This is why I think this is a massive mistake. All that positive noise about the glassbox is gonna get crushed by a new wave of TAG bashing...
It's inevitable, the originals were already hated by many in the watch community. No matter what TAG Heuer did with a re-release, there would be those who will bash it.
OTOH, for those who really internalize what TAG Heuer has done with KITH, it may actually be a brilliant move. This guy explains in-depth why he thinks TAG x KITH got it right.
I'll summarize for those without the patience to watch his long and often interrupted video, which was live streamed and unedited.
- Footwear & Streetwear is big business, much bigger than the watch industry, in terms of awareness or "eyes" as he calls it.
- Within that demo, Ronnie Fieg is an icon and KITH is super popular. All of his collabs go for way over retail on the secondhand market.
- TAG wins by getting their brand awareness into that demographic, by KITH opening the door for them. KITH wins because most of TAG Heuer's customer base has never heard of KITH and will bring them new clientele. (True for me, I plan to visit a KITH store this weekend.)
- They both win because F1 is very popular and retro '80s & '90s culture is cool again.
- The price is right. This is not a Swatch, it's a true TAG Heuer. If TAG can sellout a plastic watch for $1500, which they will surely do, more power to TAG.
So for TAG x KITH, I personally believe it's a very smart partnership. The watch itself is as true to the original F1 as can be (except for the logo). The modern updates make it even nicer.
Having said that, the KITH-Heuer branding and KITH culture feels so out of place to traditional fans of the OG. Which is why it also feels like a slap in the face. A great partnership (and likely big success) for TAG x KITH, but not so much for many of us.
But at the end of the day, if all the hype - good & bad, drives more sales for TAG Heuer, it's a win.
