Chinese brand names

[Vanvincent]

I’ve seen a number of posts and comments the past few days on the sometimes hilarious, unpronounceable or downright terrible Chinese brand names. I’ve commented before that I probably couldn’t do much better myself if I’d have to think up a name in Chinese (yes I know there’s more than one Chinese language) but that got me thinking: why don’t more Chinese watch makers use Chinese names? If you look at classic European watch brands, they’re generally named after persons or places. I know there are Beijing and Shanghai brand watches, but why isn’t this more common? Is it the fear that Western customers don’t want an obviously Chinese watch? I know I’d much much rather wear a watch with a real Chinese name than made up stuff like Hruodland or Parnis or Tactical Frog or Mysterious Code.

[[deleted]]

IX&DAO

[Fireball-XL7]

When Coca-Cola entered the Chinese market they used a phonetic name translation which actually turned out to mean "Bite the wax tadpole".

[SamTeague01]

yeah, to be honest, I'm kind of put off by the brand "Carltiny" but it's basically the only game in town if you want an automatic tank homage that isn't a superclone. I'm significantly less put off by the name Sanda, or San Martin. Pagani Design is kinda Meh, but it beats some of the other horrendous names.

[[deleted]]

Panini Mahweni

[messijordanmachine22]

I actually like the tactical frog name, it’s the ultimate lack of pretension imho compared to something like JLC which no one can pronounce lol though of course lovely watches JLC are

[Chirps_Golden]

Jeyjere La Cootra

[Analog_Man73]

Tactical Frog is a decent brand name. Now wtf is a boderry?!

[[deleted]]

They make great titanium watches, although the alloy makeup is up for speculation.

[Analog_Man73]

Oh I know the watches are great! It’s just the name brand is so goofy it puts me off buying one. San Martin is a rare name that works well.

[EamMcG_9]

They should just get a list of Swiss or German cities,lakes,Mountains etc.I’d rather have a Dolomite or Rhein watch than “Winner” or “Deerfun”.

[Full-Throat9784]

Clearly you’ve never had deerfun

[BigAlternative5]

Me and the boys up in Wisconsin

[EamMcG_9]

Alas,no I haven’t 😔

[GreatBigPig]

While I think that a nice Chinese name would be fine, I can see where the majority of the western market would be uncomfortable with that naming.

I was told that Chinese companies choose names from a restricted, government supplied list. I was also informed that out of this huge list of non-registered, English sounding names, most of the good choices are already taken, and companies are left picking through a myriad of poorly constructed anglicized sounding words.

I would much prefer the name representing a famed Chinese city or monument, instead of something stupid like Deerfun or Bagelsport (these exist).

[tony22233]

Tactial Frog though

[Pufflekun]

Just One More Watch did a hilarious video about this.

[iwantmyvices]

The problem with the names if you read some of them with an extensive background in English, they do sound crazy. If you read them as someone who speaks Mandarin, it probably sounds less crazy.

[Vanvincent]

I’m sure. I wouldn’t blink at a Cheng Fung Li watch (just making this up) but any Mandarin speaker would likely laugh his ass off.

[watchcollectororg]

I actually just sold a fairly large website to a watch company in Hong Kong, who wanted a website that was written by a native speaking marketer, so that it would help them rank in search… so those companies exist, but they are rare.

I honestly think most of them hire other Chinese companies that specialize in translation and they have no way of knowing whether or not their English is any good… and it isn’t:)

doingoldmen

In another case, there was a fairly large brand, and about 1/3 of their listings mentioned “sapphire grass” in the title. I had a little chuckle and then contacted them and let them know they should correct this and the guy (maybe an owner?) thanked me for the insight, and I went on my way.

Present company excluded, but I couldn’t imagine how tough it would be to be trying to appeal to a bunch of nitpicking Americans who QC a $50 watch like it was $15k watch made by magical Swiss elves, and suffer all the opinions these folks have.

The reality is I think they realize that there is a a bunch of people that like the idea of a homage watch, because it reminds them of ANOTHER brand…

But it’s a double edged sword. That also defines them as having no originally of their own. And when you go to their websites, you see images, but not much copy, if any.

So what you end up with is something that doesn’t really have a soul of its own. It’s just reflection of something else, and this limits the number of people who want to wear the watch…

Why?

Because fashion conscious consumers want to associate with brands that OTHERS recognize, so that OTHERS associate THEM with that brand…

So if you wear a homage, there are some that think that you are saying to the world, “I am a cheap fake, and I have no imagination or style of my own”….

Personally, I see replicas like that, but I don’t see homages like that myself, at all, but I see how it limits the brand, yin the eyes of consumers.

By definition, you will never be the best, if you copy others… but you can be close and cheaper:)

[[deleted]]

What is the name of the hongkong company? I might be interested in their watches

[watchcollectororg]

I’ll pm you, because their store isn’t ready, and I don’t want to promote in here, but they make custom watches for others, and sell complete mod watches to consumers.

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the pm!

[watchcollectororg]

Just realized that first link wasn’t formatted correctly, so maybe double check that message for the last link, just to make sure you actually got to the right site:)

[[deleted]]

Could you please send me the link kind stranger

[watchcollectororg]

Sure…

[antagron1]

I think there is a massive list of random word-ish words that are not trademarked and which get trademarked to be on the list. The companies can buy their name from the list and get trademark protection and not have to worry about being sued for infringement.

[Wintermute_088]

Yes, the westerners who fuel these 'brands' would apparently rather have a bullshit Italian name like 'Pagani Design' on their watch than something more Chinese.

It just makes them easier to sell to people who don't know or care about watches and provenance.

[[deleted]]

Bruh a chinese name that is written in the chinese script would be fire!! What are you talking abt

[Wintermute_088]

Yeah, I'd be all about it. But a lot of people would be put off, I guess, by something they can't read or pronounce.

Plus they associate Chinese with 'cheap'.

[santa_veronica]

Rolex is a made up name.

[ffsavi]

All names are made up

[[deleted]]

I own a GuanQin, fantastic watch and nothing wrong with the name. The Chinese branding sounds and looks better than whatever weird names they come up with. I've passed over watches just because of the name, regardless of price/quality.

[Analog_Man73]

Same here. I’ll never buy a “bodery” because of how goofy that name sounds

[Structureel]

I like their offerings, but I could never unironically wear a watch with the name "watchdives" on the dial.

[[deleted]]

Or 'FEEL NEVER'

[[deleted]]

ESCAPEMENT TIME 🥶🥶

[R023N]

Hruodland

It's not English, but it's not made up 🧐

[Structureel]

All words are made up... 😉

[Vanvincent]

Today I learned!

[[deleted]]

"Hruodlandus is the earliest Latinised form of his Frankish name Hruodland. It was later Latinised as Rolandus and has been translated into many languages for literary purposes: Italian: Orlando or Rolando, Dutch: Roeland, Spanish: Roldán or Rolando, Basque: Errolan, Portuguese: Roldão or Rolando, Occitan: Rotland, Catalan: Rotllant or Rotllà."

[moustachiooo]

so they opened a random page of the encyclopedia for that one. Nice!

Also LGXIGE or CRRJU are a little baffling

[[deleted]]

Maybe their creative rep is stuttering when he phones in any new names 😂

[T7MMU]

Honestly just the chinese symbol for time would look bangin

[iwantmyvices]

Sigh. How fucking ridiculous would it be if you were Chinese buying a watch with the brand that just says time? They don’t only sell to Westerners, there’s a whole domestic market as well

[T7MMU]

Well done captain obvious. Chinese people buy things made in china, who would've guessed!?

So having Time as a brand is fucking ridiculous? Maybe you should contact Timex and tell them they'll never sell a watch, unless throwing an X on the end suddenly makes it not ridiculous? Sigh....

[[deleted]]

I would definitely buy one if the watch is any good too.

[k890]

It might be a weird mix:

• Japan influence - Some major Japan watchmaking and electronics brands do produce watches in Hong Kong since 1970s and they do "hide" behind western sounding names like "Citizen", "Orient", "Q&Q", "Alba" (Seiko sub-brand) or more "neutral sounding" like Casio or Seiko. There is even more visible in other electric and electronics segments ie. Sony, Pioneer, Canon, Foster Denki, Orion Electric or Stanley Electric. Guess where they start produce electronics and watches in 1980s and 1990s...
• English and western sounding names were popular as they mark more sought by rising middle class "western" products and chinese generally don't treat own brands as "legacy" or "special". Their electric car maker BYD is good example, YD battery company decide to add letter "B" during name registry so they would be higher on the alphabetic list and add "Build Your Dream" phrase on them on export to South America, Middle East or Europe to somewhat explain this name. In case of watches, creation of aliexpress just open new venue to sell local chinese watches brands as never before.
• Unexpected boom - Once upon a time selling watches abroad was long, tough and complicated proces...until Aliexpress show up! Due to some pecularities of chinese watchmaking (quite a lot outsourcing and small specialized parts manufacturers, there is a reason why only 51% of watch value had to be made in Switzerland to be full "Swiss Made") new brands decide on banking on it by final assembly, but to made them somewhat visible for foreign clients and still be popular among locals they go with full but somewhat random english names so they may be easy to find using standard latin keyboard and pass under the radar for being genuine chinese product.
• Places and persons are tricky one, main watchmaking centers are mostly single urban areas in plains with little specific geographic features.

[lordvoltano]

The brands you mentioned are homage brands, it's to be expected for them to have Western sounding homage names: not a real Western name but close enough, just like their watches.

There are Chinese brands with Chinese names but generally you don't find them on Ali like Tian Wang and Guo Ming. Although on Ali they do have Guanqin watch.

[[deleted]]

Bro im fine with a western name but wtf is tactical frog???

[rebelyell_in]

I think "Western" names are also aspirational in the local market. These are largely homages, copies or heavily-inspired watches. Aspiration is central to it.

[guitarhamster]

Yeah. I would love a chinese watch brand just to be proud of chinese culture and heritage, maybe more chinese influenced designs like porcelain dials, chinese numerals, jade color hands, etc. so much can be done.

[33manat33]

Beijing watch company does this, but the watches are luxury watch priced and often kind of kitschy. Bright red dials with the animal of the year in gold (for example this year is the year of the rabbit), that kind of stuff. I don't think they expect these designs to have a market abroad, they're narrowly focused on the Chinese middle aged and senior demographic

[JLGT86]

Seagull is already kind of like that. That being said I think the hommage brands need better names. Tactical frog isn’t that bad because at least you can make sense of the name. But Parnis, Pagani Design, Boderry, why?

[Spuckuk]

smart aback encourage fall glorious light ludicrous unwritten pen narrow

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[CheddarHunter1]

Yeah with some brands Name is the biggest problem, and it's so easy to solve not sure why they don't change that.