Titan Sonata Turns To Plastic

Titan Watches, India’s most popular watch brand have made a decision to enter the manufacturing of plastic fiber watches. It should be noted that Titan has an impressive array of plastic/fiber watches that are already being sold under their ‘Fastrack’ franchise. This is a brand that is aimed at the high end watch market with a specific focus on the fashion conscious youth sector. The same aim has been continued by glitzy marketing campaigns and forays into retail. The new line of plastic watches will however be manufactured under Titan’s ‘Sonata’ brand.

The significance of this move is the next logical step for Titan. The Sonata brand is one that is associated with the average working class Indian. The range is comprised of analog and digital watches. Sonata was launched with the aim of being able to attract the middle class consumer who prefers quality over trendiness and price. Sonata continues to be the preferred choice for most working class Indians, mostly men.

Sonata’s entry into the plastic watch arena is an important one. Plastic watches in India are manufactured mostly by smaller companies. The sector is largely unorganized. These companies are local in nature and manufacture plastic watches at low prices and then sell them to watch retailers for profits who in turn pass them off to customers.

People who use these watches are those that want to use a watch that looks like a branded watch but costs significantly lesser than one. The move by Sonata to enter this sector is an effort to tap into this feature of the market and bridge the differences. It will however be tricky in the initial stages.

Unlike Fastrack which was retailed aggressively, Sonata watches became famous because of their sturdiness; it was the word-of-mouth approach that helped the brand become a leader. Sonata’s plastic foray will face a pricing problem because despite the relatively lower price of the plastic watch; Sonata will be the ones to take the initiative of making sure that the watch reaches the consumer instead of the other way around.

That apart, pricing will also be hard because of the flood of similar watches that are manufactured at almost half the price in China. Many of those aimed at through this line of plastic watches are those who buy Chinese made watches at very low prices. The aim will be to attract them as well.

The movement of Titan into the low cost plastic watch creates a comprehensive coverage for the Titan brand in the watch market. The existing Sonata brand looks at the working class. The Fastrack takes care of the youth and those that prefer style over the ordinary and the luxury sector Tanishq brand that focuses on women and combines jewelry with the wrist watch.

There are also a bunch of brands that Titan own that try to fill in the gaps between these mainstays. The entry of Sonata’s plastic watch will however rally the unorganized sector and start a price war but this is more a long term trend .However, to use the Sonata brand to enter this space is a smart move by Titan.