# What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch?----From Todays WSJ.



## Seaurchin

*What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch?*

*Threat From Apple Comes After Exports for Luxury Swiss Watches Reached $23.3 Billion in 2013*










"It looks a little cold, and lacks, for my taste, a bit of personality," said Jean-Claude Biver, a legendary figure among Swiss watchmakers who led the revival of Switzerland's Blancpain brand in the 1980s before stints at Omega and Hublot. "It looks perfect, but perfection sometimes has a lack of sexiness."
Mr. Biver, who now serves as president of French luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA's watch business, delivered a succinct verdict on Apple's entrant: "This won't create another crisis for the Swiss watch industry."

Watch manufacturers and retailers in the Alpine country have been enjoying a remarkable boom in recent years, as sales of timepieces with price tags running to tens of thousands of dollars have surged. The industry has reported rising exports, collectively reaching 21.8 billion Swiss francs ($23.3 billion) in 2013.
Still, the Apple Watch, which has been forecast to sell up to 30 million units in its first year of availability, has promised the biggest upheaval the Swiss industry has faced since competition from cheaper Japanese quartz watches brought it to its knees in the 1970s.

Apple Inc.'s smartwatch, unveiled to much fanfare earlier this week, comes in two sizes and three versions, and will go on sale next year with a price tag of $349-around the entry level for many Swiss watches. Apple's powerful brand, tech know-how and size make it a formidable competitor, and the company is attempting to appeal to customers' sense of style with an array of colors and materials including 18-karat gold. The device has spawned a great deal of online fawning.
Not so much among Switzerland's cognoscenti.

"From the design point of view you cannot say it's a watch-more an iPhone for the wrist," said Alain Spinedi, chief executive of privately owned Montres Louis Erard SA, referring to Apple's popular mobile phone. "People may travel with it, but it won't replace the watch you wear to a party."

Nick Hayek, chief executive of Biel-based Swatch Group AG, the world's biggest watchmaker by revenue, said smartwatches like Apple's are an opportunity. "Everything that makes millions of people more open to putting something on their wrist will boost the opportunities to sell more watches," said Mr. Hayek.

But experts reckon Swatch could be one of the companies most vulnerable to the Apple Watch. Roughly 15% of Swatch's annual sales come from watches that sell for less than about 500 Swiss francs, according to estimates by Luca Solca, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas. Mr. Solca thinks smartwatches including Apple's version could reduce Swatch brand sales by 10% and sales of the Swatch Tissot brand by 5%, in both 2015 and 2016.
Swiss watch insiders don't think the Apple Watch will have the same sort of destructive effect on their industry that the iPhone had on mobile-phone makers. They say that is because there will always be demand for the sort of handcrafted, old world touches that come with a pricey Swiss watch.

"People want special workmanship, lovely dials, all handcrafted, they want something that is unique to them," said Paul Herzog, who manages the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique on Zurich's exclusive Bahnhofstrasse, which sells watches that cost between 6,000 and 250,000 Swiss francs. Apple's new entrant, therefore, won't bring any big change to one of Switzerland's mainstay industries, said Mr. Herzog.

Mr. Biver, of LVMH, said the best Swiss watches have personality that Apple's watch lacks, and compared them to one of America's biggest supermodels of days past.

"It is like Cindy Crawford with her mole," said Mr. Biver. "That is part of her character and has become a sign of recognition. As soon as you see it, you know who it is."

*Write to *John Revill at [email protected]


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## Arthur M

You've returned!  





I'm among the few here who like the apple watch, it seems.


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## Steppy

Save yourself $350


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## RejZoR

The thing is, Apple Watch looks dull even compared to many other smart watches. The Moto360 looks amazing even though it's fundamentally broken like all smartwatches. LG's G watch R? Also looks amazing even thoguh it has the exact same problems as Moto360. The fact is, almost all watches look and feel better than Apple Watch. Because Apple's watch just looks like a really bad prototype made of cheap molded plastic. Rounded edges don't really help either and straps look like something Swatch would use for their very youngest users.


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## adi4

I must have missed where they asked Dufour, Roger Smith, Voutilainen, or other actual top watchmakers their opinions...


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## Arthur M

RejZoR said:


> The thing is, Apple Watch looks dull even compared to many other smart watches. The Moto360 looks amazing even though it's fundamentally broken like all smartwatches. LG's G watch R? Also looks amazing even thoguh it has the exact same problems as Moto360. The fact is, almost all watches look and feel better than Apple Watch. Because Apple's watch just looks like a really bad prototype made of cheap molded plastic. Rounded edges don't really help either and straps look like something Swatch would use for their very youngest users.


That's purely subjective. As such, I disagree. The moto360 looks horrible. No lugs on a round case just looks bad. None of the other similar offerings look as sleek or as functional. Let's not even get into UI. The newer Pebble comes close in design quality, but again, that's subjective.


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## Memphis1

am i in a parallel universe where you guys feel the need to post news stories about this.... we all have the internet/tv/smartphone... we all see this.... and it's in the wrong forum..... and it's the 14th thread on the apple watch.


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## ljb187

At the moment these comparisons are still Apples and Oranges.


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## Camguy

I was thinking about this yesterday, one of the things I just couldn't get past with my G Shock: it's too damn difficult to tell what time it is. I can read my TSAR from across the room, at night, without pushing a button.

I suspect, for me, it'd be the same with the Apple Watch. I'd either have it set to display a traditional watch face, but then what's the point, and then have to start using a physical interface for anything else, even if it is all brilliant and haptic and whatever. 

Then switch back to some other display to know what bloody time it is, which is why I wear a clock on my wrist after all.


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## LeopardBear

Memphis1 said:


> am i in a parallel universe where you guys feel the need to post news stories about this.... we all have the internet/tv/smartphone... we all see this.... and it's in the wrong forum..... and it's the 14th thread on the apple watch.


Maybe, I don't know, these people want to discuss something about watches with other watch people, on the internet, on a watch forum, which, personally, I think is reasonable.


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## eddiea

Memphis1 said:


> am i in a parallel universe where you guys feel the need to post news stories about this.... we all have the internet/tv/smartphone... we all see this.... and it's in the wrong forum..... and it's the 14th thread on the apple watch.


Yup....a repetitive subject it seems:-s with the potential to get boring outside the _"Smart Watch Forum" _a venue specifically designated for open discussion on devices that although, _"smart",_ are _"watches"_ only in a cell phone kind of way.


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## bigvatch

Arthur M said:


> That's purely subjective. As such, I disagree. The moto360 looks horrible. No lugs on a round case just looks bad. None of the other similar offerings look as sleek or as functional. Let's not even get into UI. The newer Pebble comes close in design quality, but again, that's subjective.


"No lugs on a round case just looks bad. "

This round and lugless look is the signature look to Ikepod, the watch company that Apple's main watch designer Marc Newsome founded


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## BarracksSi

"Nick Hayek, chief executive of Biel-based Swatch Group AG, the world's biggest watchmaker by revenue, said smartwatches like Apple's are an opportunity. 'Everything that makes millions of people more open to putting something on their wrist will boost the opportunities to sell more watches,' said Mr. Hayek."

That's the most positive spin yet, and I think it's got some truth to it. Be ready for smartwatch wearers to start asking, "Do they make watches that don't need the battery recharged?" and point them towards auto mechanicals.


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## TheWalrus

BarracksSi said:


> That's the most positive spin yet, and I think it's got some truth to it. Be ready for smartwatch wearers to start asking, "Do they make watches that don't need the battery recharged?" and point them towards auto mechanicals.


Yeah, but then their next question is going to be "how do I check my twitter feed on that watch?". The auto mechanical guys will have to shrug.

I think that Hayek is putting a far too optimistic spin on this. Smart watches won't desimate the mechanical watch industry - but they won't help it, either.


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## Lord Monocle

bigvatch said:


> "No lugs on a round case just looks bad. "
> 
> This round and lugless look is the signature look to Ikepod, the watch company that Apple's main watch designer Marc Newsome founded


Anybody who thinks lug adapters won't be on the market from five different manufacturers within the first month these watches are out hasn't paid attention for the last decade or so.

Our silly little wrist widgets will be safe. Nobody's going to make us buy an Apple watch or take the little cans of springs and gears we tie onto our arms away. But if you don't think Apple isn't going to make HUGE money on these, I'm sorry, but you're out of touch.

These things aren't ready for me yet. I want to hear about battery life and water resistance first, and I'm not the early adopter type. Within ten years I'll be wearing a smartwatch, at least occasionally, and I'm betting on it having a capital G and the words "Shock Resist" on its case somewhere.


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## Arthur M

Lord Monocle said:


> Anybody who thinks lug adapters won't be on the market from five different manufacturers within the first month these watches are out hasn't paid attention for the last decade or so.
> 
> Our silly little wrist widgets will be safe. Nobody's going to make us buy an Apple watch or take the little cans of springs and gears we tie onto our arms away. But if you don't think Apple isn't going to make HUGE money on these, I'm sorry, but you're out of touch.
> 
> These things aren't ready for me yet. I want to hear about battery life and water resistance first, and I'm not the early adopter type. Within ten years I'll be wearing a smartwatch, at least occasionally, and I'm betting on it having a capital G and the words "Shock Resist" on its case somewhere.


Seems like they aren't ready to annouce it yet:

Report: Apple Watch Battery Life Is "About A Day" | The Escapist

That being said, the first comment encapsulates it for me:

"How hard is it to charge something every night? I mean, you do it for your phone, why not for your overly expensive watch that you don't need?"

Now only if they'd make the charging wireless (I'd settle for close proximity charging) and dropped the price just a little.


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## monza06

This imitation of a watch will be apple's biggest flop to date, 6 months from now will come out the "S" model, then the mini, then the maxi until they all end up discounted in you local grocery chain-store, next to the I-pods that nobody buys anymore....


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## Jephen

ljb187 said:


> At the moment these comparisons are still Apples and Oranges.


Why did I see this and read it as Apples and OMEGAs? Maybe cause it's equally true.

Can you imagine Samsung-esque marketing?

"Rolex. The next big thing is here... and has been for over a century."

I was a bit disappointed that they hadn't come out with two versions, similar to the Galaxy Gear, one being in band form factor, the other watch form-factor. I wanted the fitness tracking features, and the ability to wear it on the opposite wrist without looking like I'm sporting two watches, think Nike Fuel band and others. Oh well


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## mew88

It occured to me that the only thing that would sell more of with the Apple Watch is cape cod polishing cloths.


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## watchgeekwatchnut

IMO Apple won't affect the sales of mechanical watches costing more than a grand.


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## hantms

I can't believe these executives let themselves get suckered into making detracting remarks on record. Disparage Apple at your peril, and many CEOs have found that out the hard way.

Instead they should have lauded it as a great thing that people who don't currently wear watches will start wearing this smart watch. And then explain that it's a different product from a mechanical watch, but the general sentiment should be positive. 

(Anyway, I'd like to see a mechanical Twitter complication.  )


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## ManMachine

I think this watch will make a big difference to many. Health and fitness are big deal for more and more people. Convenience for skiing, hiking, and various outdoor activities. People who have seen it in person give high praise for design and finish. It may not be as big game chamger as the iphone, but the limit is people's creativity.

Many of the Swiss luxury watches are jewelry, albeit very functional mechanical jewelry, and partly serve as status symbol (and bribery items in China). Apple and other smart watches can bring more equality to the wrists.


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## RejZoR

Arthur M said:


> That's purely subjective. As such, I disagree. The moto360 looks horrible. No lugs on a round case just looks bad. None of the other similar offerings look as sleek or as functional. Let's not even get into UI. The newer Pebble comes close in design quality, but again, that's subjective.


So, basically what you're saying is that my Citizen Titanium and the Xetum above in the banner look horrible because they have round case and no lugs? Talking of subjective...


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## alx007

Hey buddy - I thought you left this blog. Welcome back! And thanks for sharing this.


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## Arthur M

RejZoR said:


> So, basically what you're saying is that my Citizen Titanium and the Xetum above in the banner look horrible because they have round case and no lugs? Talking of subjective...


Yup. Absolutely hideous. But as we both point out, looks are subjective, so it isn't really a point of contention for either side.


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## TheWalrus

ManMachine said:


> I think this watch will make a big difference to many. Health and fitness are big deal for more and more people. Convenience for skiing, hiking, and various outdoor activities. People who have seen it in person give high praise for design and finish. It may not be as big game chamger as the iphone, but the limit is people's creativity.


Normally I'd agree. But if it can't be taken in a pool, that's a serious impediment to the iWatch as a fitness monitor. My Suunto can go from bike to running to swimming in a heart beat. Swimming - as a low stress, low impact, full body, method of exercise is increasingly important. Essential even, for a lot of people. If the iWatch wants to market itself as a fitness device, as well as a smart watch, they need to address that.


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## wtma

I can't imagine a member of Board of Commisioners or Directors, or CEO in some multinational company, wearing an Apple Watch.


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## Tyke

I'm something of an Apple fan, and I'll be upgrading to the iPhone 6, but this watch simply leaves me cold.
Perhaps in a year or two, when it's developed further, I may buy one. It depends on the features it has by then. But only to add to my - small - collection of mechanical watches and certainly not to replace any of them!
However, anything that encourages other people to wear watches can't be a bad thing, can it...


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## abangr

These guys were probably saying the same thing when Quartz watches came out.
Though I may not buy the iwatch, do not underestimate Apple.
Look at IPads. When it first came out people were dismissing it as an overlarge iPhone.


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## hydrocarbon

Here are some thoughts from an actual watchmaker:

Tick Talk » Apple Watch

My opinion is that it appears to be a refined product right from the first iteration - the strap and bracelet options in particular seem to be very well-thought-out. I wouldn't underestimate the effect this could have on what people wear on their wrists. Although it's very different in function, it does occupy the same spot as a conventional watch. I think it'll provide formidable competition for that space, and also think that some watch companies are a lot more worried than they've acknowledged in public.


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## clarken

We need to look into the future my son is 22 doesn't wear a watch it is pretty much I phone for everything so I think a lot of the younger generation may enjoy this technology


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wibbs

monza06 said:


> This imitation of a watch will be apple's biggest flop to date, 6 months from now will come out the "S" model, then the mini, then the maxi until they all end up discounted in you local grocery chain-store, next to the I-pods that nobody buys anymore....


Because they just buy the iphone instead and use it as an ipod. I recall when ipods first came out the nerdsphere in particular poopooed the whole thing. Didn't have enough features, too expensive etc. Fast forward a couple of years and ipod was the generic term for mp3 player. Standalone mp3 players are a dead market anyway so not a good comparison. I also recall the same attitude when the first iphone came out with the addition of doubt Apple could possibly compete in a market like mobile phones. Fast forward a year and every manufacturer was scrambling to bring their own "iphone" out. Ever see the original Android phone mockups? They looked like a Blackberry.

Now the watch market is a different one and Steve Jobs, with his genius level marketing ability is gone, but as a company they have previous and they have the clout. If anyone could open the market they could. Put it another way, just look at this forum. This is for WIS types, a market the apple watch isn't aimed at and a couple of days in there are threads on the watch all over the place to the degree folks are complaining they're in the wrong forum and mods are moving threads into the correct forum to keep some organisation and neatness going. Where was that level of interest for the Moto et al? in the wider world where was the level of interest in smartwatches before the apple announcement? That's the apple clout at work.



watchgeekwatchnut said:


> IMO Apple won't affect the sales of mechanical watches costing more than a grand.


+1. If I was Casio or Seiko or Suunto(if apple bring out a rugged version) I'd be worried right now. The level of apparent quality and name at that pricepoint will be hard to compete with(especially if they drop the percieved price by selling them as part of a phone company package).

Another area I think folks are missing and what Apple may hit is ladies watches. And I reckon it's the market they're after hence they offer the smaller size, a huge range of straps and stuff like heartbeat sharing and all that. WIS types(and techie nerds) tend to be male biased so won't see this angle as much, but it's a market that's half the world and one not really tapped into in the watch world. Especially at that pricepoint. The original coloured imac sold bucketloads to women(and non nerds) because it was a computer that wasn't a beige nerdbox. The iphone itself is much more likely to be bought by women than the various android phones are. IMH while men will tend to be the early adopters it'll be the ladies who will make or break the apple watch.

The moto is a dead loss in that market. It's just too big. It's massive enough on he men with wrists like fenceposts, on a woman(or scrawny boyos like me) it would start to look silly. It's also awkward in execution, but again that's down to its size constraints.



RejZoR said:


> So, basically what you're saying is that my Citizen Titanium and the Xetum above in the banner look horrible because they have round case and no lugs? Talking of subjective...


I think size makes a difference with this particular design. At or under 40mm it can work and work well, but at the 43 mm of the Moto it tends to have the "hockey puck on the wrist" effect. Lugs extend the design into the wrist and strap. Without them you have to have some real design skill to get away with it. The Moto designer(s) did a fine job, but were pretty constrained.


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## kingk

Watches by SJX: What The Watch Industry Thinks Of The Apple Watch

Opinions from some of the big boys in the industry (Yes they include people like *Maximilian Büsser, **Felix Baumgartner, **François-Paul Journe & **Kari Voutilainen)*


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## BarracksSi

kingk said:


> Watches by SJX: What The Watch Industry Thinks Of The Apple Watch
> 
> Opinions from some of the big boys in the industry (Yes they include people like *Maximilian Büsser, **Felix Baumgartner, **François-Paul Journe & **Kari Voutilainen)*


Interesting. They're all over the place, just like WUS. A couple say that they'll get one for themselves.


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## BarracksSi

hydrocarbon said:


> Here are some thoughts from an actual watchmaker:
> 
> Tick Talk » Apple Watch


That's a curious post. I think he's grasping at straws, though. Apple's been taking even more of a hands-on approach to repair, even adding screen replacement machines to their retail stores.

Apple has long prided themselves on "making the whole widget," being singularly responsible for the entire object, software and hardware. It's not like other computer companies where multiple vendors are responsible for different parts of the box ("Oh, that's not our problem, you'll need to contact the graphics card manufacturer"). If there's a problem with your Apple device, you can take it to Apple.

Whether Apple provides the tools and parts to traditional watchmakers and watch repairers is another story. Apple doesn't have to supply the current iPhone repair businesses that you see in small shops and mall kiosks, but that hasn't stopped that particular repair market; I can buy batteries and screens myself. It wouldn't be any different for watchmakers-if the parts ever become publicly available.


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## Ed.YANG

*What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch? ...according to NON OFFICIAL CONCEPT...*

...probably a first answer from prestige brand...
















...but instead of using "prestigious" iOS, open source Android may be the chosen one...
Could this Rolex smartwatch be the ultimate wearable?


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## BarracksSi

*Re: What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch? ...according to NON OFFICIAL CONCEPT..*



Ed.YANG said:


> ...but instead of using "prestigious" iOS, open source Android may be the chosen one...
> Could this Rolex smartwatch be the ultimate wearable?


Maybe. The hard part for Android has been getting any OS updates out to existing devices.

What happens now with smartphones is that Google brings out a new version of Android, then the device manufacturers have to test it and modify it for their own gadgets, then they push it out to cell phone carriers who may want to modify it further with their own apps or widgets, then it finally gets pushed out to consumers... _if they're lucky_ that the phone they have will run the new OS at all.

I'm not wholly convinced that watchmakers understand, or are ready to support, OS updates for their watches. Citizen took at least a couple years to figure out how to update their Proximity watches, but hopefully they've got it down by now. I haven't looked into whether Casio is handling their BT-enabled watches any better.

If Samsung ever gets their "in-house" Tizen OS up and running, they won't have to rely on Google for anything. They'd be smart to not leave their Gear owners in the lurch with aging Android software, though.

Software support remains one of Apple's strengths. It's why they pushed to keep carriers out of their iPhones (notice you'll never see an iPhone with a silkscreened carrier logo or carrier-specific software). Apple can update the phone themselves without going through all the middlemen, ensuring that the newest OS and all of its features, including security updates, gets onto as much of the installed base as possible. It's the same with their computers, iPods, and iPads, and it'll be the same with their Watch.


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## Lord Monocle

Arthur M said:


> Seems like they aren't ready to annouce it yet:
> 
> Report: Apple Watch Battery Life Is "About A Day" | The Escapist
> 
> That being said, the first comment encapsulates it for me:
> 
> "How hard is it to charge something every night? I mean, you do it for your phone, why not for your overly expensive watch that you don't need?"
> 
> Now only if they'd make the charging wireless (I'd settle for close proximity charging) and dropped the price just a little.


It's induction charging through the back as I understand. You aren't plugging anything into any ports in the watch. If that's your worry, worry no longer.


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## Stainless

Wibbs said:


> Another area I think folks are missing and what Apple may hit is ladies watches. And I reckon it's the market they're after hence they offer the smaller size, a huge range of straps and stuff like heartbeat sharing and all that. WIS types(and techie nerds) tend to be male biased so won't see this angle as much, but it's a market that's half the world and one not really tapped into in the watch world. Especially at that pricepoint. The original coloured imac sold bucketloads to women(and non nerds) because it was a computer that wasn't a beige nerdbox. The iphone itself is much more likely to be bought by women than the various android phones are. IMH while men will tend to be the early adopters it'll be the ladies who will make or break the apple watch.


This is right on the money. One of the continuing obsessions in phone design is thinness. This is directly related to pocketability. People don't like bulky phones messing up the line of their clothing, if they are at all fashion conscious. Even if you like utilitarian clothing, a thick phone constricts your movement.

And a feature that is very common in male clothing, that is rare, or entirely absent in fashionable clothing for women is _pockets._ The Apple watch is far more communication oriented than people realise. Outside of the crown controller, there is one other button. That button is dedicated to activating the communication functions of the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch bridges the gap between your pocket/bag/purse, and _you_.

Casio, and Seiko, and anybody offering watches above entry level at a 'premium' are in trouble. They are going to have to step up their game.

And high end manufacturers? They should look at the iPhone. In fact, they should check in their pocket, and in their customers pockets. The iPhone is a direct competitor to luxury brands in the mobile device market. So much so, that there basically are no competitors. I live in Singapore, and I have never seen a single customer in a Vertu store. There is a market for a tiny number of consumers with vulgar money. And then there is the iPhone. And the low end configuration of the high end iPhone design starts at $199.

The Apple watch has lifted the design cues of watches in the 4-5 figure range, and it has replicated them credibly. Apple do not have a high end watch business to cannibalize if they offer a compelling product in the $350-1200 range.

Regardless of the outcome, this is a very, very interesting time to be in. A consumer electronics company known for distorting product markets through design innovation has set its sights on horology.


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## tony20009

Seaurchin said:


> *What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch?*
> 
> *Threat From Apple Comes After Exports for Luxury Swiss Watches Reached $23.3 Billion in 2013*....
> 
> Still, the Apple Watch, which has been forecast to sell up to 30 million units in its first year of availability, has promised the biggest upheaval the Swiss industry has faced since competition from cheaper Japanese quartz watches brought it to its knees in the 1970s.
> 
> ...


You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
― R. Buckminster Fuller, _Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth _

Unfortunately, what traditional watchmakers have to say about the Apple Watch (AW) doesn't hold a lot of water with me for several reasons:

As far as I know, no watch company sells 30 million units per year. Forgetting about price point parity between the AW and traditional watches (TW), that sort of volume is sure to affect the entire watch industry.
TW makers know that most consumers are not going to wear both an AW and a traditional watch at the same time. If consumers try a AW and like it, they may, as one maker suggested wear it for limited purposes initially, but over time, as the AW becomes more and more integrated into their daily routines, folks will wear a TW less and less. That's going to be so for watch consumers at all price points.
The competitive threat the AW poses will, for low-price consumers, pose an "either or" situation as goes TWs.
For high-end watch companies, the competitive threat is not "either or" as noted above, but rather, a "what's the point?" issue. That is to say, I suspect high end consumers will ask themselves, "Why buy another pricey watch when I wear my AW so much that I hardly have opportunities to wear the ones I have?" I know that if I buy an AW and find it's usefulness/functionality compelling, I'll certainly ask myself that question.
TW makers aren't about to go so far as to have something unabashedly positive to say about a product that could for all intents and purposes push their offerings to a status equal to that of fine tapestries and record players, in other words, obsolescence. Once consumers deem one's product obsolete, one's business is done for. Sure, a few watch companies will always remain in business if the AW does make TWs obsolete, but if obsolescence for TWs be what's coming, the question will be which company or two survive. For now, although I don't know which way the tide will flow, I'll just say that I won't be buying any watch company stock in the near future.
One thing I don't know about the AW is whether it is designed to allow easy integration with non-Apple devices. If it is, it's very possible that the TW industry will be shrinking very dramatically very soon.

I've said it before, and it's worth saying again: every piece of technology ever made sooner or later becomes obsolete. It's never a question of whether that will happen, but rather when. The more basic the tech, the longer it takes for that to happen, but happen it will. Even though nothing's yet come along to make hammers and screwdrivers obsolete, eventually something will. Watches have had a good run, but that run may well be coming to a close.

The AW and its success (or lack thereof) is, if nothing else, going to be an interesting saga to watch. Apple are pitting practical values of convenience, utility and functionality in a head-to-head battle against romantic notions and, to a lesser extent, fashion. They are clearly seeking to redefine what the term "watch" means. Clearly, in Apple's mind, it means an information providing device worn on a wrist, but telling time is but a fraction of what such devices will do.

All the best.

An old dream with a shiny new veneer. It's fascinating, you know, how an obsolete madness is sometimes adopted and stylized in an attempt to ghoulishly preserve it. These are the days of second-hand fantasies and antiquated hysteria. 
― Thomas Ligotti, _The Nightmare Factory_, "The Chymist"


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## Triton9

Will Apple released a luxury apple watch version made of 18k gold?


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## BarracksSi

Stainless said:


> And high end manufacturers? They should look at the iPhone. In fact, they should check in their pocket, and in their customers pockets. The iPhone is a direct competitor to luxury brands in the mobile device market. So much so, that there basically are no competitors. I live in Singapore, and I have never seen a single customer in a Vertu store. There is a market for a tiny number of consumers with vulgar money. And then there is the iPhone. And the low end configuration of the high end iPhone design starts at $199.


Just saw this article mentioning LVMH and TAG's smartphones:

http://m.tuaw.com/2014/09/12/maker-...apple-watch-lacks-prestig/?ncid=rss_truncated



> The phones, sporting features like genuine leather and one which is studded with 1,007 diamonds, have embarrassingly meager specs. With 3.5-inch low-res screens, and running Android 2.2 (circa 2010), there's nothing about these devices that would compete with even the most modest smartphone in 2014, much less a flagship device from any major manufacturer. Of course, that doesn't change their price tags.
> 
> So if we're going to judge the potential success of the Apple Watch, basing it on the predictions of someone who thinks a $10,000 diamond-covered bargain-bin smartphone is a solid product probably isn't the best idea.


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## BarracksSi

Triton9 said:


> Will Apple released a luxury apple watch version made of 18k gold?


http://www.apple.com/watch/apple-watch-edition/

At least it appears they'll keep the cost a bit lower by not offering a gold bracelet option.


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## tony20009

*Re: What Do The World's Top Watchmakers Think of Apple Watch? ...according to NON OFFICIAL CONCEPT..*



Ed.YANG said:


> ...probably a first answer from prestige brand...
> 
> [pics deleted]
> 
> ...but instead of using "prestigious" iOS, open source Android may be the chosen one...
> Could this Rolex smartwatch be the ultimate wearable?


The idea of prestige watch brands and computer technology doesn't resonate with me. Rolex, PP, AP, _et al_ would be about the last companies I'd look to for a smart watch. Computer software design just isn't a core competency for those companies.

I might consider a gold Apple Watch, but my buying one is not likely. I don't buy high end watches for prestige purposes, although in my earliest years of collecting, that did have something to do with it to a small extent. I buy them because the specific designs I choose aren't something I can get from a non-prestige brand. I'm willing to pay the outrageous prices those brands require, but if I didn't have to, I damn sure wouldn't.

Heck, the main reason I wear a watch is because nothing has yet been invented that provides a more convenient way for me to know the time of day. That said, when, for example, I'm driving a car, I look to the clock in the driver's instrument panel or central dashboard, not my watch, to know the time. If I'm in a room with a clock on a wall, I'm more likely to glance at it than I am at my watch, provided I can see the clock by just shifting my gaze and not my body. Even at a computer, it's the clock at the bottom of the screen I look at.

All the best.


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## migo

wtma said:


> I can't imagine a member of Board of Commisioners or Directors, or CEO in some multinational company, wearing an Apple Watch.


What about a Casio AQ230?


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## wtma

migo said:


> What about a Casio AQ230?


Honestly, I find that more appropriate than wearing a watch that look like a kid's toy.


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## tony20009

wtma said:


> Honestly, I find that more appropriate than wearing a watch that look like a kid's toy.


What about these watches makes them look like a child's toy to you?

All the best.


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## wtma

tony20009 said:


> What about these watches makes them look like a child's toy to you?
> 
> All the best.


They do.
Man it's not about the shape or material. It's that digitalized analog watch face. You know those clock widgets people put on their websites, it is like having one on your wrist. Of course there may be an option to display numeral time. It's better, but still I don't find it as a replacement for real watch. It's a bracelet with functions, smart bracelet. Still a bracelet, no matter if it's smart enough to tell time. They should've positioned the product that way.


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## migo

Damn. Some people are trying really hard to justify the worth of their existing watch collection.


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## StufflerMike

World's top Watchmakers ? Who ? What I am missing ? Montres Erard a world's top watchmaking brand ? A manager of a V&A boutique in Zürich ? Nice joke.


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## watermanxxl

I hear that, over at ETA SA, they're printing the user manual of the Apple Watch on rolls of toilet paper. LoL. (Not true...) But, wouldn't that be funny?


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## tony20009

wtma said:


> They do.
> Man it's not about the shape or material. It's that digitalized analog watch face. You know those clock widgets people put on their websites, it is like having one on your wrist. Of course there may be an option to display numeral time. It's better, but still I don't find it as a replacement for real watch. It's a bracelet with functions, smart bracelet. Still a bracelet, no matter if it's smart enough to tell time. They should've positioned the product that way.


I think you and I will just have to agree to disagree on this matter. The AW is more than just a bracelet and it's more than just a watch. I see it as having the potential to displace watches on many a wrist, perhaps even most people's wrists, because, quite frankly, most people aren't "into" watches. I also happen to think that the watch industry doesn't give that much of a damn what watchies think one way or the other on matters that affect the overall strength, profitability and survival of the mechanical watch industry. Watchies may be able to keep a small watch company in the black, but all the WIS purchases in the world cannot sustain an industry comprised of Omega, Seiko, Rolex, Citizen, Swatch, and all the rest of the large companies. You, I guess, do not see it that way.

I don't think it looks as nice as my nicer looking watches, but I'm not going to wear both the AW and a conventional watch. For me if or when the time comes, it'll be one or the other. The driving factor for me will be the extent to which the functionality of the AW is important enough to me that I will forgo the romantic and aesthetic appeal of a traditional watch in favor of the utility of the AW. Right now, it's too soon for me to make that decision for myself.

All the best.


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## BarracksSi

Swatch inventor: Swiss watch industry missed the smartwatch boat - SWI swissinfo.ch

*



swissinfo.ch: Should the Swiss watch industry fear the smartwatch invasion, as suggested by Apple's chief designer Jonathan Ive?

Click to expand...

*


> Elmar Mock: Switzerland has already lost the wrist war. Only one of every 200 watches produced [worldwide] is a Swiss watch. However, the profit made on that one Swiss watch is greater than that of the other 199 combined. So, we've won the profit war.
> 
> Swiss watchmaking has transformed a watch into mechanical jewellery that represents the ingenuity of manual craftsmanship. It has also excelled in design, marketing and communication. Smartwatches are not going to completely replace mechanical watches just like the Kalashnikov assault rifle is not going to make samurai swords any less desirable.
> 
> On the other hand, Switzerland has missed a tremendous opportunity and it is shocking that the leaders of the watch industry do not find the smartwatch market a tempting prospect. This market could be worth $30 billion (CHF28 billion), assuming a realistic figure of 100 million smartwatches sold every year. This amount would benefit the entire Swiss watch industry.


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