CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

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CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Kip »

Very exciting news in the Email from CWL about the leather strap sale.....

Production starts Aug, 1 in Switzerland... :)
New improved tolerances..... :)
C8 to be first one introduced.... :)
price increases..... :(

Should be some really good values as he cleans out the old stock.... :)
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by seaclose »

So will it still be called CW London and if not will our CW London watches become collectors items, making us all millionaires. :D
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Yoda »

You are a millionaire but if you need some re-assurence, buy another watch!
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Gray C »

I was just about to make both of the points mentioned :lol:
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Tawbs »

Well, no more use for the old "Don't be swissled" ad then. I certainly hope this is the right thing to do...personally, I couldn't care less where the watches are produced...I think that the essence of the CW brand was producing excellent value and toptastic quality without being swiss made...too prove it could be done, kind of, and put "a luxury wristwatch on every wrist". If the prices should increase to about for example Marcello C or Certina or many,many other entry level swiss brands - I think competition could be tough. Just my humble thoughts on this.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Uncle Bill »

Good point Tawbs...although I suspect the decision was to do with other reasons than just the kudos of 'Swiss Made'. Everything CW does is very carefully thought out, it seems. I'll bet there are more important reasons of supply, and a hedge on future EU regulation, perhaps? ...UB..(some of you other guys probably have more insight than I do...)
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Rick »

Tawbs wrote:Well, no more use for the old "Don't be swissled" ad then. I certainly hope this is the right thing to do...personally, I couldn't care less where the watches are produced...I think that the essence of the CW brand was producing excellent value and toptastic quality without being swiss made...too prove it could be done, kind of, and put "a luxury wristwatch on every wrist". If the prices should increase to about for example Marcello C or Certina or many,many other entry level swiss brands - I think competition could be tough. Just my humble thoughts on this.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Yoda »

Interesting point UB, there have been some changes to Swiss law and some more to come.

I suspect that it was always a long term move for the company. I'm sure I have seen it written somewhere that getting the right trained staff was the first objective and then moving to Switzerland.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by President »

Ol' Wardy can hold its own with Marcello, Steinhart and Debaufre.




I hope.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Matvei »

Except I know I would not have bought my two Chris Ward's if they had been 50-100 pounds more...

It was the value angle that reeled me in. Not cheapness, but value.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by President »

If they're truly Swiss, I wouldn't mind dropping a bit more.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by Kip »

Dangerous though it may be....I would assume that overall quality would be even better from Switzerland making CWL an even better overall value, depending of course how much the price increases. It would certainly add more credence, again assuming the quality and tolerances are better, to the claims made by CW in the past about comparisons to other upscale brands.

I second the motion that Chris is no dummy and would not commit to this move without much forthought and research.
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by m500dpp »

I wonder whether Swatch are going to favour Swiss based watch makers for supplying movements (as hinted at by UB)? Then it would make sense.

Price is a sensitive issue and CW definately sell to me on value. Swiss made is no guarantee of quality. Gorvana have gained a poor reputation recently and take it from me their after sales is non existant (although I still like the watch!) I think if Chris moves up to marcello C and the like pricing, it could be tough, but of course with the new range coming out these could easily move up in quality - we shall see!

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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by rygel16th »

Looking forward to the C8, but only if the price is right I'm afraid. There's a lot of competition out there in the £200-£400 range; in that price band quality is an expected element, rather than being a bonus in a cheaper watch. I won't want to be sending my new C8 watch back after it's obviously been worn and scratched like I did with my first Kingfisher!

I couldn't give a monkeys if it's built in Switzerland or Mongolia as long as it's well made and good value. I honestly don't understand the draw of Swiss manufacture. I love my Planet Ocean but the place it was made was the last thing on my list when I chose it. Looking at my collection I own a damn sight more watches from Japan and SE Asia than I do from Switzerland. In fact if I count my vintage watches, I own more English than Swiss made watches!
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Re: CW Swiss Production Starts August 1

Post by joerattz »

Tawbs wrote:Well, no more use for the old "Don't be swissled" ad then. I certainly hope this is the right thing to do...personally, I couldn't care less where the watches are produced...I think that the essence of the CW brand was producing excellent value and toptastic quality without being swiss made...too prove it could be done, kind of, and put "a luxury wristwatch on every wrist". If the prices should increase to about for example Marcello C or Certina or many,many other entry level swiss brands - I think competition could be tough. Just my humble thoughts on this.
Tawbs
I never took the CW concept to exclude being Swiss Made, but perhaps my perspective came as much from personal emails with Chris as it did his marketing campaigns and slogans. To me, the CW concept is about value. Chris told me in an email that his watches didn't exclude the possibility of being Swiss Made, but that he felt like the quality could be the same if assembled in Asia and that is what he was currenly doing. Perhaps with some of the recent quality issues, he has seen it to not be the case. Only time will tell if the quality is better because of being Swiss Made. I personally don't think it is the case that the current Asian country doesn't have the capability to one day deliver quality matching the Swiss, so much as it is the case that they just don't right now. From my perspective, it is the case that it is just more important to the Swiss that their quality be high. Their economy depends on it far more that any country in Asia. So I think the Swiss have the higher standards because without it, their economy could tank.

Also, a lot of the CW concept was derived from the value added by CW not doing expensive marketing campaigns and paid celebrity endorsements thereby lowering the cost of ownership. His current model of eliminating the retail profit margin should still allow him to be far less expensive than most other Swiss brands. So I am optimistic that prices will increase slightly, while quality will increase significantly, brand respect will increase, and resale value will hold better. Let's hope that is the case.
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