The results indicate that people are very willing to indulge in the products that Chronoswiss has to offer. For example, the voters in this contest awarded Chronoswiss two second place prizes. Another, much more expensive piece, took fifth place. This same watch, the Edition Zeitzeichen, turned in a fifth place performance at the prestigious Watch of the Year Ceremony.

All this is worthy of mention because of the significant restructuring which Chronoswiss is undertaking. Mention was made in a previous article of the efforts to build a much stronger brand-client relationship. In essence, Chronoswiss wants its wearers to feel loyal to the brand, to feel connected to their timepieces. One way to simultaneously do this, and make it through the difficult economic recession, was to refocus the interface between the brand the client: the boutique.

So, when examining these beautiful Chronoswiss watches, is it fair to interpret them as the product of renewed efforts by the good people at the Swiss company? Though the topic is certainly open to debate, it would seem so. Every corporation which sells products is forced into competition with the producers of similar goods. Paying attention to the consumer, meeting their needs in ever-greater and more affordable ways, is the by-product of these forces. Now, Chronoswiss has always produced wonderful watches. But sometimes it takes a global economic crisis to really force a company to push itself farther. Necessity truly is the mother of invention.

Additionally, as long as unemployment remains high or concern remains regarding the jobs problem persist, household earnings will not increase and thus neither will spending. These worries have forced high-end watch manufacturers to refine and refocus their strategies. An excellent example was that of the brand Chronoswiss. Though the company seemed to be having issues with its retailers before the recession, the last two years have compounded and magnified this reality.

Chronoswiss took some steps that are concurrently being put into place across the industry. The makers of these luxury goods have dramatically slashed prices well into the double digits. Some chronoswiss watches cost thousands less now than they did before the recession. The hope is that companies will be able to maintain their images and retain loyal customers during this difficult period. No doubt there are some that hope to actually gain customers by using discounts to lure individuals away from other brands.

Chronoswiss also took the step of firming up its relationships with its retailers. Retailers are the direct interface with the final customer, and it’s important that they can act as excellent representatives. Without a comfortable connection between retailers and the manufacture, the brand suffers. As Chronoswiss fine tunes its marketing strategy to align with these troubled times, it’s consolidating its efforts with U.S. retailers. Though the brand is considerably less visible than it was several years ago, look for Chronoswiss to do a better job this time defining its core market segments and finding the right retailers to target them going forward.