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ClickZ Watches | 🧠 Outthink Last Click Attribution
Plus, Rolex debuts a bold, Gen Z-ready evolution of luxury design.
Sophie Bruxner-Randall
April 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 33 minutes
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Welcome to ClickZ Watches, your essential newsletter for watch eCommerce professionals.
Editor’s Pick 🌟
 | Curious to know the optimal way to allocate your Google Ads budget? Fospha’s latest analysis of top performers reveals key insights into balancing Performance Max (PMAX) and Paid Search: 🥇 How Top-Performers Do It: For the highest-performing 25% of brands, a strategic allocation of around 55% of total Google budget to Performance Max and 12% to Paid Search appears to be the sweet spot for driving results. |
🏢 Size Matters: Note, this optimal allocation does vary slightly between different brand sizes. Top-performing small brands were found to have a 52% PMAX / 15% Paid Search split, while top-performing large brands allocated more to PMAX, with a 59% PMAX / 9% Paid Search split.
Why? With extensive product catalogs and diverse customer segments, large brands can leverage PMAX's AI-driven optimization, while smaller brands benefit from the precision targeting of Paid Search to capture high-intent traffic while still leveraging PMAX for efficiency
Unlock the full potential of your Google Ads budget! Fospha’s new Performance Max and Paid Search Playbook is your guide to cultivating cross-channel synergies, reducing wasted ad spend, and maximizing blended performance.
Sector Spotlight 🎥
LUXURY WATCH INNOVATIONS
Rolex’s 2025 collection debuts the Land-Dweller, a standout innovation powered by a new high-frequency calibre and patented Dynapulse escapement, boosting energy efficiency by 30%. Available in platinum, Everose gold, and white Rolesor, with striking green dials and modern case architecture, the launch marks a strategic design evolution aimed at attracting a younger, style-forward luxury consumer. For marketers, it highlights opportunities to align bold product storytelling with shifting customer expectations in the prestige watch segment.
LUXURY WATCHMAKING INSIGHTS
At Watches and Wonders Geneva, industry leaders from LVMH, Piaget, and others deliberated on current trends, highlighting Bulgari joining the expo and the notable absence of Breitling, Audemars Piguet, and Swatch. The event reflects changing dynamics in the luxury watch sector, signaling strategic insights into brand positioning and market trends. Such developments provide a lens for marketing professionals to understand competitive landscapes and consumer preferences in luxury goods.
WATCH PROGRAM RESTRUCTURING
Cartier's decision to end its NSO (New Special Order) watch program marks a strategic shift toward creating truly unique, high-value pieces, reflecting a refined focus on exclusivity that aligns with collectors’ expectations. This adjustment ensures marketing professionals recognize Cartier's commitment to elevating brand perception by emphasizing unique craftsmanship over high-volume custom ordering. For marketers, the transition highlights a strategic pivot towards enhancing brand prestige and customer satisfaction through exclusivity.
LUXURY INNOVATION
Bulgari's latest release, the 1.85-mm Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, now holds the title of the world's thinnest tourbillon watch, marking a significant innovation in high-end horology. This expertly crafted timepiece, featuring the BVF 900 caliber with a tungsten carbide main plate, offers a 42-hour power reserve and is priced at €678,000 with just a limited production run of 20 units. Its launch underlines Bulgari’s commitment to pushing boundaries in the luxury watch market, providing unique opportunities for differentiation in marketing campaigns targeting luxury and exclusivity.
LUXURY WATCHES
Chopard continues to prioritize ethical luxury with its latest watch collections, emphasizing innovation in design and craftsmanship. The Alpine Eagle and LHeure du Diamant ranges showcase sophisticated timepieces crafted from ethical materials, appealing to consumers with a keen interest in sustainability and luxury. Through these offerings, Chopard demonstrates its commitment to modern aesthetics while honoring its rich heritage.
WATCH DESIGN REVIVAL
The resurgence of colorful hard-stone watch dials, as seen in brands like Chopard and Rolex, taps into the 70s design revival, offering unique aesthetics and emotional connections through vibrant stones. This trend reflects a broader consumer desire for individuality and meaning, presenting marketers with opportunities to target luxury watch enthusiasts seeking uniqueness and heritage in their collections.
Expert Insights✍🏼
Navigating Luxury: Optimizing DTC Channels in a Shifting Trade World
In the world of luxury watches, precision is everything—down to the smallest gear. The same should be true for brand strategy. With global trade policies shifting and new tariffs announced on key import categories, U.S.-based watch brands selling direct-to-consumer face a high-stakes inflection point. This isn’t just about absorbing costs—it’s about redefining how value, exclusivity, and relevance are delivered to a customer base that notices every detail.
Passing along tariff-driven price increases without enhancing perceived value is a risky move, especially with informed buyers who track price consistency, compare features, and care about provenance. The smarter approach is to reframe the offering—through limited editions, bespoke packaging, extended service guarantees, or first-access drops that make every dollar feel intentional. Price is only part of the story. Perception is the rest.
Top-performing DTC brands are diving deeper into eCommerce data, using it to tailor content and product positioning around mindset, not just demographics. Younger luxury buyers are entering the market with different motivations—status, personal taste, investment. If search data shows spikes in “Swiss chronograph under $5k” or “sapphire diver with retro styling,” that’s not just a trend—it’s a conversion signal. If mobile traffic is strong but checkout rates are weak, friction exists. Fixing that is a revenue unlock.
Meanwhile, performance marketing only works when it's precise. Generic copy like “timeless luxury” no longer cuts it. Instead, smart brands use specific, niche vocabulary—“screw-down crown GMT,” “hand-wound column-wheel chronograph”—to speak to the buyer who already knows what they want. Layer that with geo-targeting, retargeting high-intent product views, and segmenting creative by funnel stage, and you’ve built a machine that converts interest into ownership.
Influencer strategy is just as surgical. Mass reach doesn’t translate in this space. The creator who posts in-depth movement reviews or restoration videos will drive more qualified traffic than a celebrity showing off a wrist selfie. Credibility travels. And it drives consideration far more than awareness alone.
Influencer Corner 📣
I heard this internal memo of mine is being leaked right now, so here it is:
— tobi lutke (@tobi)
1:07 PM • Apr 7, 2025
Optimization Hub ⚙️
BUSINESS MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORK
Breaking organizational silos is essential for building effective measurement frameworks, ensuring data-driven insights drive marketing success. By involving all stakeholders and focusing on real-world applications, businesses can align metrics with strategic objectives. Tailored frameworks improve communication and performance across departments, essential for today's competitive landscape.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Instagram's new monthly recap feature provides creators with valuable insights into their content performance, including total views, follower engagement, and specific audience activity times. This feature aids marketers by offering actionable tips to enhance content strategy based on the unique behaviors of their audiences, fostering a more tailored approach to growth and engagement.
ECOMMERCE OPTIMIZATION
Adjusting the Google Ads bid strategy, specifically the Target ROAS, can enhance Shopping Ads revenue without reducing profitability for eCommerce businesses. Use Impression Share and Search Lost IS metrics to identify and rectify revenue loss. Gradual budget and ROAS adjustments ensure consistent performance improvement.
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ClickZ is a Contentive publication in the DTC eCommerce division