Fine Watch Maisons prove they are strong digital players

Now in its ninth year, the World Watch Report, which tracks the performance of luxury watch brands based on online searches, reveals in its 2013 edition a global rise of 7% for the 18 Fine Watch Maisons under review*. The report examines 20 markets and a billion queries. “Unsurprisingly, the emerging markets are fuelling this growth,” comments Florent Bondoux of Digital Luxury Group, the producer of the report which has the backing of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. “Virtually half of global interest stems from the four BRIC countries [Brazil Russia, India, China] and the Asian markets. Chinese internet users clearly outrank others with 31% of searches relating to Fine Watchmaking compared with 20% in 2012.” This 27% increase is matched by growth in Brazil (+30%), Russia (+43%) and even India (+18%), whereas mature markets such as the United States (-11%) and Japan (-12%) have waned.

Patek Philippe grabs a quarter of online interest

Which brands are most popular on the worldwide web? The champion’s title goes to Patek Philippe which accounts for almost a quarter (23.6%) of interest, well ahead of Jaeger-LeCoultre (12.7%), Vacheron Constantin (12.6%) and Audemars Piguet (9.2%). Another brand to stand out is Richard Mille which scores “only” 2.6% of interest but records a growth rate of more than 60%. “This growth is seen across every market. The brand is clearly carving out a place in the Fine Watch segment,” says Florent Bondoux. “Richard Mille’s exclusive products and a marketing approach that focuses on endorsements by the likes of Rafael Nadal and Yohan Blake, double medal-winner at the London Olympic Games, are proving to be a winning formula. The 26% growth in interest recorded for Vacheron Constantin is partly due to its immense popularity in China.”

The Royal Oak is still most-wanted

Turning from Maisons to models, the most-searched ranking has changed little. Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, still generates the most online requests (13.5%), ahead of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso (9.2%), the Royal Oak Offshore, also by Audemars Piguet (5.1%), and Patek Philippe’s Calatrava (4.5%). Blancpain moves up a rank to secure fifth place for its Léman (4.4%). While these are the global leaders, country-specific preferences also emerge. For example, Girard-Perregaux’s 1945 leads online interest in Japan; Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas comes first in China, as does Blancpain’s Léman in Russia.

Those essential social media

The report also highlights the impact of social media. The brands under review now combine close to 700,000 fans, a 127% increase. “We should break through the one million mark by the next Baselworld in April,” predicts Bondoux. “Fine Watch Maisons are significantly more present in social media, such as A. Lange & Söhne, for example. Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre have gathered the biggest community of fans.” The 2013 World Watch Report also analyses the popularity of these same Maisons on discussion forums (PuristPro, Time Zone and iWatch 365), where the “technical” brands clearly take the lion’s share, beginning with Patek Philippe ahead of Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne. All of which suggests forums such as these have become a prime online destination for collectors and aficionados that brands would do well to bear in mind.

*A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Bovet, Breguet, De Bethune, Franck Muller, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte Original, Greubel Forsey, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaquet Droz, Parmigiani, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin.