IWC brand reputation

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding brand reputation.

How does IWC compare to Blancpain, Breguet, Ulysse Nardin in terms of prestige?

To start with, I would like to state that the watches made by the brands you mention, and by many other brands too, like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Lange, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte Original, Rolex, Omega, are excellent. You don't have to worry about quality, so you can focus on the watch you really, really like. I must say that for me that is good enough, and I like the watches made by IWC and Blancpain best: only of those brands I have more than one watch, more IWC than Blancpain.

Prestige is what others say about a brand, and although interesting of course, I tend to make my own decisions based on what I like and can afford. For what it is worth, my order would be Breguet, Blancpain, IWC, I don't know about Ulysse Nardin. But both Breguet and Ulysse Nardin make watches that most of the time don't speak to me, I cannot see them on my wrist in a natural way, fitting the person I am.

Kind regards,
Paul

I would say that IWC ownership is far more than just the prestige, which is a perception achieved through advertising. In addition to prestige, one becomes part of a community that is second to none, incredible service, fantastic heritage and history. IWC is a watch that can be worn with pride! Good luck with your choice.

Prestige, like beauty, is very much in the eye of beholder. Most of the people living on this planet do not recognize any of these four brands. Most of the people who do recognize these brands, are not qualified to make any more meaningful analysis between them than "watches from brand X tend to be more expensive than watches from brand y".

Sorry for not giving a straight answer "Order of prestige is x, y, z,...", but I really don't think there is an objectively valid order.

Without commenting the other brands, one thing to bear in mind is that IWC offers an exceptionally wide range of watches in prices from few thousand Euros to over hundred thousand Euros. If the prestige is seen as a function of pricing, then "prestige rating" of IWC as a brand is problematic, imho.

Maybe what you are asking is "which is a better watch?"

As JiiPee said, there's no objective/scientific way to answer. Who is a more beuatiful woman? Is a Ferrari better than a Lamborghini or a Tesla? Who makes a better handbag Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Dior?

All this hocus pocus is spin on luxury products designed by crafty advertising/marketing people to make you feel better about spending your hard earned income.

Are you interested in the Official Supplier to Men (IWC), saving it for the next generation (Patek), or watches made by hand since 1735 (Blancpain).

Now it is possible to compare in terms of materials, finishing, accuracy, complications and personal appeal. But that all depends on what you're seeking. Are you buying for yourself or to impress another person? Honestly, in almost 20 years of wearing IWC watches, I can count on one hand the number of times a stranger commented on my watch.

However, I will tell you it is a ton of fun shopping for watches if you don't get too dizzy from the marketing messages.

Best to you!

Larry

All are highly esteemed brands and to me IWC compares quite favorably. Forbes had an interesting article on watches and social peackocking that demonstrated how perceptions vary.

Well, I guess your question relates to the materials that compose reputation....history...for example??...
in that respect, if you are looking for a brand whose early clients were figures as Luis XXI of France and whose watches were given by Pushkin, Dumas and Tolstoy to their literary heroes....I guess no brand can probably bit Breguet.....
these facts talk to me a lot for instance....nevertheless, if I look at the current catalogue of the brand...hmmm...not sure I can find there a running model that talks to me and my pocket...

still with history....the other brand you've mentioned...Blancpain...what shall we say...the oldest world manufacturer....a brand that did not give in during the quartz crisis era and never ever produced a quartz-based movement....a brand that probably emphasizing both the dial design, but also comes up with 3-4 newly invented calibres each year (during last years as well)....is all this relevant to reputation??...for me, very much...

compared with the two B's....IWC is a much younger company, but with its own credentials...Pellaton-based automatic movements...Jones calibres...all the innovations of Mr. Claus....this is all reputation of course....but of course, the roots do not go back to the early days of the French Hugenote refuges that were probably the first to establish the Swiss horlogerie....

Ulysse Nardin...was very much interested few months ago in the brand...they got lots lots of distinguished awards of the years...
almost got myself an UN watch...finally decided for one of the B's (1735...)....

good luck with whatever decision you make...reputation is important, but, at the end of the day, you have to like the watch..

simius

No offence meant for fans of any brand, but brand histories as source of prestige are often just overblown and misguided hype brewed by unscrupulous marketing departments.

As an example, current BlancPain company was born in 1980's, when Mrs Biver and Piquet simply bought the right to use the brand name from SSIH Group. SSIH had acquired BlancPain in 1970 and they had closed the operation. So, although the current BlancPain company uses the old brand name, it is a completely different company.

That other B brand has also changed ownership several times, gone bankrupt, restarted with new owners etc... so the current company has very little in common with the original B-company, besides the brand name.

Even if you're purely looking for 'show-off value' the answer will still vary based on the country that you're in and the age and type of people that you're trying to impress. In the US, I would guess that IWC probably has the highest overall name recognition among the brands that you've cited; but the 'prestige' issue would likely have a different answer depending on the market segment that you're hoping to impress. That said, you're probably better off waiting until you see a timepiece that impresses YOU.

Swiss marketing departments put a lot of energy into brand perception so that you'll buy watches for brand-status and personal confidence building - as a substitute for meeting the higher bar of generating genuine buyer enthusiasm for the watches that they put in front of you. Hence the critically important yet much maligned role of marketing in the watch industry. Collectors hate branding campaigns (especially the ones focused on celebrity 'friends of the brand') because these efforts distract from the inherent artistic and technical merits (or lack thereof) of the watches themselves. Some market segments see value in being told what they should like because they genuinely don't have any kind of passion for the expensive watches that they buy - and they really only buy them as tools for impressing other people. Fair enough.

That said, a user forum focused on passionate collectors is probably the wrong place to get brand perception advice :)

I suppose this is a fair, newcomer question. IWC makes no mistake, recently, describing that it is selling emotion, lifestyle, and uses ambassadors, and special market messaging to reach the best clientele.

Perceptions of prestige will vary among different client segments. People who drive a Lexus, eat pizza, and do not own a vacation house may think Rolex Is the finest, inspirational brand. Someone who travels the world via private jet, collecting art, wines, sports cars, and furnishings for their ski chateau, beach homes, and penthouses May have a different opinion....

There have been many surveys conducted - with feedback from high net-worth individuals - and IWC tops these list over several years.

Here is a link to the survey:

Luxury Survey - High Net-Worth Luxury Brands.

www.reuters.com/article/idUS103649+16-Apr-2009+MW20090416