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Tag Heuer introduces a new luxury mobile phone collection, Meridiist GMT, bringing its brand power to the cellular market. Orna Ballout catches up with Parisian Serge Simon, Managing Director of ModeLabs, the makers of mobile phones for luxury brands, to discuss the market and the latest model.
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f you are extremely wealthy and hold a desire to differentiate yourself from the crowd then a mobile phone from the new Meridiist GMT collection by Tag Heuer is the key choice. Whilst the Tag Heuer Meridiist collection was officially launched two years ago, the delivery of the new, speedier GMT model is to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary. On this occasion, Tag Heuer teamed up with Tesla Motors to create a car, the Tag Heuer Tesla Roadster GT, to travel with The Odyssey of Pioneers, who recently finished their 37,000 km journey passing through 15 different cities across the world. The new GMT function of the phone, Master Time, was introduced specifically for the phone’s presence in the journey. The Tag Heuer device, built into the centre console of the car presented the driving team the ability to juggle different time zones at the click of a button; easily enabling them to determine their local hour and also the hour of their team base in California. Now its key role is to aid world travellers, as it allows a user to manoeuvre between more than one time zone and switch between modes of home/ travel or origin/destination time. “The market is quite diverse but
the main buyers are those who can afford to purchase a watch at a cost of o ver QR50,000. These phones are really high-end, starting at QR17,700," says Serge Simon.
Luxury Mobile Market
Speaking about the luxury mobile phone market, he says the trend is growing fast. “It’s a sustainable market. A few years ago it was quite new but now there are more brands, providing consumers with a wider choice. These offerings will definitely activate demand. At ModeLabs we have the expertise and are successfully selling in more than 50 countries,” he says. Some of Meridiist’s design features include a top sub-LCD screen that allows users to look at the time when the phone is tucked into the shirt pocket. Its dual display screens are made from 60.5 carats sapphire crystal glass which gives the screen its anti-scratch property. A user can reject an incoming call with a simple touch of the stainless steel side button. It’s available in stainless steel and black PVD models, both of which provide an array of luxury finishings including genuine alligator in black, brown and white skins.
cording to Simon. “This is strange because luxury is timeless but electronics and technology are not. There is always something new coming into the market two or three times a year. The focus on this phone was to strengthen basic features like battery lifetime; it allows 28 hours on standby and seven hours talk time. Buying this phone is like investing in a Tag Heuer watch; it’s a timeless piece with avant-garde design and value for money as the software can easily be updated.” Talking about the Qatari market in comparison to the UAE, Simon says, “It’s different in the UAE as we attract a lot of tourists. Qatar is smaller in terms of potential but it’s a sophisticated market and we are targeting locals who have a high knowledge of luxury products.”
Timeless timepiece
Eyeing the fashion market
A unique aspect of the phone is that it offers customers a timeless product, ac-
Tag Heuer also has the Meridiist Jewelry collection on offer, a more fashionable November 10
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11/1/10 7:46:13 PM