# Apple on new watch: Switzerland is in trouble



## zythe (May 8, 2014)

I believe it's mentioned in the 6th paragraph. I don't believe Jonathan Ive is directly quoted though.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/f...mica-a-stylish-tech-bracelet.html?ref=fashion


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## ken_sturrock (Oct 24, 2010)

Yeah, I'll bet they're quakin' in their boots......


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## TheWalrus (Mar 16, 2009)

Meanwhile:

Braun responded saying "Jonathan Ive is in trouble, since we never had Dieter Rams design a wrist watch for him to rip off"

A Side-by-Side Comparison of Apple and Braun Designs | Apartment Therapy


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## tigerpac (Feb 3, 2011)

Well they better charge 10k for them if they want to be status symbols. *mumbling in the background* what's that? They are 10k? Ohh ohh watch out! :-d


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## ilitig8 (Oct 11, 2013)

This doesn't parallel the quartz crisis. Quartz offered a cheap, durable, no fuss, more accurate watch to the public when most everyone in the public wore a mechanical watch so not having cheap quartz hurt the Swiss market share in a huge way. The people that wear Swiss watches today don't wear them simply for their ability to tell time and are MUCH less likely to be swayed by smart watches. The demographic that will adopt smart watches more than likely already use their cell phone as their primary time keeper. Certainly there will be some impact, but I think every little overall.


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

It'll probably eat into Swatches, but most Swiss watch brands are like Vertu and GoldVish (which happens to be Swiss) are to iPhones and Galaxies. And the reason why it'll eat into Swatches is because Swatches are mainly hip accessories, which is what Apple products are.


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## brrrdn (Jun 16, 2008)

tigerpac said:


> Well they better charge 10k for them if they want to be status symbols. *mumbling in the background* what's that? They are 10k? Ohh ohh watch out! :-d


They'll come out with diamond encrusted solid gold iWatch


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## tigerpac (Feb 3, 2011)

Agreed, maybe even the fashion brands, e.g. Michelle, Kors etc etc.



sleepyhead123 said:


> It'll probably eat into Swatches, but most Swiss watch brands are like Vertu and GoldVish (which happens to be Swiss) are to iPhones and Galaxies. And the reason why it'll eat into Swatches is because Swatches are mainly hip accessories, which is what Apple products are.


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## 93EXCivic (Nov 6, 2013)

ilitig8 said:


> This doesn't parallel the quartz crisis. Quartz offered a cheap, durable, no fuss, more accurate watch to the public when most everyone in the public wore a mechanical watch so not having cheap quartz hurt the Swiss market share in a huge way. The people that wear Swiss watches today don't wear them simply for their ability to tell time and are MUCH less likely to be swayed by smart watches. The demographic that will adopt smart watches more than likely already use their cell phone as their primary time keeper. Certainly there will be some impact, but I think every little overall.


I agree with this. It may also hurt the sale of fashion quartz watches but I doubt it does much to mechanical watches.

I personally wouldn't mind something like the Citizen Proximity as a beater though. Something that just buzzes to tell you you have a call or message. I frequently miss calls and texts while I am working on cars or doing yard work. Also that has water resistance and doesn't need to be put on a charger every night.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sirgilbert357 (Mar 21, 2012)

*YAWN* iWut?


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## yourdudeness080 (Jan 6, 2011)

I have enormous respect for Johnny Ive but one thing is being a great designer and another knowing about traditional luxury watch craftmanship which is indeed an art. As some mentioned, probably the sales of swatches and michael korss watches might down a little but actually I don't think so. The position of the Swatch groupe regarding the infamous iwatch is that it will benefit them since it will be oriented to people that normally dont wear anything on their wrists. therefor after the hip they will look as with everything for fine status pieces, handcrafts if you like, mechanical calibers that have a beauty nor transistor will ever have.

Strategic wise, it's actually an opportunity to a segment of people that are not aware of watches and they will follow, once hooked you never go back you know how it goes?
for us maybe it all started with a digital when kids or a quartz, for this youngster it might start with an iwatch and end with mechanical watches


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## Magu (Jan 15, 2014)

sleepyhead123 said:


> It'll probably eat into Swatches, but most Swiss watch brands are like Vertu and GoldVish (which happens to be Swiss) are to iPhones and Galaxies. And the reason why it'll eat into Swatches is because Swatches are mainly hip accessories, which is what Apple products are.


Must be something in it....

Swatch to launch Touch smartwatch 'next summer' - Telegraph


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

Magu said:


> Must be something in it....
> 
> Swatch to launch Touch smartwatch 'next summer' - Telegraph


Makes sense. Almost half of Swatch Group's sales comes from Swatch, regardless of the margins and volume of Omega and Longines. Swatch is also the company that came up with the last savior of the Swiss watchmaking industry. So it would make sense they would jump into something new (for the conservative Swiss watch industry) as well. Can't very well expect Richemont to do this.


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## Fordham-NY (Aug 16, 2008)

I think they'll go the way of the google glasses-you look like a dork wearing them, and nobody likes you. Do they expect people are going to start walking around with their curled wrist buried in their face, like a cross between Dick Tracy and a 1950's detective/sci-fi comic book?

​


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## brandon\ (Aug 23, 2010)

Apple achieved their goal - their new piece of tech is being broadly discussed and covered.


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## Magu (Jan 15, 2014)

it didn't stop early mobile phone users looking like 'dorks' and having no one like them whilst they were bellowing into their massive phones and it hasn't stopped smartphone users from walking down the street with a total lack of spatial awareness and tunnel vision....I look forward to iwatch/smartwatch/whatever users bumping into me and me not liking them because of it


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## wtma (Jul 26, 2014)

He must either be high or being delusional to say smartwatches will put "traditional" watch manufacturers in trouble. I just cannot see how in any possible way that would happen.


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## CitizenM (Dec 9, 2009)

I remember when they stopped making books when the ipad came out.


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## wristclock (Jul 5, 2010)

I wonder what the WR rating will be. I also find it hard to replace the collectibility and heirloom factor. Can an I watch last a couple generations?


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## mew88 (Jun 1, 2010)

You never actually own an Apple Iwatch. You merely hold on to it until we launch the next generation. 

oh wait.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

brandon\ said:


> Apple achieved their goal - their new piece of tech is being broadly discussed and covered.


Without any official announcement or hardware leak, either.

Patent drawings, shmatent drawings -- those are just done to cover ideas, not already-manufactured products.

We'll see next week. Or next year. Remember, Apple's PR is like Hollywood, not tech companies. They're not going to pre-announce some pet project that's still gestating in their lab, just like most movie studios don't reveal the plot before release day. The underlying technology can change, and counterfeit-happy firms can whip up clones within days of a leak.


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## RejZoR (May 12, 2010)

And the Switzerland is like gtfo. Apple iWhatever watch will be worn by hipsters and few tech geeks. The rest will wear same mechanical watches they've been wearing for the last 50 years (even though electronic watches were available). What creates a more "dramatic" statement, Apple's iWatch or a Rolex? And i think it will remain that way forever. Mechanical watches are now a separate class that is independent of the watch industry in general. People buy them for a very specific reason and no other product will ever change that.


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## jdavis234 (Dec 29, 2013)

I think this will draw more attention to higher end watches. That can only be a good thing and a conversation starter for anyone wearing a unique mechanical. It may have the side effect of drawing people into the world of the WIS.


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## hantms (May 28, 2014)

mew88 said:


> You never actually own an Apple Iwatch. You merely hold on to it until we launch the next generation.


...which will happen about a week after coughing up the dough for the current one.


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## hantms (May 28, 2014)

jdavis234 said:


> I think this will draw more attention to higher end watches. That can only be a good thing and a conversation starter for anyone wearing a unique mechanical. It may have the side effect of drawing people into the world of the WIS.


Yes. If anything I can be pretty sure that my watch won't phone home to Apple or Google with all kinds of information other than time.


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## Ed.YANG (Jun 8, 2011)

ilitig8 said:


> This doesn't parallel the quartz crisis......


However, when more and more people are concerned whether their brains will be fried by daily use of handsets, without using their respective ear pieces... Smartwatch population will grow.


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## blubarb (Feb 1, 2012)

I think this article says it all really: If Switzerland Is ****ed, Then The iWatch Is, Too | TechCrunch


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

johnno1954 said:


> I think this article says it all really: If Switzerland Is ....ed, Then The iWatch Is, Too | TechCrunch


I think it's correct - two different markets.

Nobody expected an 18k Apple Watch, though. That's a pretty big swing from Apple.


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## Mediocre (Oct 27, 2013)

Casio, Timex, and Suunto may need to worry.....Switzerland statement? Laughable


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## migo (Jun 4, 2006)

Mediocre said:


> Casio, Timex, and Suunto may need to worry.....Switzerland statement? Laughable


Timex covers a price segment that's less than what a smartwatch would come in. They'll be safe. Casio covers that same segment and has ultra-rugged watches. Nobody is going to replace their G-Shock with a smartwatch, because it can't possibly do what a G-Shock does. Suunto might have to worry a bit, but they're also in the best position to adapt and produce stand alone smart watches.


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