Baby S (3 Viewers)

[PatR]

Guys, Swarovski doesn't make binoculars in China.
A OEM does it for them, like they do for Bushnell, Vortex etc etc etc. Put a sticker on it and it is brand A, B and/or C.
Country of Origin is not classified information, just legally required by EU-Law.
In May the first batch will be on the market and the documents that goes with them will show the Country of Origin as a written proof.
I have no intention of getting dragged into a rabbit hole discussion to prove what I am saying.
I just originally answered post 95 and will leave it to that.

Jan

Goed gedaan Jan

Answered with undeserved dignity and grace.

If I had spent 25 years as a premier Swarovski dealer and my word had been doubted in any way, my response would have have been a very simple Foxtrot Oscar.

 

[tenex]

I guess these instruments are marked 'Made in China', and it would be so easy to post a screenshot.
Maybe I'm missing something here !

Possibly that even Jan doesn't have one in stock yet to take such a photo? It will be interesting to see what the labeling is, simply "MiC"... or perhaps even "Designed by Swarovski"! But at least SFLs are built in Japan.

I keep thinking of the crucial role manufacturing (including optics) played in reviving the economies of Germany and Japan after WW2, helping to (re)establish democracies that replaced militaristic empires. Whereas in recent decades the West has not only patronized but outsourced much of its own manufacturing to China, with exactly the opposite geopolitical effect. It just boggles the mind... and some still think it no cause for concern.

 

[dries1]

"Now go, cry in your beer and set your truck on fire."

Maybe I could so something else with that truck, and it will not be clean.

 

[tehri]

Possibly that even Jan doesn't have one in stock yet to take such a photo?

oh I don't want to ask myself any more questions about these binoculars, lol !
But considering post #94, I thought Jan had these binoculars in his possession.... and that's why my questions.

 

[Birdister]

I think there is a well-worn path when it comes to outsourcing. The product starts off being made in Europe, or America, and this generally results in a quality product and good after-sales support. The manufacturing is then outsourced, and perhaps that is used as a reason to keep prices stable for a while (and the costs savings look good on a balance sheet), but the prices eventually creep back up to somewhere close to where they would have been in the first place, and consumers lose out.

I remember a few years ago having cause to send in a scope from another top manufacturer for servicing (fairly minor servicing at that) and it was painfully obvious that they were simply not able to do it (or at least did not want to). All I was offered was a straight swop for another unit, which was hugely wasteful given the limited work required. Having that support available in Europe was one of the things which made me then move over to Swarovski. I think it would be a shame if that ended up being lost.

 

[Hermann]

Jan, you should really post a photo of the 'Made in China' label, because I suppose it must be affixed as usual on these binoculars.

Jan doesn't need to post anything. If Jan says it's made in the Far East, it is made in the Far East. End of story.

Hermann

 

[wllmspd]

Sounds like a solid bino that swaro owners would be happy giving their kids to keep them off the NL! The narrow view and long close focus will help stop them eroding the top end products, as kids don’t know what they’re missing. I trust that they have designed them well and are ensuring that they deserve the logo. We’re seeing lots of new stuff and it’s only the start of their 75th year.

Peter

 

[tehri]

Jan doesn't need to post anything. If Jan says it's made in the Far East, it is made in the Far East. End of story.

Hermann

Sorry, dear Hermann, I never meant to be offensive, or lack respectability towards Jan van Daalen.
I don't know him, and his worldwide reputation had not yet reached my poor remote jungle (humor !!!)... I never doubted his assertion about 'China made', never ! But as many people were wondering, I simply took the liberty of asking if a screenshot was possible... nothing more... I certainly didn't want to 'taint' an 'icon', but it was still allowed to ask him a question, right ?... And to which he kindly responded.
And yes, as you said, dear Hermann, 'End of story', no more chit chat about that.

Amen

 

[jan van daalen]

Guys, as Lee would say, "It's only binoculars".

Gosh....... I seem to have a worldwide reputation and consider te be a icon (at least for one Nation ).
Vivre La France.

Jan

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Jan I know you long enough to know that you do not tell fairy tales.
So the binocular is made in China, but designed and specified by Swarovski. I am curious how good the Baby S will be, our research will show in it in a couple of weeks.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[Birdister]

In which case the value proposition goes out of the window. There are countless China-made binoculars which are suitable for kids, comparable in quality (to the limited extent that kids will care), and wildly cheaper.

 

[tehri]

In which case the value proposition goes out of the window. There are countless China-made binoculars which are suitable for kids, comparable in quality (to the limited extent that kids will care), and wildly cheaper.

Yes, a strange move... certainly too complicated for me to understand and the mysteries of the business 🙄

 

[tenex]

In which case the value proposition goes out of the window. There are countless China-made binoculars which are suitable for kids, comparable in quality (to the limited extent that kids will care), and wildly cheaper.

No Swaro is a value proposition. MJ is targeted at parents of means and taste who are passing these on to the next generation of customers.

 

[Risveden]

This is the start of the end of the Swarovski we know today.
It’s very easy to predict what will happen in the next few years. People will buy those china swarovskis as hell just because they can afford more other things and still can get a Swarovski for the same amount of money. After the success with their first china bino Swarovski of course will send the hole factory to china.

 

[PW42]

I think that is unlikely. I would be amazed if they moved their premium binoculars (certainly NL and EL and maybe the whole existing range) to China. More likely they would develop a range of lower cost products made in China whilst keeping the top of the range manufacturing in Absam. It is an approach adopted by other European manufacturers.

 

[Viraj]

I think this is a step taken by Swarovski not to include biodegradable materials into kids binoculars because they are expected to face rough use than adults binoculars. Possibly importing products made with non-sustainable materials to EU would not be a problem as utilizing them in the production process in EU.

 

[Patudo]

I think there is a well-worn path when it comes to outsourcing. The product starts off being made in Europe, or America, and this generally results in a quality product and good after-sales support. The manufacturing is then outsourced,

Worth noting that this has been going on since the 1950s - Bausch & Lomb (once a great American optics company) shifting manufacture of their binoculars from Rochester to Japan, etc. Rebranding (Bushnell, Swift and many many others) has been around for many decades too. Japan then was in many respects the PRC of today, complete with fears that it would supplant the US (see the movie/book 'Rising Sun').

Swarovski getting what are essentially toy binoculars made in the PRC won't damage their brand. I'd imagine they know their perceived value in the luxury goods market comes from their premier products being made in Austria. Of course, being made in Austria could include eg. being made by workers imported from the PRC, as happens in the Italian clothes industry. But there's a good chance (IMO anyway) that doing this would cause the brand's reputation to tank. I'd hazard a guess that Swarovski knows what the SWAROMAN wants.

 

[John A Roberts]

While Swarovski's finally halfway there with the lack of diopter adjustment on the My Junior, let's hope that they're willing to take the next big step . . .

I think that we all need to take a big step back and start thinking outside the box.

For far too long we’ve all been taken in by Big Bino and their conspiracy that we have to have all sorts of fancy schmancy complications like focusers!

Really people, it’s just another example of them trying to convince you that you need a whole lot more unnecessary things in your life.
Everyone knows that extra things are just extra things to go wrong - if you have a focuser, you know that sooner or later all that it's going to do is break.
However, if you don’t have a focuser then there’s nothing to go wrong. It’s perfect forever!

Also, if your so called 'Premium Binoculars' didn’t have focusers, then we wouldn’t have the constant avalanches of posts about how focusers on particular models feel.
Think of all those hundreds of virtual trees that we wouldn’t have had to cut down, to provide all those reams of virtual pages!

And also without a focuser, you can put your fingers wherever you want - we could have done without this thread altogether - even more virtual woodland saved.

Well I for one think that it’s time that we all stand up and say that we’ve had enough!


What the world needs is a good modern roof prism binocular without all the focuser hassles - and all that diopter mumbo jumbo - and all those constant migraines from worrying about where to put your fingers.

So I present to you the Tasco 8x32 Focus Free - and all for less than $50 to boot . . .
(I ask you: Would Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski ever think about providing real value like that?)


John


p.s. As soon as mine arrives, let me tell you, all my other binoculars will be going into a dumpster where they belong.

( . . . Hey, has anyone seen my new medication? . . . I thought that I left it next to that rainbow in the corner . . . Maybe it’s time I should lie down? . . . )

. . . If I'd been organised I would have posted this on Monday

 

[Swedpat]

Any new information about this binocular?
I am eagery waiting...

 

[jan van daalen]

Any new information about this binocular?
I am eagery waiting...

AFAIK the first week of May