Interesting discussion ...a few weeks ago, i've read somewhere that the high end watches stands for 80% of the total watchmarket. So only filthy rich people keep this market alive like so many other markets.
In the 70ties and 80ties most companies grew big because they were the first to produce something, they had a very big profit margin and had to expand very rapidly to recuperate there costs. But from half the 80ties, more companies had find the way to produce cheaper and build on the same wave of profits like the first big companies. But this also means that the total turnover in that market had to be shared with more companies, so less profit.
From then on, 90ties, the new method was to try to to be the market dominator. Buy your closed competition out so you can keep your high profits. This is still going on right now. The only problem now is that the companies are getting so big that it's not good anymore for competition and society. No innovation anymore, no great idea's anymore that stand a chance etc.
Thats why kickstarter and others is the new way of doing business from 2010 for me. It's takes the idea's back to the people.
All the other companies that survive now are having an unique product so they can keep asking high end prices or are super multinationals who have domination on there market.
Other companies like Ventura are to small to make a difference in this world so they try to build something for the high end market, it's the only way to survive for them. Off course there product is way to expensive, but don't forget...being creative is also worth something. I really like this Ventura Sparc at a price about 2000 euro maybe 2500 euro, but thats the max. Don't forget you can buy a automatic digital from Hamilton for 1000 euro.
For that price i really would like to have some creative lighting for at night and a alarmsound that sounds like Putin his balls banging at the biggest church in Europe.
just my 2 cents