so there are 4 different faces. I actually like the all dark face, but that is shown with the leather band. I wonder if all the combinations possible will be released.

Well , i agree partly with Oak on his views , which explains my choice of a Tag Heuer watch which ive chosen on after thinking about Oakley & Omegas.

I believe everyone here has brought up a few questionable points etc , but what i believe is that the watch should also reflect the attitude of the wearer...

People wear oakley sunglasses because they are open to new style , ..you like oakley watches because it's cool, stylish , different..unique etc..

For me , i have not chosen oakley particularly because what i believe is that oakley is primarily an eyewear maker and it will do what it does best in manufacturing eyewear..

as a consumer myself , i decided to pick tag heuer for it's glamour , style , sportiness , time keeping , accuracy and mid-luxury feeling..that means , i can wear the watch without fearing being robbed because it's too expensive , and wear the watch without feeling it's too PMW.

for me , i also decided not to pick omega because there is this perception that omega is for a more well established generation , as for me , im quite young at heart , so sportiness and being associated with the brand with Brad Pitt, Tiger Woods , Yao Ming , Uma Thurman..

thats my 2 cents.

I think the TT is just an amazing addition to the watch lineup. While I can't say I'll be able to drop $1200 this May on one ... I can promise that I will own one, oh yes I will!

The whole watch world discussion for me is pretty mute. I'm no expert in watches ... never heard of Tag until reading about it in other watch threads here. But if Oakley makes it, I will love it. Oakley makes watches, I wear Oakley watches.

I saw the Tag Carerra the other day. For AU $2500, it's a pretty run of the mill looking, standard watch. By which I mean it's hard to differentiate it from any other Tag, Omega, whatever brand watch. It still looks bloody nice.


This Time Tank looks like it'll turn heads. Excellent.

For me , i have not chosen oakley particularly because what i believe is that oakley is primarily an eyewear maker and it will do what it does best in manufacturing eyewear..

Great point and one I live my life by. In my life I aspire to surround myself with the best. No single company or manufacturer can be good at everything and brand loyalty, as good a thing as it is, is meaningless unless you can appreciate diversity. It's the old adage, if you are a jack of all trades you are a master of none.

90% of my clothes are custom tailored in London, my shoes are made by Lobb, my watch is an Omega, my fragrance is by Creed and my sunglasses are by Oakley. I choose the products I do because I perceive them to be the best of their genre because of a reputation built on a core product over many years. I feel that diversification is a bad, bad move. It is a dilution of values catalysed by pandering to a mass market and potentially weakens the brand. I happen to believe that diversification through acquisition is a much better strategy. Like with Oliver Peoples, if Oakley wanted to be a serious player in high end watches, they should seriously look at acquiring an established brand like Longines or Tag Heuer instead of trying to push the Oakley name into an area where it's lack of established long term credentials could prove to be a massive handicap.

Just my two cents.

Wow this thread has taken a turn. Can you say "over analyzing"?

I personally like Brut because it's the official fragrance of the NHRA. lol

and it is the only thing that covers the smell of nitromethane exhaust clouds

Ahhhhhhhhhh....Brut, the smell conjures up wonderful images of mullets, Von Dutch and wifebeaters.

i agree completely with you this time , james ;)
you sound very much like me..lol

First off, I agree with the point that Oakley isn't there to compete with Tag or Seiko and the likes...imagine the opposite case : Tag sunglasses : don't know if they even make them, but if they do, it would be to add on a lil' touch to their brand, no way in hell would they compete with Oakley's quality and reputation in the market, it just wouldn't make sense.

Jim said it himself, and I'm fairly sure that when this guy says something, should be quite reliable information don't you think ? The Time Tank is special, it's unique, it's Oakley. That's the ultimate goal of the production/introduction of this watch in May. It's not there to conquer the watch market.

Definitely getting one for my birthday in July...oh and nobody answered this question yet : any possibility of buy a seperate band ? Say you buy the metal band model, can you buy the leather band to eventually swap it ?

Freesh: Actually Tag too has a range of Sunglasses and Precription glasses as well...They are very nice and super light-weight and comfy to wear but for the price they are commanding i would rather go for Oakley anytime, no thoughts needed....

they lose out on the general appeal IMHO and how well the lenses work and last is still highly questionalble considering they only enetered the scene not long ago....

They're also ugly as fcuk.

Wow, miss a few days and you have a lot of reading up to do.

Jamey:

Can we get some Canadian prices?

Double it and add 30, isn't that how Bob & Doug Mackenzie taught us Canadian kids to convert to metric? (my age might be showing again)

This watch looks better than I had thought it would. It reeks of attitude. And, my wife says I can buy one so that's even better!

Oh, and Neil, I wasn't aware French Connection had a line of watches!

This is an interesting thread to read through. I have always been a big fan of Oakley and a bit of a watch collector as well. I have always enjoyed a product that is asthetically pleasing and also technical either in it's look or construction. Oakley has always seemed to represent that for me with the technology behind their sunglasses. It is for that same reason that I have like mechanical watches such as my Seamaster Chrono. The intricate mechanicals in a tradtional watch are so amazing even if a simple battery watch is more accurate. The Time Tank is the first Oakley watch to really interest me. It has a lot of Oakley elements that I love. Using a "hi-tech" metal such as titanium. The bold over the top style is definitely Oakley. It's interesting though that Oakley gives a nod to the traditional watch industry in two ways. The first is the obvious one, the movement itself. While not mechanical, it is Swiss. The second is the name and style of the watch. The name can definitely be seen attributed to the tank tread style bracelet. However, the square face is all Cartier Tank style. If you don't know what I mean, do a google image search for Cartier Tank. Still the face is uniquely Oakley. I also love chronographs so this is a definite add to my collection.

when the Tag sunglasses came out, no one bought them because they were overpriced. People who wanted that style bought Maui's titanium frames for less cash and better quality. But I always thought the hidden twisting hinge was pretty cool. Or at least novel.

Double it and add 30, isn't that how Bob & Doug Mackenzie taught us Canadian kids to convert to metric? (my age might be showing again)

Haha! Goo-loo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo. Bob & Doug were great! I played that tape, yes, I said tape (now I'm showing my age) to death!

But back to watch discussion. I think the watches are there to enhance the Oakley line up not to be a major competitor (yet) to those other brands. It's all about style, design, & construction & , in this case, to get what they wanted it ends up being a $1200 watch. Speaking of competition, are they going to be marketed the same way as the other brands in jewelery stores & higher end dept. stores?

Let's be honest.

Mont Blanc does have it's watch retail on high end watch stores but because of it's link with high end luxury pens , and a rich 100-year history.

I think Oakley has no problems when it comes to having their watch displayed in high-end stores , but when it does , it's going to be in serious compeitition.

How many buyers would ignore the seamaster & tag aquaracer ?
or longines...baume & mercier? all around it?

Oakley does have an edge over the other watches in terms of the coolest and avant garde design. That is one fact , nobody can deny.With this edge , it will bring watch lovers an alternative from the usual brands as well.

The time tank is one watch which is a BIG step of achievement for oakley. How many watch brands got famous in less then 10 years? I believe Oakley's first watch was not long ago....so yeahs , Oakley is going up and maybe 10 years by itself , it will revolutionalise the watch-making industry just like what it is doing to the luxury sunglasses industry

i think the main theme here is that Oakley is not in direct competition with any other watch brand, but to offer an alternative to everything else. the key sentence in the TimeTank's press release is:

"Many wristwatch buyers want a look of refinement yet the industry keeps giving them the same, recycled ideas. Oakley TIME TANK™ combines sophistication with outspoken styling..."

as said before, the TimeTank is designed to look like nothing else, high end watches or otherwise. and i think it succeeded.

Very well put bong.

I do think Oakley is just being Oakley with the Time Tank just as with anything else they do. The fact that it lends itself to a few other genres like the luxury market, I think is what happens when you innovate and aim to put the best product out there.

All I know is that I hope the Rolling O has a few of these at Brisol at the end of the month. I will be coming home with one if so.

Just called to order one and supposedly the rep told me they are shipping on the 23 of this month but he cannot place orders yet.

Anyone else try to order??

Exactly Bong. I have a friend who collects watches, and he's got some worth 35,000 and so on. Oakley isn't going for that kind of market. They are doing what they do best, and that is be different. Oakley makes the most unique products and competely gets away with it. When is the last time you saw a major watch-maker make something so unique compared to the rest of the market?

When is the last time you saw a major watch-maker make something so unique compared to the rest of the market?

Rado

Chad, you coming to Thunder Valley when is that the 28th?

Hey Bruce, yeah it's that week. I'll be there the 29th and 30th.