As those not living under rocks, and interested in consumer goods, are aware, Omega and Swatch have collaborated to produce an edition of the Omega Moonwatch. The new timepiece is manufactured from Bioceramic, a mix of ceramic and material derived from castor-oil. The smooth casing, and unusual colours, along with functionality of a Omega Moonwatch, in quartz and at a Swatch premium price of £260, make this quite a bargain.
However, we’re not interested in the watch itself, Nor are we interested in the charming array of colours in which it’s available. Really, if this wasn’t an Omega edition, no-one would bat an eyelid over this new chronograph, and we would most certainly not be discussing it. The reason we are looking at this is the manner it has caused consumer to behave.
The release has seen consumers camped out as much as two days in advance, police needing to become involved in fights and trampling of other customers when the stores open, and sell-outs of their stock completely. Understandable perhaps if this were a limited edition release, but it is not. Indeed, Swatch themselves made a statement that the watch is not limited edition, and that all customers will be able to purchase the models they wish.
Why then has this led to such odd behaviour? While greed plays a healthy role, it is simply as Swatch did not simultaneously release the watch in store and online, and so resellers are attempting to capitalise on the “gap” in the market, offering those who must have the latest thing right now the chance to acquire it at premium. An interesting demonstration of the effectiveness of hype marketing, and leaves one wondering if the move was deliberate on Swatch and Omega’s part, or they simply underestimated how popular the watch would become.
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