A new year and am trying to eke out a new life.. Being a total gadget freak, whatever new comes out in
the market, has to be had a look at, has to be googled at & at the same time keeping aside the jam packed opinions of others. And if you don’t do that, you are never gonna try anything, or buy, let alone latest!
Anyway, a couple of years back I had put up my takes on two of the most popular shaving systems of
that age( I dread to call it age, but then we have moved soooo much ahead!!) ie
the Philishave series & our good ‘ol Mach 3. Years have passed, lots of new brands have come in, so many innovations have happened, markets have got
fiercer n fiercer etc etc.
At that point, I should say the consumer awarenesswas just starting to take off & as I too have comeback after a considerable gap, there’s truly a lot of difference in the times, then and now. Incomes have
upped, never seen before splurging consumers & yes…flooding awareness. Everyone out here will agree with me. And hey! All this is just the beginning.Technology keeps taking these leaps & surprises are always what we await! One such surprise was this battery powered razor( yea ‘y’ not??!!)
Its now that Indiahas started to have simultaneous product launches, very much unlike before. New
products launched internationally are instantly available here. So what if the Honda Accord made its original worldwide debut years ago & later on came to India?? Thanks to the IT age & many thanks to people like us, we are now being benefitedof this trend finally now. Same is the case for TVs, PCs, Cameras, n this newGillette. New here but old worldwide!*
* I avidly remember thinking of upgrading to an even better electric shaver, since I got my
Philishave, but eventually dropped the idea, as water based shaving was the best bet & still is! Years have passed, my shaving routines of once/twice a week have remained the same & so has the Mach 3..The Mach 3 turbo came in(India I mean) & a li’l bit around that time maybe around ’04, the M3 was
launched as Beckham was signed up by Gillette & its first ads hit Europe.
This thing was a craze! I wondered why a mere thing like a razor would drive people nuts, but then I also didn’t know how would a razor be motor driven?? Technically interesting, but would it be practical enough?? *
* Then one fine day at Alfa stores in Mumbai, I happened to see this li’l green genie. Awestruck, I
gave it a sheepish grin. At that point of time, it was a premium thing priced
at about 700 bucks! Gosh why would & who would spend that much money for
just getting a shave??!!
Well, now people do. And besides it was the Mach 3 turbo. Then another year later, Gillette went all guns blazing in bringing out the Fusion series comprising a 5 blade shaving system & simultaneously launched
its battery powered sibling. Well, the more the better, right? But does the M3 deliver…read on..*
* From the silver n blue mach3s to the red Turbos, the M3’s silver n green combination is a truly
refreshing break. The handle bar, is also thicker & longer than the regular mach3.Its simply because of the motor that comes in beneath the blade. That’s why it fits easily into longer hands. Shorter hands need not worry, as the grip too is thicker now & the best part is that they don’t feel cheap. The
material used is of good quality. Its motor powered & an AAA battery does the powering job and comes complimentary with the pack. *
* First feeling, looks good, chunky built, impressive…lets do it! Load the battery & push the
green button, there it goes! The entire unit is abuzz with tingling vibration & my first reaction was eh, my hands got heavy with this vibrating thing, how am I gonna use it? Simple, jokes apart, its seriously something very different from its predecessors.
Soaking in this new experience, years back when the metrosexual thing happened, I was sticking to the same shaving routine, as I knew a bit of a stubble is better than keeping a thick one or having nothing at all! Now comes the Retrosexual age, with the more manly look in vogue, my schedule stills the same! N the mach 3 is still used some 5-6 times a month! Its still economical, VFM as we may term it.
When it comes to shaving accessories, there’s simply one name that comes to mind & that’s
Gillette! No other thing comes to mind apart from it. Yes, there are cheaper alternatives, but quality is what Gillette’s loyal base of customers want & the co. doesn’t fail to deliver! contd in comments..
