BMW has announced a brand license with Ball Watch Company for watches.
This follows recent announcements about watch licenses by Ferrari.
Car brands and watches have a long history. And to many, they seem like a natural brand extension. But very few have been a success. Or how many men do you know, wearing a Mercedes watch?
One of the exceptional successes was Porsche design with its iconic titanium watches from the eighties, a collaboration with IWC.
One of the hurdles in licensing are price boarders.
If you sign a watch license and your product is more expensive than category leaders, for example Rolex. Omega, Breitling, then you better deliver an extraordinary product justifying the price.
Another reason for failed car brand watch licenses have been cheap merchandising watches. Sometimes built as presents and give-aways, those can ruin a category for the brand for a long time.