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      03-07-2014, 07:42 PM   #20
tony20009
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Drives: BMW 335i - Coupe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by owen2001 View Post
Got it. I haven't been on any other forums that aren't BMW.
It may have something to do with Ball making BMW branded watches. (http://www.ballwatch.com/bmw/index.p...com_theproject) BMW also partners with Tourneau to have watches made.

Another popular watch brand, Breitling, has a partnership with Bentley, but then I'm not hanging out on Bentley forums either, so I don't know what goes on over there. (http://www.breitlingforbentley.com/en/)

In truth, I suppose all the major, upscale car brands have some sort of arrangement whereby the car brand licenses its name to watchmakers or vice versa. (http://www.beautifullife.info/fashio...s-auto-brands/) MB is partnered with Graham, which itself has obtained movements from La Joux Perret (http://www.lajouxperret.com/), which itself is a wholy-owned subsidiary of Citizen, which also owns Miyota. Graham has also received movements from Arnold & Son/Christopher Claret, most notably for the celestial tourbillion watch both companies produced some years back. (The A&S version is called the Grand Moon Tourbillion -- http://www.watchtime.com/watch-datab...llon/rose-gold -- and got a lot less press, but A&S does make it's own movements and Graham does not.)

Why the connection? Well, it's another revenue source. There is a lot of similarity in how cars and pricey watches are marketed and there's a lot of similarity in the substance of both products. Namely that both premium brand cars and premium brand watches don't, better than the more typical, less expensive alternatives, really do anything the typical user needs the product to do. To that end, there's a lot of similarity and synergy in their respective business models.

All the best.
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Tony

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