It was not so long ago that the spread of the mobile phone sent waves of fear through the reserved world of fine watchmaking. The practicality of a portable phone that doubled as an accurate digital timekeeper made the necessity for a wristwatch vanish almost overnight.
But now, with the popularity of the iPhone and its myriad applications, the watch industry finally has been able to embrace a product that once was considered the biggest threat to its survival.
A wide range of brands, from the big names like Breitling, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Dior and Bell & Ross to independents like Dewitt, have introduced iPhone applications in the past six months that highlight their watch lines. The applications, all free, are available from the online Apple store.
Some might argue that the efforts are just another way of marketing to timepiece aficionados, but within the industry they are seen as a way to reach a younger and more digitally savvy customer  and a natural extension of the close-knit world of watch collectors that thrives online with fan forums and blogs.
After all, Apple announced in early November that it now has more than 100,000 applications available. "The high-end watch world has indeed flourished since the Internet has become so widespread," says Elizabeth Doerr, author of "12 Faces of Time," a book on independent watchmaking scheduled to be published in February by teNeues. "The independents, in particular, have greatly profited from the technology in that they can communicate more directly with aficionados and collectors."
"The apps that have thus far appeared -- and will continue to do so until the next big social marketing tool is discovered -- are an extension of the rapidly changing world of watch marketing," she adds. "Brands are looking for less costly ways of more effective and direct marketing, and the apps are one result. With a side effect: This convenient marketing tool does provide great enjoyment to prospective consumers who are also engrossed in the new digital revolution."
And there is little question that the applications also are a way to provide a fillip to the marketing effort in a down economy.
"On average, every watch company is down 30 percent to 40 percent over the previous year," Ms. Doerr said. "Certainly the apps are also one of the many side effects of the economic crisis, with companies looking for new and cheaper ways to market." (continued...)
© 2010 International Herald Tribune under contract with MarketWatch. All rights reserved.
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