It's All About Timing...

Football, and fame are fickle ; )

Courtesy of Hublot

A few short weeks removed from riding the pine for the first time in a long and fabled career with the New York Giants, Hublot announces their latest "chum" of the brand, Eli Manning, in aid of promoting their continuing partnership with the New York Giants.

Yes, the mighty New York Giants who are my second favorite team right now as they are the only team in the NFL with a worse record (2 wins, 12 losses) than my hometown Cleveland Browns (0 wins, 14 losses).  Hublot recently unveiled their latest collaboration -

Behold!  The Classic Chronograph Fusion New York.  Let's just hope that it performs a little bit better than the current edition of the New York Giants ; )

Courtesy of Hublot

US sports partnerships with Swiss brands frequently don't pan out the way that the brands hope that they will.  That, of course, does not seem to dissuade the folks in PR/Marketing departments to keep pushing the envelope.  But on the other hand, Hublot only needs to push 22 of these bad boys, so you never know!  And if Mr. Manning parts ways with the Giants for pastures greener next season, at least he will have a shiny new watch to go with this two Super Bowl rings.

Here are the pertinents -

Reference:

521.NQ.5170.VR.NYG17

Limitation:
Special Edition of 22 pieces
Diameter:
45 mm
Thickness:
13.05 mm
Water Resistance:
5 ATM (50 Meters)

CASE
Bezel:
Satin-finished and polished titanium
Bezel Lug:
Blue composite resin
Screws "H":
Polished titanium
Glass:
Polished titanium with engraved Hublot logo
Crown:
Polished titanium with engraved Hublot logo
Pushers:
Polished titanium
Case back:
Satin-finished titanium engraved with "SPECIAL EDITION" + "XX/22"
Case back Glass:
Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment

DIAL 
Lacquered blue matte dial
Polished rhodium-plated appliques
Polished rhodium-plated hands
Polished rhodium-plated and red lacquered chronograph 
second hand

MOVEMENT
Caliber Hublot HUB1143

Type:
Self-winding Chronograph movement
Dimensions:

Dia. 30 mm (131/4’’’); Thickness 6.9 mm 
Date:
Window at 6:00 o'clock
No of Components:
280
Jewels:
59
Frequency:

4 Hz (28'800 A/h)
Power reserve:
42 Hours

STRAP
Blue rubber and blue calf with white stitching

BUCKLE
Stainless steel deployant buckle clasp

 

What Barry Hearn Can Teach the Watch Industry - Part 7

7.     Reality is not such a bad place to live in


This was Mr. Hearn's 6th point, but I've shaken the order up a bit.  What rang true for me was the importance of the need to live within your means.  All too often the temptation is to borrow money or go into debt (taking on partners and investors) to try and create an instant impact.  There is a greatly mistaken belief that the public has regarding some of the "newer" brands.  By all outward appearances they seem to have leap-frogged into the public's consciousness and supplanted older, more established brands overnight.  A further misconception is that these brands therefore must be incredibly valuable!  This is aided and abetted by the posturing of the CEO and/or that horological hero of the earlier part of this century - the watchmaker turned rock star.  

But let's talk a bit about the part you seldom see or hear about - the investors.  Yes, the guys and gals who pump more cash into the venture than the GDPs of some countries.  Their largesse makes it possible to make watches, buy ads, host extravagant PR junkets, purchase a Lamborghini, and in the process maybe even buy the watch maker's name!  All that money flashing around creates a perception (or deception) as to how well the brand is really doing.  And when the actuals don't actually match the advertised projections? That same person who's name was on the dial is quietly (and in some instances not so quietly), escorted out of the building.

This is a business that is primarily based upon perception.  Many of these perceptions turn out to be misleading, aided by marketing programs designed to convince you that day is night, black is white, and that a loss is actually a gain.  Unfortunately, this same sort of false perception is often bought lock, stock and "spring barrel" by the media, and sadly, the potential customer.  

When you see boutiques in New York, Miami and other major destinations, you assume that business must be THROUGH THE ROOF!  When you see that watch maker-turned multi-millionaire behind the wheel of a super-charged Italian chariot, you have to assume that business is fantastic!  But ask yourself, honestly, how many watches would have to be sold to go from zero to sixty in a 2 - 3 year period?  It is a false reality.  Sales may be good, but they are not THAT good.  Investment is important, but sticking to the fundamentals is even more so.  Massive investment can distract you from an actual loss.  And massive investment then means that the person who has their name on the dial is no longer necessary at all - they have become surplus to requirements.

Think I'm full of it?  Ask the growing number of watch company staff who were laid-off these past weeks.  Glossy marketing pieces with expensive cars, press junkets to exotic locations, a watch on a Super Bowl MVP - none of these things are bringing up the sales numbers to the incredible levels that we'd be asked to believe are real.

Then look at the brands who are quietly, steadily moving forward.  Meeting modest, and dare I say it - HONEST projections.  They are careful about what they spend.  They invest in what is important, rather than the ephemeral.  Stars, parties, athletes and sports cars are exciting.  But they don't pay the milk bill.  

Will the laid-off employees get an invitation to the next red-carpet event?  Let's hope so.

Reality - it really is not such a bad place to live in.

Jumping the Shark… in Dallas

Ah, the NFL. As a younger Northern Youth I remember my NFL sheets and pillow-cases! We all hoped to get our favorite NFL team's jersey for Christmas (spoiler alert, mine was Cincinnati, not Cleveland).  And this was a tough sell to mother's across the country, because remember that those jerseys cost close to $25 1980s dollars!  Moms and dads had a tough time justifying that sort of a cash outlay for a shirt that their kids would only be able to wear for a few months before they grew out of it.

Courtesy of Hublot 

And also, if you grew up in an area where the local pro team, well, sucked you were very likely to have one or two back-up "favorite teams" who were actually good.  Oberlin, Ohio had it's share of "fair weather" Pittsburgh Steeler, Dallas Cowboy and Oakland Raiders jerseys.  Well, I have to accept that it is unlikely that you will outgrow the new Hublot "Dallas Cowboy" watch but let us just hope your team allegiance doesn't change dramatically to where you have to try and re-sell it.  You know, like those Dallas Cowboy's fans who put up the billboard renouncing their beloved Cowboys to support the Cleveland Browns because "Johnny Football" had signed with the Cleveland Browns?

Because while yard sales across my home state of Ohio may soon to be filled with cast off Johnny Manziel jerseys once he either flames out or moves to a more attractive team once he becomes a free agent, a watch that costs more than many of the team's fans make in a year is perhaps not the "classiest" move you could make.

Look at it this way, it would be cheaper to get your "Johnny Football 4-Evah" tattoo removed through laser treatment ; )

But here's the good news for all you fans of "America's Team", you will be able to purchase your incredibly expensive team Chotchkie at a Hublot "pop-up" store in - wait for it - a private lounge reserved for corporate guests!  Because Hublot and the Cowboys LOVE you and want you to feel a part of things - providing you work an organization that can get you access to a super exclusive corporate box!

Here's the thing pals and gals, Hublot is a big, very successful company, and frankly they must have a pretty good idea of what they are doing.  But forming a partnership with "America's Team" it is in a bit of poor taste to remind the hard working folks of Dallas/Ft.Worth who are true blue to their team and can't even afford a ticket in the nose-bleed seats that you are making sure that the pampered masters of the universe who are used to not paying for anything will continue to enjoy that experience when they take a break from the golf-course to attend a game for business.

Enjoy your watches everyone - and if you must, jump the shark ; )