Seiko Men's SNDA67 Chronograh Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch
KEEPING TIME WITH fashion
Whisking new life into a deflated merchandise catalog can be as easy as whipping up a fresh omelet; it is all in the wrist -- the wristwatch, that is. Incredible new designs, new materials, new technology and new manufacturers are heating up the industry, making this a very exciting time for watch wearers, which today is almost everyone. No longer exclusively a nighttime look, diamonds are being combined with sporty watch styles. A shining example of this sporty opulence is Bulova's Ladies' Diamond Chronograph. At Timex, indiglo night-light features now come in an assortment of vibrant colors such as green, violet and orange. With dials that mimic the control panels of some of the world's fastest and most luxurious cars, and technology that is no less than groundbreaking, the Seiko Men's Coutura, Sportura and Arctura collections are true leaders in the industry.
Whisking new life into a deflated merchandise catalog can be as easy as whipping up a fresh omelet; it's all in the wrist-the wristwatch, that is. Incredible new designs, new materials, new technology and new manufacturers are heating up the industry, making this a very exciting time for watch wearers, which today is almost everyone. "It is a good idea to include watches in incentive programs because of their mass appeal," says Kara Sibilia, senior director of marketing at Rymax Marketing Services Inc., based in Pinebrook, New Jersey. "Watch rewards attract both men and women, and also offer a complete range of styles and price points." And what a dizzying range of styles there is. Open any of the latest watch magazines, and you will find a selection of diamonds, shapes, features and colors never before seen in this formerly stiff and, as far as the general consumer market goes, unimaginative world.
"Watches are very important to us," says Mike Horn, director of merchandise at Hinda Incentives, in Chicago, "When I look at my overall business, watches are always very high on the list. It probably ranks in the top ten categories. [For men] a watch is a utilitarian mechanism that you can also make stylish. I don't wear gold chains around my neck, I don't wear bracelets, but I wear a watch." In relation to incentive programs, the timing couldn't be more perfect for time-pieces to become such a booming fashion trend. Online capabilities allow a greater flexibility and product selection than print catalogs. Says Horn, "As far as the concept of staying in front of or with trends, it's really been helpful to have the online capability. Years ago, we were all stuck. If there were any changes, it was really hard to explain to the client. Today, I have an online capability and a perpetual catalog. We're able to stay abreast of all the latest and greatest in terms of fashion."
Alan Traiger, vice president of sales at Rymax, echoes that thought: "A few years back, the largest incentive companies produced annual rewards catalogs that were usually anti-quoted before even going to print. An online catalog can be updated in real time, which gives corporations the opportunity to motivate individuals with the latest and greatest items as they are launched versus months afterwards."
And so, for those interested in presenting incentive program participants with a timely selection of watch styles that they'll not only notice, but respond to, here are four trends in watch fashion to look out for. Here today, these trends could easily be gone tomorrow, which is why the time to represent them in your catalog is now.
THE DIAMOND CRAZE
Some say it started with TechnoMarine watches back in 1997; some say it's the influence of hip-hop on mainstream culture; either way, everyone agrees that diamonds are in, in a very big way.
No longer exclusively a nighttime look, diamonds are being combined with sporty watch styles. A shining example of this sporty opulence is Bulova's Ladies' Diamond Chronograph, which has been a white-hot success in the consumer market for over a year. "The white watch is our number-one-selling ladies watch," says Adrienne Forrest, national director of special markets for Bulova-Wittnauer Special Markets, who also believes in the great benefit that electronic catalogs bring to the industry by "allowing companies to focus on the latest and greatest."
Also parading down the diamond runway is the Brasilia Lady from Ebel. A sleek, rectangular watch set with diamond hour markers on the dial and diamonds on the sides of the case, this Ebel watch shows how subtly diamonds can be incorporated into a design, producing a richly feminine effect.
Tag Heuer's latest contribution to women's sports glamour, is the diamond Formula 1. launched in 2004, alongside the announcement of Wimbledon Champion Maria Sharapova as Tag Heuer's new celebrity ambassador, the Formula 1 diamond women's watch takes the sporty-princess look to the max.
The diamond craze can also be categorized as part of a larger trend toward luxury and its more sober counterpart, affordable luxury. Current styles acknowledge that women and men are looking for dramatic designs and opulent materials, such as polished steel, mother-of-pearl dials, new shapes and added features, known as complications, such as subdials, power reserves and perpetual calendars, that add a tasteful degree of style and glamour to their wrist. Over at Seiko, diamonds are powering up women's watches in many fresh new ways. It's bold new Ladies' Coutura Diamond Multi-Dial Calendar, featuring diamonds and subdials, brings versatility and an exciting glimmer of sophistication to sporty steel watches.
Even the typically subdued, Swiss Army is finding ways to incorporate sparkle into their watches, while staying true to the clean, down-to-earth designs and high-quality performance which have made Swiss Army watches a solid and respected brand. Though some would have never predicted it from the famously minimalist Swiss pocket knife brand, Swiss Army has introduced a new line of diamond-set women's watches that are making a brilliant splash in the affordable luxury market.
Another dazzling new design that adds to the frenzy over all things shiny is the Crystallized line of watches from Pulsar. Available in sporty metal-bracelet styles as well as thinner, dress styles, the new collection of ladies' watches is adorned with Swarovski crystals.
WATCHES BIG & SMALL
Luxury and excess go hand in hand, and in men's watch fashion these days, excess is measured in millimeters. Whereas the standard men's watch measured 36mm in diameter 10 years ago, watch sizes since have grown steadily, to the point where finding a watch with a 44mm case diameter from well-respected brands is not unusual. "A lot of men try to buy bigger and bigger watches these days" says Andy Finn, vice president of corporate sales at Tourneau. Men's styles at Tourneau include 42-44mm watches. And the millimeters don't stop there. Trends in oversized watches, led by the monster 49mm-sized, diamondencrusted timepieces created by Jacob & Co., can readily be seen at Fossil, ESQ and Citizen.
On the opposite end of the watch-size spectrum are the incredibly slim, small-case women's watches from London designer Katharine Hamnett. Making their first appearance at the Incentive Show this year, these delicate, super-skinny timepieces-some with case diameters smaller than a dime, are the look in London and offer an avant-garde sophistication rarely found in the incentive industry.
Small, thin-bracelet watches for women also appear in Pulsar's latest catalog in the company's aforementioned crystal collection. The slimmer-sized models, featuring oval and octagonalshaped dials, are studded with up to 50 Swarovski crystals.
COMPETING COLOR
Watches today are meant to stand out and be seen. Speaking about new style trends and attracting attention, Jose Copin, president of Troika watches, in West Palm Beach, FIa., representing Nivada, Jeep, Troika and ODM brands, remarks plainly and simply, "You can't just be affordable, you have to be different." Regarding the Nivada watch brand, which is ranked the numberone watch brand in Mexico, Copin emphasizes the importance of presenting designs that stand out from the crowd. "We feel that the only way we can make some headway in the United States with what we're doing is by being different and staying close to design trends that have not necessarily reached the United States yet." One such trend is rose gold, which has been a popular look in Europe over the last two years but not so much in the United States.
Talking of colors, Tourneau's Finn says, "On the fashion side, with women's watches, color is more important than ever." The Ladies' Le Tonneau by Tourneau delivers color by creating a changeable strap that can very easily be removed and replaced with one of four extra color straps. And the Tag Heuer Formula 1 women's watch with diamonds is also available in an awe-inspiring pink version in addition to the stunning all-white.
Other brands playing with new colors include Jeep watches. Says Copin, "We have a lot more fun with the colors. It's definitely a casual watch that can be worn every day; it's for the person with an active lifestyle. There's the different textures on the bands and we're using a combination of leather and nylon and plastic.
New color combinations at Seiko include two-toned band straps that use starkly contrasting stitching. Bright-red stitching and markers add a vibrant edge to the clean, high-tech look of the Seiko Men's Sportura Collection.
At Timex, indiglo night-light features now come in an assortment of vibrant colors such as green, violet and orange.
BEAUTIFUL & COMPLICATED
Attempts to create futuristic watch designs that conjure up exciting and exotic experiences in the consumer's mind may not be new, but the technical feats and far-reaching designs now possible are.
Always at the forefront of advanced watch styles and features are the watches from Seiko. With dials that mimic the control panels of some of the world's fastest and most luxurious cars, and technology that is no less than groundbreaking, the Seiko Men's Coutura, Sportura and Arctura collections are true leaders in the industry.
Also, subdials and tech features are no longer only for boys. Just as Jacob & Co, is proving that diamonds are for everyone, current trends toward women's chronographs are attributed to today's woman's interest in complications and performance.
Finally, here is an exciting and unique watch brand that doesn't just strive toward innovation, it was founded on it. o.d.m, which is an acronym for original, dynamic, minimalist, began as a nameless factory out of Hong Kong in 1978, producing watches for well-known brands in the United States. According to Troika's Copin, the Hong Kong factory designed a product for Fossil that really took off, The Fossil Big Tic. Says Copin, "The Big Tic is a watch that's been very well known...that has the flashing logo in the back. It's a tremendous watch for promotions. It's a watch that they're doing right now for the NFL."
After the success of the Big Tic, and tired of handing off their designs to others, the Hong Kong manufacturers decided to create a brand name for themselves and take ownership of their innovative designs. Five years later, o.d.m has received countless awards for its tremendously forward-thinking designs, such as a watch with an ultrasoft silicon strap that displays a pre-programmed message at the flick of the wrist. The silicon watch was the official watch of the MW Video Music Awards in 2004. Always progressing, o.d.m will be launching a newer version of the original silicon that will allow the wearer to program an original message into the watch, as opposed to getting one that has been pre-programmed. Says Copin, "It's a very cool product."
