Can Apple Disrupt The Luxury Watch Industry With A $10,000 Smartwatch

[sco]

One thing I do think is that it will increase "wrist awareness" I bet more people will be looking at wrists to see if they've got the iwatch...

Other than that, I'm just not interested at this point. I mostly use Apple gadgets everyday and I would like to see the new product, but it will never fully replace my mechanical collection.

[sheldonsmith]

I follow the MacOS and iOS blogs during my commute. I have heard no one state how any of these "smart watches" with touch screen will survive going underwater, function underwater, and, have a crystal/screen thick enough to handle normal outdoor bangs/scratches, yet still work as a touch screen. I also don't see how a "smart watch" can run days out on the trail, boat, etc without being tethered to some sort of battery or electrical outlet.

Sure I'll be wowed on September 9 because of the rumored technological advances, but I don't see how any of these "smart watches" will replace a reliable mechanical timepiece out in the wild.

[Armyguy03]

Tissot has a touch screen that performs fine underwater, albeit to it's recommended submersion rating.

In the end I'll say this. I worked with guys who had the electric watch. After two months they all wanted a mechanical time piece. The iwatch has it's market, however the mechanical watch will ensure forever.

[CWIN]

Nope.

[HogwldFLTR]

iWatch, I won't. Every time I pull my iPhone from its holster and use it I think how obsolete it is next to the Samsung offerings that the rest of my family own. Frankly I've got no use for Apple products of any sort. Give me a Window 8.1 touch screen computer or tablet and a mechanical watch any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I think Apple lost its drive when Jobs died and that the iWatch is a boondoggle. The iPhone was a game changer but now that the game has changed they desperately need another one and the iWatch just isn't it.

[Randy9999]

It may not be the last day to sell our mechanical watches, but perhaps it would be a good day to consider investing in semiconductor companies that make chips for wearable technologies. This isn't the place to make specific stock recommendations (and neither am I making recommendations via private messages or email, for that matter), but a quick Google search in that regard may be worthwhile.

[Mystro]

More wishful, perhaps even delusional talk from Apple. Apple needs to go up on the Mountain to get focused again. As much as I like Apple products, they are without a focused leader.
This idea will fail for the same reason the general public doesn't wear a watch for purely function. The time is on your phone and the phone has become a intimate tool of daily life. A huge part of that interface is the screen and the smart watch can never physically replace that so it becomes a clever but useless toy for teenagers.

I'm sure Steinway was quaking in their boots when the Casio keyboard was introduced....

[smartson]

Its a very bold statement John made. Well, I am interested but my mind is already made up. Although I will be equally happy if Apple is able pull off the magic to prove me wrong.

EDIT: On second thought, if I have to choose between iWatch and a sub-1,000 quartz watch, or a fake, iWatch will win always.

[sco]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

iWatch, I won't. Every time I pull my iPhone from its holster and use it I think how obsolete it is next to the Samsung offerings that the rest of my family own. Frankly I've got no use for Apple products of any sort. Give me a Window 8.1 touch screen computer or tablet and a mechanical watch any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I think Apple lost its drive when Jobs died and that the iWatch is a boondoggle. The iPhone was a game changer but now that the game has changed they desperately need another one and the iWatch just isn't it.

You sure do have a lot of comments on something you haven't used or seen yet... Unless you have, which I stand corrected. I think we need to see what all the hype is about before casting too many stones.

Side note, I learned a new term today "boondoggle". Thank you for that.

[Degas]

"The enduring appeal of mechanical watches"


http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/0e850...#axzz3CpJyTIVw

[beshannon]

Why would I sell something that works perfectly well for the task it was designed for?

[dman]

Marketing hype and fluff, same way petrol cars were doomed once we had electric.

[ale70]

Originally Posted by Baco Noir

One major problem...let's see a smart watch passed from generation to generation. Each version will be obsolete in2-3 years, it's the way of modern technology.

2-3 months also...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jeronimo]

Well, if it was to be like that I believe we all would have stopped wearing a watch altogether, since we carry a clock in our cellphones...

Furthermore I can't escape the feeling of redundancy of having two devices, smartphone and smart watch, to perform the same tasks, isn't it?

I understand the gadgetry appeal of having multifunctions on your wrist, but is it so difficult to take the phone out of your pocket and look at it? Are we becoming that lazy?

I am convinced that our beloved mechanical pieces will be here to stay, at least as long as people can understand that an object that will bring long term joy is better than something that will only provide immediate and short lived satisfaction...

[The Submariner]

A woman I know said to me recently that her and her friends are secretly leery of any man who wears plastic devices on their wrist. She said there is nothing sexier on a man than a real watch......

I'll go with that...

[ltmgeller]

Don't believe the hype!

[smartson]

Damn it, the more I think about it, the more I think it is possible.

Looking back at the quartz watch revolution, although it didn't replace mechanical watch, it did disrupt and caused a crisis to watch industry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_crisis. As a result, it popularized the watch market and mechanical watch survived and strove in high-end segment.

On that note, wearable should have the ability to disrupt low end watch segment. I will be happy to see some brands go, particularly those who make cheap products by shamelessly copying others.

[T. Ferguson]

I only hope they've paid enough attention to detail to make sure the Apple on the crown is properly aligned when it's screwed down.

At this point in the proceedings I'd imagine Casio is more nervous than Rolex. I'm sure there are some division managers at Swatch Group like Swatch and Flik Flak who will not be sleeping well, though I doubt the Omega guy is one of them.

-----
It seems to me that if anything the smart watch will expand the overall market, especially in regard to young people, and should be a good thing for the prestige brands. A timepiece like Rolex isn't an entry level watch but more of an aspirational purchase so more people wearing watches should prove to be a positive in the long run.

[Nycturbovr6]

Rubbish

[Rolexfan11610]

I'll stick with Rolex. Any technology watches will probably range from $200 and up but after a year or two. Apple will launch the iWatch2 and the the iWatch2s and by then they will be worth $50 bucks and with Apple ios it will be slow as heck... No Thanks

[petee1997]

I own three Rolex watches, the last one being the BLNR. That being said, I can hardly wait for the new iwatch if it eliminates carrying my iphone all the time.

If the watch is the hot point for the browser in my car, that means messaging and email can be read on the larger car screen. Then of course when out of the car, I will have the Dick Tracy phone on my wrist. The new iphone 6 with the larger screen may eliminate my tablet. That will leave my lap top for serious work.

Looking at anyone under 45, a regular watch will go the way of the steam engine. Mechanical watches will only be a piece of obsolete jewelry worn by old people.

This is a great time to be alive.

[alubin]

I have to admit, although I am skeptical, I will be getting an apple watch. I just need to know what its all about. Will i sell my rolex's, HELLS NO.

[Horology.life]

As much as I love apple products, they're is no way, I would replace any of my mechanical watches and wear the 'apple watch'
I have an iphone, I don't need or want one on my wrist!

In my opinion nothing will ever be able to replace a mechanical timepiece that can last a lifetime and longer.

[bighaole]

Someone earlier said, "different markets" and I think that's exactly right. I was just following the CNN thing on Apple's announcement. The key is, it isn't a "smart watch" in the way that the current smart watches are just watered down smart phones. Apple made a new interface device, with new sensors, new input devices, and new output devices. So while it can do some "smart phone things" on a watch, it's really more about the different inputs it can gather (biometric, pressure sensitive touch, and the crown) and different outputs (it has additional shake modes to tell you information, without you having to look at the screen).

Don't think of it as a watch replacement, think of it as a wrist I/O device.

And that being said, I'm not swapping my Daytona for one anytime soon.

[HogwldFLTR]

Here it is...


http://www.apple.com/watch/design/

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

Here it is...


http://www.apple.com/watch/design/

Or rather here it isn't. Apparently Apple's big announcement today (yawn) was that the watch won't be available until 2015. And you need an iphone for it to function.

[Degas]

Well, after Apple's announcement I think the value of my mechanical watches just increased ..

[carreramay]

I wonder how many of geeks are going to fork over the $$$ for a rose gold Apple Watch that will be obsolete in a couple years. This is going the way of the Lisa.

[Degas]

Take your pick...

http://tumblr.hodinkee.com/post/9707...t-flint-center

[Jeffex]

Originally Posted by Chris B

Utter nonsense

X2