# Apple Watch Edition, thoughts?



## Joe Byun (Dec 12, 2014)

So, Apple revealed their new Apple Watch today. And I would like to ask everyones thoughts about Apple's foray in to the 'haute horology' world with their $10k+ Apple Watch Edition. I personally think this is a product more for people with money than sense. Their pricing is more sensationalist than actual value. The fundamental problem with Apples philosophy with the Apple Watch is that they are trying to cater to a market that values mechanical movements that last generations while offering a wristwatch computer that will be replaced within a generation (iteration). It is not like the internals for the Apple Watch Edition are any different from their entry level Sport model, which I see is another problem. I understand a few swiss watch companies are taking the 'smartwatch' more seriously: Swatch, Frederique Constant, and Alpina are working on a smartwatch-their definition of a smartwatch is more analog watch with fitness tracking. So to reiterate, what are your thoughts on smartwatches, or Apple in particular, trying to enter the serious watch world?


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## Memphis1 (Feb 19, 2011)

wrong forum...


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

Quick question, when you need a battery change on your 10k gold iWatch, would you trust handing it over to the 5 hour energy drink saleskid at the store to use a screwdriver to peel open the case? I'd actually be quite hesitant to hand it over to the Apple clerks I've met if I owned one.


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## brandon\ (Aug 23, 2010)

Slapping a shiny coating on a gadget that will be outdated before next Christmas and charging an exuberant amount for it...?

This is bringing back memories.


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## enkidu (Mar 26, 2010)

It looks like Apple is using their current brand strength to move into the luxury goods category. Hermes bag and Blancpain/JLC territory. Look at the pricing for their bands, $450 for the steel bracelet is crazy talk in the tech world, but pretty middle of the road for mid-upper tier watch makers. From my perspective, however, without an upgrade/exchange path for the iWatch, I don't see how dropping $10-$16k every 2-4 years can ever make sense, no matter what the market.


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

enkidu said:


> It looks like Apple is using their current brand strength to move into the luxury goods category. Hermes bag and Blancpain/JLC territory. Look at the pricing for their bands, $450 for the steel bracelet is crazy talk in the tech world, but pretty middle of the road for mid-upper tier watch makers. From my perspective, however, without an upgrade/exchange path for the iWatch, I don't see how dropping $10-$16k every 2-4 years can ever make sense, no matter what the market.


Well, how often do Vertu users upgrade? That'd give us a good idea on that.


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## Memphis1 (Feb 19, 2011)

enkidu said:


> It looks like Apple is using their current brand strength to move into the luxury goods category. Hermes bag and Blancpain/JLC territory. Look at the pricing for their bands, $450 for the steel bracelet is crazy talk in the tech world, but pretty middle of the road for mid-upper tier watch makers. From my perspective, however, without an upgrade/exchange path for the iWatch, I don't see how dropping $10-$16k every 2-4 years can ever make sense, no matter what the market.


i'm sorry, but not even the regular $1000 iwatch makes sense, unless they're planning on a 90% store credit a year from now when the new one comes out like they did with the iphone... i remember paying $600 for the 1st iphone and i haven't paid since, every year, i flip the old one and end up making $20 bucks or so after i get the new one.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

"serious watch"?


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Thread moved.


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## mc4nam (Aug 5, 2013)

If you have to have a smart watch, go with this one. It will be $1000 though.


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## Joe Byun (Dec 12, 2014)

Memphis1 said:


> wrong forum...


Whoops. sry I'm a newbie poster. COuld a mod move this to the appropirate forum?


sleepyhead123 said:


> Quick question, when you need a battery change on your 10k gold iWatch, would you trust handing it over to the 5 hour energy drink saleskid at the store to use a screwdriver to peel open the case? I'd actually be quite hesitant to hand it over to the Apple clerks I've met if I owned one.


I'm assuming the Apple Watch along with other watches have a rechargeable integrated battery like most smartphones these days. That being said, when the battery inevitably fails, I doubt the warranty will cover it; when it should.


enkidu said:


> It looks like Apple is using their current brand strength to move into the luxury goods category. Hermes bag and Blancpain/JLC territory. Look at the pricing for their bands, $450 for the steel bracelet is crazy talk in the tech world, but pretty middle of the road for mid-upper tier watch makers. From my perspective, however, without an upgrade/exchange path for the iWatch, I don't see how dropping $10-$16k every 2-4 years can ever make sense, no matter what the market.


It seems so, Apple also announced a gold coloured version of their new Macbook which reinforces this notion. And, yes I agree about the upgrade path.


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## jbg7474 (Sep 6, 2012)

The vast majority of us are not the people the $10k Edition model was built for. It is for people for whom $10k is as easy to spend as $349 is for most of us. And it is probably for people who like it better because the vast majority of us would never consider it, even if we could afford it. They're not going to sell many of them, but you'll see them on celebrities' wrists. It's probably not competing with haute horology, it's competing with empty wrists.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

jbg7474 said:


> It's probably not competing with haute horology, it's competing with empty wrists.


Hm... Maybe. Or maybe it's competing with haute horology (or, I'd just say "gold Rolexes and Omegas") because those buyers don't want to appear that they went "cheap" by buying a steel or aluminum Apple Watch.

Might be the same kind of customers that buy a Porsche Cayenne instead of a Ford Explorer because the Ford won't match the 911 in their driveway.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

A couple thoughts about this --



Joe Byun said:


> ... a wristwatch computer that will be replaced within a generation (iteration). It is not like the internals for the Apple Watch Edition are any different from their entry level Sport model, which I see is another problem.


My _guess_, as I've posted in the other thread, is that the internals will be upgradeable. First, I don't see a reason (yet) to change the display, as the pixels-per-inch is already very dense, and it doesn't need to get any bigger than it already is. Second, another _guess_ is that the internals aren't attached to the metal of the watch case, because there are no antenna lines like there has been on iPhones since the iPhone 4. Also, Apple's own PR photos show the Watch's system circuitry as a single piece about the size of a postage stamp. _Maybe_ it can be popped out and replaced with a new version for a reasonable fee.

Speaking of which: I don't know if there is such a need for new versions to come out as rapidly as phones always do. The Watch is a lot simpler. It doesn't need to work with new phone carrier signals, there is no room for a camera, and the size alone makes it a bad platform for heavy work or flashy gaming. All it needs to do is work with an iPhone, and the only wireless tether it needs for that is Bluetooth LE, which Apple started including with the iPhone 5.

About the Edition model's internals not being any different than the Sport's --

Having different hardware versions would be a terrible idea. You're not going to gain any meaningful performance, because there's just no reason for it. 10-second interactions, as per Apple's guidelines for Watch apps, won't demand a screaming CPU. The last two generations of iPad and iPad Mini have shared the same internals, too, which makes things simpler for app developers. If I were writing a Watch app, I wouldn't spend my time writing a special version just for a faster Edition model because I know the bulk of the owners will have the Sport and midrange Steel models -- so, without a different app, any speed advantage of the top end model would go to waste.


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## Joe Byun (Dec 12, 2014)

^ Haha. Well, after this announcement it will be interesting to see if watchmakers will start making hybrid smartwatches like the Kairos smartwatch not simply fitness trackers.










BarracksSi said:


> A couple thoughts about this --
> 
> My _guess_, as I've posted in the other thread, is that the internals will be upgradeable. First, I don't see a reason (yet) to change the display, as the pixels-per-inch is already very dense, and it doesn't need to get any bigger than it already is. Second, another _guess_ is that the internals aren't attached to the metal of the watch case, because there are no antenna lines like there has been on iPhones since the iPhone 4. Also, Apple's own PR photos show the Watch's system circuitry as a single piece about the size of a postage stamp. _Maybe_ it can be popped out and replaced with a new version for a reasonable fee.
> 
> ...


I regress my point about different/higher end hardware. I agree, since the Apple watch is an accessory to the iphone, it will not see heavy usage and Apple said most of the heavy-lifting is done by the iphone. I, unfortunately, doubt there will be a hardware upgrade plan for the Apple watch and this will severely affect resale value. Not that resale value is top priority in most peoples minds.


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## Fer Guzman (Feb 10, 2012)

The gold edition is much more feminine I feel. But I think it's genius marketing. Most women don't care about mechanical watches, they just want something that's fashionable and they don't want to worry about winding it.

I will say that their buckles are very well thought out. The leather loop is super cool.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Joe Byun said:


> I regress my point about different/higher end hardware. I agree, since the Apple watch is an accessory to the iphone, it will not see heavy usage and Apple said most of the heavy-lifting is done by the iphone. I, unfortunately, doubt there will be a hardware upgrade plan for the Apple watch and this will severely affect resale value. Not that resale value is top priority in most peoples minds.


Right, and I'm mostly thinking of the most positive spin about it. I think it's crazy to price something this high, smack in the middle of the watch-as-heirloom bracket, and not have an upgrade path. Apple has done some odd things before, but this is just a tad bit riskier than the hockey puck mouse. 

When a Watch 2 comes out, we'll find out Apple's upgrade plan, unless they decide to announce something earlier. I'll bet they'll at least have a battery replacement program like they started doing with iPhones a few years ago.


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## MrDagon007 (Sep 24, 2012)

I don't expect the gold edition to sell much, it will however give more prestige to the range.
I read that they were also investigating platinum.

The standard stainless oens are not cheap yet I find them rather attractive, more so because of the very well designed straps and bracelet. The bracelet is really ingenious, I expect it to be on par with any bracelet from anyone.
And the magnetically closing milano strap is very cool as well, something that would never work on a mechanical watch because of the magnetism.


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## Joe Byun (Dec 12, 2014)

Fer Guzman said:


> The gold edition is much more feminine I feel. But I think it's genius marketing. Most women don't care about mechanical watches, they just want something that's fashionable and they don't want to worry about winding it.
> 
> I will say that their buckles are very well thought out. The leather loop is super cool.


I could argue that having to charge your watch everyday is akin to winding it, but I'll refrain haha. Those straps and bracelets are really interesting, yes!



MrDagon007 said:


> I don't expect the gold edition to sell much, it will however give more prestige to the range.
> I read that they were also investigating platinum.


Apparently, the Apple Watch Edition has a special type of 'Apple Gold'. They use ceramic during the alloying process to create 18k gold that is harder and more scratch resistant. While Apple has patented this process, I think I remember Hublot having 'magic gold' which is the same thing. Was it 'super gold'? I forget, haha.


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## Blancpain (Jan 29, 2014)

sleepyhead123 said:


> Quick question, when you need a battery change on your 10k gold iWatch, would you trust handing it over to the 5 hour energy drink saleskid at the store to use a screwdriver to peel open the case? I'd actually be quite hesitant to hand it over to the Apple clerks I've met if I owned one.


What? You don't trust those 'geniuses'?


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## garf666 (Jan 8, 2015)

i'm sure that it will sell well here in the Emirates


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

garf666 said:


> i'm sure that it will sell well here in the Emirates


No doubt


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

My query/fear with smart watches is if they become the next smart phone (ie a must have accessory) WTF are we going to do with our watches. I'll look like a f.ck stick wearing two watches so I really hope I don't need a smart watch for everything :think:


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## jbg7474 (Sep 6, 2012)

Gunnar_917 said:


> My query/fear with smart watches is if they become the next smart phone (ie a must have accessory) WTF are we going to do with our watches. I'll look like a f.ck stick wearing two watches so I really hope I don't need a smart watch for everything :think:


Apple is betting that they do become the next must have accessory for most people. Cue the return of pocket watches for WIS.


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## brandon\ (Aug 23, 2010)

I think Apple achieved their objective with this. If you search Google for "gold apple watch", it's apparent they nailed it. It's bringing added publicity via a novelty/curiosity factor to the entire line-up. Having that many sources writing about it at no to very little cost to Apple is well worth it.


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## brandon\ (Aug 23, 2010)

Gunnar_917 said:


> My query/fear with smart watches is if they become the next smart phone (ie a must have accessory) WTF are we going to do with our watches. I'll look like a f.ck stick wearing two watches so I really hope I don't need a smart watch for everything :think:


When that happens, I'll be wearing my obsolete mechanical watch while yelling at those whippersnappers with their smart watches to stay off my lawn.


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## Lokifish (Nov 8, 2014)

Garbage ascetic design at a stupid price. The wasted space between the display and the case is a kin to putting a ladies dial and hands on a large men's watch. The price is "l spent x on a watch" with no care to return, investment or even gold value to cost percentage. By Apple's approach, a $17K traditional gold watch is missing a "0". Now, if Apple only made 10, or 100, of the Apple Edition with a hand written certification by Ive himself, maybe. But for that price, I'd go even more exclusive an get a 1 of 1 hand engraved Rolex from MadeWorn.


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## Blancpain (Jan 29, 2014)

Gunnar_917 said:


> My query/fear with smart watches is if they become the next smart phone (ie a must have accessory) WTF are we going to do with our watches. I'll look like a f.ck stick wearing two watches so I really hope I don't need a smart watch for everything :think:


Get a smartband for your right wrist. That way it looks like a bracelet instead of another watch.


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## Blancpain (Jan 29, 2014)

Wow....awatch not even out yet but already cloned. 
http://www.zeaplus.com

How long before everyone is wearing a cloned gold awatch? I can see all the young kids bagging my groceries with a "$10k" watch


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