21 novembro 2013

Luxo e Secret Shopping (parte 1)

Existe um fenômeno relativamente recente e algo paradoxal, que começa ganhando relevo no mercado do luxo, sobretudo na Europa. Me refiro ao Secret Shopping.

Esta tendência internacional convida as marcas premium e de luxo à reflexão e eventual adequação de algumas boas práticas. Quo vadis, Luxus?

Há tempos li um artigo interessante sobre este fenômeno escrito pela minha amiga Susana Costa e Silva, professora e investigadora de marketing da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, e professora convidada de várias universidades em todo o mundo. Esse artigo defendia que a crise recente está fazendo com que os clientes de marcas de luxo se tornem socialmente mais responsáveis e mais discretos na forma de compra e de consumo, para não ferir a sensibilidade dos que estão sofrendo com a crise. Esse artigo citava ainda o meu amigo Milton Pedraza, Presidente do Luxury Institute, com quem me encontrei recentemente em Nova Iorque. Ele afirma que “É de mau gosto, hoje em dia, consumir luxo de forma exuberante e exibicionista”. 

Uma amiga minha que vive na Espanha e trabalha numa das lojas de uma conhecidíssima marca francesa de luxo, me contou recentemente num jantar que, nos últimos tempos, tem aumentado a frequência de compra, por telefone e internet, de bolsas dessa marca, a preços que rondam 5000 euros. Essas clientes querem continuar comprando e usando os seus artigos de luxo favoritos, mas não querem ser vistas comprando na loja, nestes tempos de crise e recessão. 



Li num das edições da newsletter Universia Knowledge da Wharton Business School, uma opinião de Roxanne Paschall, diretora de merchandising da marca italiana de luxo Bottega Veneta. Ela diz que “de certa forma é pouco elegante sair por aí exibindo o que se comprou. Os clientes pedem cada vez mais embalagens simples, sem marca, sem caixas, ou pedem que o produto seja entregue no hotel. Não querem que se saiba o que compraram. Não querem alarde”.

Estes três episódios avulsos provocaram em mim momentos de reflexão. A crise financeira mundial que estamos vivendo, que é também consequência de uma crise de valores, está contribuindo lentamente para uma mudança de atitude dos consumidores em relação a produtos de luxo e à forma como os compram. Aparentemente, está crescendo o consumo de luxo pelo prazer pessoal, pelo desfrute discreto, longe de olhares alheios e há mesmo quem defenda que o consumo conspícuo, no futuro, deixará de ser padrão nos mercados do luxo. Naturalmente que essas mudanças de comportamento são lentas, graduais e mais notórias em algumas regiões do mundo do que em outras. Essa mudança nunca é igual nem uniforme, através do globo. 
(Fim da parte 1; Parte 2 em breve)

Antonio Paraíso
Consultor e palestrante
www.antonioparaiso.com  

05 novembro 2013

LUXURY, ITALIAN STYLE AND INNOVATIVE PATENTS FOR THE GREAT SUCCESS OF SEA-GOD WATCHES COLLECTION AND EXCLUSIVE PORTOROTONDO LIMITED EDITION

Swiss Made quality and Italian design stand for Sea-God automatic watches BlackStorm and Portorotondo collection: luxury timepieces, waterproof until 30 ATM.

Sea-God brand was founded in 2003 from the passion for haute horlogerie of Enzo Palazzolo. Successful entrepreneur and collector of watches he has created fashionable timepieces for the connoisseurs and enthusiasts, merging Italian style with the best Swiss technique watchmaking tradition combine in an elegant sportiness.

As the name suggest, Sea-God watches are inspired by the sea, therefore water is the distinctive feature. Being water resistance up to 300 meters make them unique because they offer to their users a rare privilege: the liberty of use.

High-end, refined and sporty watches they can be worrn-day without giving-up the style and elegance, which always characterize Italian excellence.

Two innovative patents make Sea-God watches unique and stands for this brand constant pursuit of innovation.


The first concerns the crown. A special screw system allows the logo placed on the crown to be always in a vertical position. This eliminates the annoying problem of the logo not being perpendicular with the case, therefore allowing the logo to have a perfect visibility. All Sea-God watches have already this crown locking system on the case.

The second one concerns the bezel. It can simply be removed by loosening a pair of screws without levering with a tool between the case and the bezel. In this way it can avoid to damage the timepieces as happens with the traditional system that is used by the major watchmakers.

Sea-God BlackStorm and Portorotondo collection was presented in 2012 at Baselworld, was enriched in 2013 by the Chronograph collection and has already been marketed successfully in Europe and other countries all over the world, consist in six lines with three models: simple time, date and GMT. The lines are: BlackStorm and BlackStorm Date, GMT III, Black&White, BlackShadow and the exclusive Portorotondo Limited Edition.

This latter is the flagship model of the collection and is inspired by the exclusive Sardinian resort, it is produced in a Limited Edition: 499 numbered pieces that hold the attention to details and the quality of the materials that Sea-God utilize for each 30 atm waterproof watches.


The stylized waves and the Trident which is the sceptre of the sea’s God Poseidon are the elements that characterize the logo of the brand and become sought-after details.

An intense and deep black enshroud every single component, gives the watch a sporty design that turns into elegance thanks to the contrast between the shiny and the satin effects, which are used for the carrure finishing. The bright red, used for the “Portorotondo” writing highlights black enamel of the dial on which stand out the numbers, the bright indices and the skeleton second hands personalized with a red Trident.

The case has a diameter of 46mm made in 316L steel with black DLC coating on which the brand Sea-God is engraved, and encloses an automatic swiss movement. The bezel is stainless steel made and the thread of the titanium screws has the shape of sea wave. The bezel is in fifth grade titanium and has a unidirectional rotation. The milled crown has a DLC coating and it is characterized by the improved and patented screwing system.


The dial is protected by a curved sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment on both sides. The case back which is enriched by the incision of the Trident is made in 316L steel with black DLC coating and it is clamped with 12 steel screws with the thread that reminds the sea wave. An anti-shock system complete the finishing of the timepieces: it protects the watches from fall and absorbs the noise of the rotor and the ticking of the balance wheel. It is also an aesthetical feature to cover the inner screws. The black rubber bracelet is reinforced on the sides, which allows for fit.

Portorotondo is available also in Limited Edition GMT version whose main feature is the 2893-2 movement and the bidirectional 5th grade titanium bezel.

Montres Sea-God
Communication Manager: Emanuela Borri
comunicazione@seagod.ch

Montres Sea-God Genève
Strategic Head Office: Via Roncaglia 11 6883 Novazzano CH Switzerland
Branch Office: Via Soldini 11 6830 Chiasso CH Switzerland

www.sea-god.ch

Facebook fan page: Sea-God
Linkedin groups: Sea-God SA Genève