Horological Meandering

I think that in this day and age 'inspired' designs are the norm, across everyday products and luxury products alike. Just look at the luxury car sector, most 'executive' cars these days are all based around very similar design cues, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, Mercedes all produce cars aimed at exactly the same consumer. I think it's a reflection of how mainstream our tastes have become - everyone wants to look the same, for validation.

The same, as you say, is true of watch brands - but even highly respected luxury brands; just look at Piaget and Girard Perregaux, both have recently released models that are widely considered to be 'inspired' by popular products. Mid range brands like TAG, Omega, Breitling etc have been 'inspired' by one another for years! Hublot is a brand almost entirely based on being 'inspired' !!!

Sadly, few international brands can afford to launch a product that flops, so they stick to what they know is popular even if it means sacrificing originality. Often a £2000 watch that is inspired by a £7000 is, in the eyes of a consumer with £2000 to spend, just a nice Swiss watch that has a familiar look and feel - the £7000 watch was probably never on their radar.

I totally agree with you that it raises a question of intellectual property rights but usually the designs have subtle changes and the practice is so wide spread that perhaps there's no going back!

Interested to read other people's thoughts,

Dan

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