchmaking realities are springing up that will not fail to attract the attention of a discerning public, confirming that the moment of grace in watchmaking does not only concern the top echelons of the industry. And this is a good thing, as it will bring a wider, yet selective audience closer.

Now, the question is: what other names could I have mentioned?


Dody Giussani

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