Did Snoopy help or hurt the brand?

[Rollieo]

Seeing the thread about a persons experience with Omega regarding getting a Snoopy, makes me wonder if the watch has hurt the brand more than it’s helped. Experiences like that will turn people away from the brand, for good.

My own experience - my first luxury watch was an Omega SMP 300 “Brosnan Bond”. While I’ve purchased many watches since, it still holds a special place with me. When I heard about the 45 Snoopy in 2018 it really intrigued me, and knowing Omega I knew they would release something in 2020.

Short story, I asked a few boutiques about it in the second half of 2019, and in April 2020 an Omega Boutique emailed me and said they could take a deposit on it. I put a $3k deposit, and later when it released on Oct 2020 I paid for it in full plus taxes. In April 2022, the boutique told me it would be at least another year wait to get the watch.

That was the end of Omega for me. I understood/understand allocating to folks spending more with the brand, and frankly I would’ve if they made something else I was interested in. I have about a dozen watches in my collection.

So I collected my deposit back, and decided to never buy an Omega again. I felt that by taking my money ($11k or so paid in full Oct 2020) was a “promise” that I would get the watch in a reasonable timeframe. 2 years to me was reasonable. 3 years+ was unreasonable.

Back to the point - in some ways Snoopy brought me back to the brand. But in another way given the experience I had, I will never buy an Omega again. For a mid age watch collector that has Rolex, GS, Omega, Patek, Tudor and others, and has (hopefully) a few more decades of collecting, it doesn’t seem like something any brand would want.

I wondered if I would have regrets not waiting, and I assume I would’ve gotten the watch by now. But happy to say no regrets at all, very glad with where my collection is and I’m not sure I would even want the Snoopy if it was offered to me at retail today. It has it quirks and is a fun watch, and its also quite fun to nerd over the NASA story. But I very much appreciate the other watches I’ve acquired much more.

Long post - but what do you think? Has Snoopy helped or hurt the brand?

[jcdevoe26]

I dont think it was really Snoopy that hurt the brand. I think it was more the current/trending hype culture and the idea of using watches as a value class/asset that hurt not just Omega but other brands as well. The first Snoopy edition and even the second edition were not huge sellers outside of the true collectors and speedy fanboy base. However once the craziness of 2019/2020 was in full swing, everything became wild. Way too many people were putting down money to get a hold of the Snoopy to try to reselll....spend 9-10K and then sell for 25K....seems like a no brainer....which is the problem. I think also the obvious thing to note was the selling of Paul Newmans Daytona at auction in 2017 (which my conspiracy brain believes was bought by Rolex themselves) really was the Big bang for what slowly started to transpire over the next several years. Some of the brands are trying to counter this with the approach of raising prices on their watches to levels that take away the enticement of buying and flipping....Patek and AP come to mind, but I think that approach will also hurt them possibly down the road, but who knows. I do personally think that the tide is turning and hopefully in the next several years the watch collecting world will return to some normalcy.

I wouldnt give up on Omega just yet, they make beautiful watches and I think they are working on ways to fix the problem. I waited 3+ years for my EW321 to arrive and even though it was a painful wait....it was worth it to buy at retail and have the boutique experience.

[HMHM]

I think the Snoopy helped the brand. It shows Omega can generate serious hype when they knowing what they are doing with a watch. The attention to detail on the Snoopy is great, particularly the case back!

The main problem is Omega doesn’t know how to streamline their line-up and also their line-up is just not that enticing other than a few models - I would say only the 3861 speedy, 321 and Snoopy. The rest are just really average or even terrible. The AT colours are so bad in person, it really makes me wonder who approved those….

[jcdevoe26]

Originally Posted by HMHM

I think the Snoopy helped the brand. It shows Omega can generate serious hype when they knowing what they are doing with a watch. The attention to detail on the Snoopy is great, particularly the case back!

The main problem is Omega doesn’t know how to streamline their line-up and also their line-up is just not that enticing other than a few models - I would say only the 3861 speedy, 321 and Snoopy. The rest are just really average or even terrible. The AT colours are so bad in person, it really makes me wonder who approved those….

I agree that Omega needs to streamline there entire line up....just too many dang watches.

[Booth9999]

I think it is a cool watch with a cartoon character on it, but I would never buy it. A 10k watch with snoopy seems awkward and at best a weekend fun watch. I don’t think it helped or hurt the brand particularly, but it did create foot traffic in the stores. Not that they were able to convert that into sales.

[Kreyzhorse]

I don't think it hurt the brand. They have a ton of special edition watches. To me, too many, but they must sell or they wouldn't keep doing it.

[macrowatch]

Product helped the brand. Sales execution hurt the brand.

In pure hindsight as they keep pumping out more units and have been disciplined about list order, they should have just skipped the deposit part for all orders that would take longer than a year to fulfill.

[Trogster]

I was so upset with Omega for keeping me waiting that I immediately went to Rolex for better treatment.

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by macrowatch

Product helped the brand. Sales execution hurt the brand.

In pure hindsight as they keep pumping out more units and have been disciplined about list order, they should have just skipped the deposit part for all orders that would take longer than a year to fulfill.

This seems to sum it up pretty well. A nice watch that generated interest in the brand, so it definitely helps. How they executed it from a sales standpoint was what hurt them.

If they did away with the deposit, then all would be well. You don’t owe anyone anything if you don’t take their money. To your point they should’ve stopped taking deposits that would take longer than a year to fulfill, they stopped taking orders/deposits the day after release. The Omega Boutique had confirmed that. I think the problem is that even those they took deposits from, and for example me who had a deposit in 6 months before even release, they should’ve made sure to deliver within a year. Or at least those that put in a deposit the day of release, just give the money back after a month and say sorry demand is too great.

For someone who had a deposit in and accepted by an Omega Boutique (can’t blame AD practices, it’s Omega owned) well before launch, I think that kind of commitment to the watch/brand, they needed to follow through

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by Trogster

I was so upset with Omega for keeping me waiting that I immediately went to Rolex for better treatment.

My AD doesn’t ask for a deposit on any Rolex I want to buy. It comes when it comes and I pay when it does.

No one owes you anything if they don’t take your money. Omega took my money, so I expected a watch delivered in a reasonable timeframe. 3+ years is not reasonable.

Ps I’m actually treated very well with Rolex. I got a meteorite Daytona recently, not sure how much better it gets than that.

[brandrea]

I’ll chime in by saying that it’s your prerogative to pull your deposit. After three years of waiting, its safe to say you’re low on the boutique’s priority list.

I wouldn’t put a deposit on any watch, especially without being given a firm delivery date.

That said, the Snoopy is a great reference, unique, and to those who appreciate the history it’s really a must have. I’m sorry your experience left a sour taste.

[Saoirse32]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

My AD doesn’t ask for a deposit on any Rolex I want to buy. It comes when it comes and I pay when it does.

No one owes you anything if they don’t take your money. Omega took my money, so I expected a watch delivered in a reasonable timeframe. 3+ years is not reasonable.

Ps I’m actually treated very well with Rolex. I got a meteorite Daytona recently, not sure how much better it gets than that.

OP-
To your point, I believe you were more than patient for the Snoopy.
Clearly, the Boutique dropped the ball and that’s just wrong.
Only thing I would say is try to not be turned off by Omega in general. They make some fine watches, and excel with innovation.
I realize your case is unique and quite ridiculous but if I were turned off by certain salespeople or tactics used by other brands, I’d probably not own any watches. Slainte!


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[SvenNikolai]

Well, at Omega, the Snoopy and the 321 are standout and hard-to-get models. If you don't want those parts, there are plenty of good other Omega watches that you can get right away. In principle, I would not agree to a down payment without a fixed delivery date. Despite your disappointment, a departure from the entire Omega brand would not occur to me. And sure, the Snoopy (like the 321) is positive for Omega.

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by Saoirse32

OP-
To your point, I believe you were more than patient for the Snoopy.
Clearly, the Boutique dropped the ball and that’s just wrong.
Only thing I would say is try to not be turned off by Omega in general. They make some fine watches, and excel with innovation.
I realize your case is unique and quite ridiculous but if I were turned off by certain salespeople or tactics used by other brands, I’d probably not own any watches. Slainte!


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The salesperson was actually really great. A true watch lover, and it was fun dealing with him. He never pushed me to buy anything, and even sent a few fun things here and there (Omega magazine, launch invites etc). When it came to allocating the Snoopy, he just said he has no control over it and it’s determined by Omega themselves, even his manager didn’t have much leeway.

Given it came directly from Omega and it’s an Omega Boutique, I’ll speak with my money and yea I won’t ever buy another Omega. It doesn’t matter to me if they make a watch that’s interesting anymore, I don’t even bother to look because either way I won’t buy. That’s how bad the experience was, to me at least.

Saw the other thread and looks like other sale faux pas continue that are turning people away from the brand.

[hbu]

A few months ago, BT sales told me they have 2 snoopy onhand. However, they asked me to spend additional 60K in order to get it. The sales tried to sell the gold speedy and lady watches. I walked away and not go there anymore even I purchased a few omega from them before.

Another story, My VC AD offer me a oversea. However, they asked me to spend another 10K in order to get the Oversea. On top on that, they only accept check or cash. No credit card.

Unfortunately, this is part of the game in the watch industry. PP, AP, VC, Omega,... all doing the same thing. Deposit doesn't mean you will get the watch. Its all about how much additional $$$$$ you are willing to spend to get the watch.

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by hbu

A few months ago, BT sales told me they have 2 snoopy onhand. However, they asked me to spend additional 60K in order to get it. The sales tried to sell the gold speedy and lady watches. I walked away and not go there anymore even I purchased a few omega from them before.

Another story, My VC AD offer me a oversea. However, they asked me to spend another 10K in order to get the Oversea. On top on that, they only accept check or cash. No credit card.

Unfortunately, this is part of the game in the watch industry. PP, AP, VC, Omega,... all doing the same thing. Deposit doesn't mean you will get the watch. Its all about how much additional $$$$$ you are willing to spend to get the watch.

Yea it’s clearly the game and I get it. Businesses need to be businesses, they need to maximize profit. If you have a hot watch, then you’ll leverage that to sell other watches.

With that said, the nuance is in the sales approach that changes the experience. Saying you need to spend “x” dollars to get a piece or you have to buy this crappy watch that you don’t want, while straightforward, is too transactional and people don’t like that. Such as in your case, so you won’t buy from that OB again.

For me, it’s the fact that they took my deposit and continued to allocate Snoopys to other people for an unreasonable amount of time. I get 1 year, maybe 2 years. You need to manage your more important customers. But it’s BS to me to take someone’s money and not give them the watch for over 2 years and potentially even have it in the store. If they never took (or asked for) my deposit, I wouldn’t have been turned off from Omega.

I guess just having a hot watch is new for Omega, they really didn’t (and still don’t) know how to manage the sales approach when you have something in such high demand.

[macrowatch]

Originally Posted by Trogster

I was so upset with Omega for keeping me waiting that I immediately went to Rolex for better treatment.

Oph, that says it all, especially from someone with a plat speedy! Like going from one dominatrix to another. Ha.

Originally Posted by Rollieo

My AD doesn’t ask for a deposit on any Rolex I want to buy. It comes when it comes and I pay when it does.

No one owes you anything if they don’t take your money. Omega took my money, so I expected a watch delivered in a reasonable timeframe. 3+ years is not reasonable.

Ps I’m actually treated very well with Rolex. I got a meteorite Daytona recently, not sure how much better it gets than that.

I’d take a meteorite over a snoopy! Would you please do a 1:1 trade? Got the snoopy, but whiffed on space panda.

[brandrea]

That’s unfortunate and I’d probably be upset too^^^^

I’ll share my personal story with the 321 in the hopes it offers you or others a better outcome.

When the 321 was released, I went to an AD in Toronto who was taking 50% deposits. In doing my research here and elsewhere it seemed odd to me, as most (if not all) were unanimously saying it was a boutique only reference. I decided to pass. I was also told (not sure if it’s true) that 321 owners were vetted carefully and ultimate approval comes from corporate. Again I don’t know if that is indeed the case as it seems like a stretch.

That said, when I reached out to our boutique (the only one in Canada) and expressed my interest, they didn’t ask for a deposit. They did schedule a conference call and they wanted to know why I was interested in owning the reference.

What needed up happening was 30 + minute phone call discussing the 321 movement, the history, and why it mattered to me.

I was also honest… with the SA and told them that this would be my very first Omega purchase.

7 months later I got the call on June 3rd (a day important to Ed White owners), and the watch was mine.

So perhaps it’s more the specific Boutique / SA you were working with rather than Omega, per se.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

Seeing the thread about a persons experience with Omega regarding getting a Snoopy, makes me wonder if the watch has hurt the brand more than it’s helped. Experiences like that will turn people away from the brand, for good.



My own experience - my first luxury watch was an Omega SMP 300 “Brosnan Bond”. While I’ve purchased many watches since, it still holds a special place with me. When I heard about the 45 Snoopy in 2018 it really intrigued me, and knowing Omega I knew they would release something in 2020.



Short story, I asked a few boutiques about it in the second half of 2019, and in April 2020 an Omega Boutique emailed me and said they could take a deposit on it. I put a $3k deposit, and later when it released on Oct 2020 I paid for it in full plus taxes. In April 2022, the boutique told me it would be at least another year wait to get the watch.



That was the end of Omega for me. I understood/understand allocating to folks spending more with the brand, and frankly I would’ve if they made something else I was interested in. I have about a dozen watches in my collection.



So I collected my deposit back, and decided to never buy an Omega again. I felt that by taking my money ($11k or so paid in full Oct 2020) was a “promise” that I would get the watch in a reasonable timeframe. 2 years to me was reasonable. 3 years+ was unreasonable.



Back to the point - in some ways Snoopy brought me back to the brand. But in another way given the experience I had, I will never buy an Omega again. For a mid age watch collector that has Rolex, GS, Omega, Patek, Tudor and others, and has (hopefully) a few more decades of collecting, it doesn’t seem like something any brand would want.



I wondered if I would have regrets not waiting, and I assume I would’ve gotten the watch by now. But happy to say no regrets at all, very glad with where my collection is and I’m not sure I would even want the Snoopy if it was offered to me at retail today. It has it quirks and is a fun watch, and its also quite fun to nerd over the NASA story. But I very much appreciate the other watches I’ve acquired much more.



Long post - but what do you think? Has Snoopy helped or hurt the brand?

All companies make some stuff I don't like or want. I don't hold it against them. If treating customers well was super important Rolex would be bankrupt.

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[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by macrowatch

I’d take a meteorite over a snoopy! Would you please do a 1:1 trade? Got the snoopy, but whiffed on space panda.

Lol. I thought about keeping my deposit with Omega for the Snoopy and then just selling the watch for a Daytona when I received. Not a flipper and don’t have time for that, so decided to just get my deposit back.

Short answer - no way! (But I’m sure you already knew that )

[RW16610]

I'm so sorry to hear of that experience. For me personally, I'm not a fan of waiting or wait lists, full stop. Given the circumstances, I'm glad you followed your instinct and for the money back so you can spend it elsewhere.

[hbu]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

Yea it’s clearly the game and I get it. Businesses need to be businesses, they need to maximize profit. If you have a hot watch, then you’ll leverage that to sell other watches.

With that said, the nuance is in the sales approach that changes the experience. Saying you need to spend “x” dollars to get a piece or you have to buy this crappy watch that you don’t want, while straightforward, is too transactional and people don’t like that. Such as in your case, so you won’t buy from that OB again.

For me, it’s the fact that they took my deposit and continued to allocate Snoopys to other people for an unreasonable amount of time. I get 1 year, maybe 2 years. You need to manage your more important customers. But it’s BS to me to take someone’s money and not give them the watch for over 2 years and potentially even have it in the store. If they never took (or asked for) my deposit, I wouldn’t have been turned off from Omega.

I guess just having a hot watch is new for Omega, they really didn’t (and still don’t) know how to manage the sales approach when you have something in such high demand.

I think different OB handle their customer in different way. If your OB doesn't work for you, try the others. May be reach out the Omega customer service and explain your situation. See if this will help.

[Cru Jones]

Seems like your beef is with the AD, not the brand or the watch. Hard-to-get pieces haven’t hurt Rolex and other brands.

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Seems like your beef is with the AD, not the brand or the watch. Hard-to-get pieces haven’t hurt Rolex and other brands.

No beef. To be clear it was an Omega Boutique, not an AD. Given Omega Boutiques are owned and run by Omega, the poor experience is with Omega.

Agreed hot pieces only help brands, it’s sales execution that hurts brands. Marcowatch summed it up well.

Originally Posted by hbu

I think different OB handle their customer in different way. If your OB doesn't work for you, try the others. May be reach out the Omega customer service and explain your situation. See if this will help.

I actually don’t want or need anything from Omega. I still think the Snoopy is a cool watch, but given where my collection is now I don’t see it getting much wrist time. So even if the original OB I had a deposit with called me and told me I can take delivery now, it would remove the sour experience I have with Omega, but I don’t think I would take the watch.

[Ringhio]

I believe you were pretty low on the Omega priority list, for some reason.
I started expressing interest officially when the A 11 50th was revealed.
They took note of my request.
Then checked with them every 4 months or so.
Then they called me when the list were opened, I jumped in and put a deposit.
Then after the reveal I got contacted by the associate, they asked for the full price (taxes included), and guaranteed a piece.
I paid.
I got the watch in a bit less than two years from the initial deposit.
I had zero history with the brand and the boutique.

Too bad you had a different experience.
But you can cheer up with your meteorite Daytona!
Also, if you were considering flipping it… maybe it’s better you didn’t get it. It may be a karma thing :)

[sensui]

Any celebration of Apollo 13 with the Snoopy award is good for Omega. It's historically relevant and real heritage for the brand. Call their space celebrations with the speedmaster beating a dead horse but beyond the marketing, that is real iconic heritage they should be proud of.

Not all boutiques are directly under Omega's oversight. There are boutiques that ADs can pursue. Not saying that's what happened to the op though.

Here's the bottom line, we all have stories of not getting the watches we want in today's environment across different brands. No one's entitled to anything and these brands could allocate as they see fit. Don't like it then vote with your wallet and move on. Coming out to talk badly about a brand just because you can't get what you want just comes off petty and childish.

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by Ringhio

I believe you were pretty low on the Omega priority list, for some reason.
I started expressing interest officially when the A 11 50th was revealed.
They took note of my request.
Then checked with them every 4 months or so.
Then they called me when the list were opened, I jumped in and put a deposit.
Then after the reveal I got contacted by the associate, they asked for the full price (taxes included), and guaranteed a piece.
I paid.
I got the watch in a bit less than two years from the initial deposit.
I had zero history with the brand and the boutique.

Too bad you had a different experience.
But you can cheer up with your meteorite Daytona!
Also, if you were considering flipping it… maybe it’s better you didn’t get it. It may be a karma thing :)

Originally Posted by brandrea

That’s unfortunate and I’d probably be upset too^^^^

I’ll share my personal story with the 321 in the hopes it offers you or others a better outcome.

When the 321 was released, I went to an AD in Toronto who was taking 50% deposits. In doing my research here and elsewhere it seemed odd to me, as most (if not all) were unanimously saying it was a boutique only reference. I decided to pass. I was also told (not sure if it’s true) that 321 owners were vetted carefully and ultimate approval comes from corporate. Again I don’t know if that is indeed the case as it seems like a stretch.

That said, when I reached out to our boutique (the only one in Canada) and expressed my interest, they didn’t ask for a deposit. They did schedule a conference call and they wanted to know why I was interested in owning the reference.

What needed up happening was 30 + minute phone call discussing the 321 movement, the history, and why it mattered to me.

I was also honest… with the SA and told them that this would be my very first Omega purchase.

7 months later I got the call on June 3rd (a day important to Ed White owners), and the watch was mine.

So perhaps it’s more the specific Boutique / SA you were working with rather than Omega, per se.

Sounds like you both had great experiences. Good to see some OBs doing it right

[Rollieo]

Originally Posted by sensui

Here's the bottom line, we all have stories of not getting the watches we want in today's environment across different brands. No one's entitled to anything and these brands could allocate as they see fit. Don't like it then vote with your wallet and move on. Coming out to talk badly about a brand just because you can't get what you want just comes off petty and childish.

If you take someone’s money, that person is absolutely entitled to the watch. If you didn’t want to allocate that person the watch, then don’t take their money. If they told me that putting a deposit on the watch and paying in full I’d have to wait 3 years to get it, I never would’ve put a deposit and paid in full. It’s frankly why I pulled my deposit after 2 years, once they told me it would be at least another year.

Otherwise, I completely agree that brands allocate as they see fit and no one is entitled to getting any watch.

I saw the other post about Snoopy sales practice from another OB (https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=903974) and am bringing up the point. Frankly if I was the brand, I would want to know. I don’t see anything petty or childish about sharing a poor experience.

[sensui]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

If you take someone’s money, that person is absolutely entitled to the watch. If you didn’t want to allocate that person the watch, then don’t take their money. If they told me that putting a deposit on the watch and paying in full I’d have to wait 3 years to get it, I never would’ve put a deposit and paid in full. It’s frankly why I pulled my deposit after 2 years, once they told me it would be at least another year.

To be honest I find that practice garbage also and I know the boutique sop regarding this. I happen to be a repeat customer so I made myself clear one time after they held over 20k for watches for over a year, I would never do that again. Since then I've been exempted to pay in advance.

But I do know this is the standard and in all fairness they did say they would get you the watch..... Should you want you wait. But agreed the practice is bogus.

[Trogster]

Back in November, I dropped into my local BMW Dealer and put down a deposit on the new G87 M2. Two days later, the dealer called me to tell me that they wont sell me the car, however it could be available if I financed it with them.

Refusing their offer, my deposit was returned.

I contacted BMW head office and told them just how displeased I was with their dealer. They responded that their dealers are free to run their businesses any way they like.

So did I pout and run off to Porsche?

Nope, I found another dealer who was prepared to accept my offer.

My new M2 arrives in 2-weeks.