Ecomdigest Watches Newsletter - 09.05.2024

PLUS: Venice Film Festival's $23,000 wrist candy and Walmart's pre-owned watch gambit.

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Ecomdigest
September 05, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Specialty Bites 🍪

Left: the Premier B19 Datora 42 140th Anniversary, the Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary, and the Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary.

Breitling is throwing a 140th birthday bash, and guess what? We’re all invited—well, sort of.

The Swiss watchmaker is rolling out special editions of its Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat models, each limited to 140 pieces. These aren’t just any watches; they’re equipped with the brand-new Caliber B19 movement, a perpetual calendar chronograph that’s basically a horological unicorn. The Premier B19 Datora 42 is all about class, with its 18-karat red gold and black alligator leather strap.

Meanwhile, the Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 is a pilot’s dream, featuring a slide rule and a history that includes a trip to space. And let’s not forget the Super Chronomat B19 44, which sports a skeletonized dial and a rubber version of the classic Rouleaux bracelet.

Each watch comes in a suede-lined wooden box with a drawer, a travel pouch, and a deluxe edition of "Breitling 140 Years in 140 Stories." CEO Georges Kern couldn’t pick just one model to showcase the new movement, so he went with all three. The B19 movement is a marvel, correcting for leap years and months with fewer than 31 days, and it’s got a power reserve of 96 hours. The rotor even features an engraving of Breitling’s Montbrillant factory.

Breitling’s yearlong celebration, dubbed "140 Years of Firsts," kicked off in March and includes a pop-up museum in Zurich and a travelling Time Capsule exhibition.

The 2024 Venice International Film Festival has highlighted luxury watches as a significant status symbol for men on the red carpet. Most notably, actor Nicholas Hoult wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch valued at $22,700, demonstrating the high-end timepieces favored by celebrities at the event. The festival was a change for expensive watches to make their mark as the "the ultimate status symbol for men in 2024."

Omega's new Seamaster Diver 300M Americas Cup 42 mm celebrates the 37th Americas Cup in Barcelona. This limited-edition watch features a blue ceramic bezel, regatta scale, and trophy-shaped counterweight. Crafted in stainless steel, it combines cutting-edge dive technology with sailing-specific functionality, making it a collector's must-have.

Vacheron Constantin unveils the Métiers d'Art Chinese Zodiac Year of the Snake watch, featuring intricate hand-engraving and enamelling. Available in pink gold or platinum, it uses the cal. 2460 G4 movement with a unique window-based display. Limited to 25 pieces per reference, price upon request.

The snake edition employs the same case as last zodiac models, which measures 40 mm in diameter and 12.72 mm in thickness.

Walmart is expanding its e-commerce marketplace by adding pre-owned watches, collectible trading cards, and high-end beauty products. This move aims to compete with Amazon and eBay, attract more customers, and drive growth. Walmart's online sales grew 22% last quarter, with marketplace sales increasing over 30% for four consecutive quarters.

Performance Platters 🍽️

In August 2024, TikTok and Amazon teamed up for a seamless shopping experience directly within the TikTok app. This timely partnership, coming just before the Q4 shopping season, leverages TikTok's massive user base and Amazon's e-commerce dominance.

But how will it impact brands?

A major challenge for brands is measuring the halo impact of social media interactions on Amazon sales, as Amazon's data exists in a walled garden and relies on a last-click attribution model, potentially overlooking external contributions that drives product discovery.

The partnership highlights the need for more holistic marketing measurement solutions as the line between social media and e-commerce blurs.

B2B marketing teams are rapidly adopting AI and ML, with 25% using these technologies in production. Leading adopters, primarily in tech-savvy industries, face challenges like data privacy and talent gaps. Despite hurdles, AI enhances content generation and operational efficiency, with 81% using GPT models like ChatGPT.

Google's digital ad revenue is growing rapidly, outpacing Microsoft's. In 2024, Google's US ad revenues are projected to hit $77.49 billion, driven by its search dominance. However, a US ruling against Google's search monopoly could shift market dynamics. Marketers should consider investing in leading search platforms.

Ecomdigest is a Contentive publication in the DTC Ecommerce division