zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Exactly as i thought everybody totally disagreed. Disagreed because it's something opposite to your lifestyle. The first human reaction to the unknown and different is rejection. Matter of social and historic culture here in US and Europe. I’m not an American. You are. You can't go outside the stamp they put on you from the day you were born. US is all about money. The value of money. Not the value of the thing money buy. You can't think about anything outside the price tag. You're not wrong - that's how they teach you. "How much?" is all you need to know.

The most important idea in my letter was the values. The real value of a certain thing and the values of his owner. Do they match one another? Do they have to? Yes! The top quality is always very expensive and is directed to wealthy people assuming the material success goes hand in hand with high mental and personal value level. Not necessarily in our world but still valid and priceless if achieved. My letter was also about cheapness. The cheapness they cultivate in the people here in order to make them buy more making them think they save big. The main force that drives the customer thinking here is how much you will save. Not what you buy or do you need what you buy. I've been in the retail business here and i know that most people go to a retail store and buy mostly what's on sale. No matter if they need it or not. Just because it IS CHEAPER. It is an everyday picture to see people who would drive 25 miles from one store to another just to get that "body massager" for $1.50 less. Without counting the gas and time they'll spent to go there. I've seen lots of people in Jaguars or with Rolex on their wrists fighting with cashiers for a nickel or choosing the store brand because it's $0.25 cheaper!!!

It is ridiculous to act like this when it comes to a bottle of milk leave alone when you buy something that mirrors excellence and perfection. In the case of the milk it's funny, in the case of the Omega it's a tragedy. How much you'll save jumping from dealer to dealer. Probably between $50-$250. If you're poor enough to allow yourself $250 you shouldn't consider such a purchase at all because chances are you don't even belong to that walk of life who could appreciate that kind of value. If you have no limit on your pocket but still looking for a "better" deal that will save you that $250 you're cheap and also don't belong there. Why don't you instead forget about the watch and save even bigger - the whole amount. It's not a matter of money it's a state of mind. Nobody buys Omega or a boat every day. It's once a lifetime. The thing is not to be cheap when you don't have to be. This sinful practice to "save" can be found only in America. If you go to buy an Omega /or anything else/ in Swiss or France or anywhere in Europe and you ask for a discount or start barging they will kindly ask you to leave the store and never come back. This behavior is considered the ultimate insult.

I was on that business trip to Germany and visited the Mercedes factory. I had the chance to talk to one of the assistant supervisors of a production line. I asked him what car he drove and he said VW. "Why, you work for Mercedes and drive VW, is it too expensive for you? i asked. No, no sir, replied the man, it's not the price. I make enough money to allow myself the latest model but look at me, i'm just a supervisor of a production line, and I don’t think I have the social and personal statute to show up in a car like this. Imaging me parking my S-Class next to the President's S-Class..."
Do you get it now dull heads? I doubt it. How could people who think the frozen pizza is the top of the technological progress, have a hamburger for a national symbol and drink from paper cups, understand something that’s out of their world? Cheapness goes together with the bad taste. You have a lot of both. Actually that’s all you have. But it’s so easy to make money on you. Yes, people like you will buy my next boat, my next watch, my next house, my next S-class and…oh, that vacation on the Maldives too. Please don’t change – stay as cheap and dull as you are now. Fortunately Omega still reads "Swiss made", not "Made in USA - 75% off".

PS Deep respect and sincere apologies to all Americans who will read this but don't fall into the "cheap" category.