Apple Watch Outsold the Entire Swiss Watch Industry in 2019 (strategyanalytics.com) 114
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry by a huge margin in 2019. From a report: Apple Watch shipped 31 million units worldwide in 2019, compared with 21 million for all Swiss watch brands combined. Swiss companies, like Swatch, are losing the smartwatch wars. Steven Waltzer, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "We estimate Apple Watch shipped 30.7 million units worldwide in 2019, growing a healthy 36 percent from 22.5 million in 2018. A blend of attractive design, user-friendly tech and sticky apps makes the Apple Watch wildly popular in North America, Western Europe and Asia." From a CNBC report titled "Who's afraid of Apple? Not Swiss watchmakers..." in 2015, before Apple Watch went on sale: At the watch industry's leading trade show, BaselWorld in Switzerland, many companies were debating whether to head high-tech or stick with a centuries-old formula of watchmaking. The president of LVMH's watch division and CEO of Tag Heuer, Jean-Claude Biver, told CNBC that the Apple Watch, which will cost up to $10,000, cannot be compared to similarly priced Swiss timepieces.
Check back in 10 years (Score:5, Insightful)
In 2029, let's see how many of those 21 million Swiss watches are still working vs the 31 million Apple watches.
That's why Swiss watchmakers aren't too concerned.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Apple doesn't care... they want you to buy Apple Watch 2.0.
Sure, and they'll sell plenty of them. But so will the Swiss makers. They are really going after 2 different subsets of the market.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Smart phone in your pocket, with a clock, alarm and calender and as many time zones as you, why would you wear a watch. As for wearing jewellery as a man, oh yeah I know about that one, it makes my penis look prettier to gold diggers, yep uh huh. The pointlessness of poseur status, it makes you look possier than the other poseurs, big win, yeah right.
The day I bought a smart phone, was the day I stopped wearing a watch. Felt a little odd to start with but oh so much better there in after especially on hot d
Re: (Score:2)
My watch has a clock, alarm and calendar, as many time zones as you and also a battery life of several days longer than my phone.
My other watch hasn't needed a new battery for 14 years and has circumnavigated the world.
My nice watch gets worn from time to time and doesn't even have a battery.
Smart phone? Shit, why would I get a phone out of my pocket just to tell the time? Not that I have pockets while swimming in the Mediterranean, or in the Coral Sea, or the Caribbean.
Watches are awesome.
Odd take (Score:2)
In 2029, let's see how many of those 21 million Swiss watches are still working vs the 31 million Apple watches.
Probably few of them, meaning that people that love Apple Watches will have bought two of three in that time... vs. only having bought one Swiss watch, maybe 20 years ago...
That's why Swiss watchmakers aren't too concerned.
Because they don't have a recurring revenue stream the way Apple does? HMM....
That said I don't think Apple Watches replace what Swiss watches do, but Apple Watches are vastly
Re: (Score:2)
At some point the fashion will probably move to having an Apple Watch + Swiss watch, which is the real reason the Swiss Watch industry should not really be concerned.
No.
At some point the "fashion" will move to having Apple AR Glasses + an Apple Health Band.
But the Swiss watch makers will still have their once-per-generation customers.
Re: (Score:2)
Swiss watch makers will still have their once-per-generation customers.
Many if not most people who own Swiss watches own more than one, frequently they own many. Approximately nobody who appreciates fine mechanical craftsmanship is going to give them up for smart watches instead.
Re: (Score:2)
I would not be so sure of that. Those I know with Apple Watches wear them pretty much all the time, due to the multi functionality, which means even if they have a normal mechanical one (or several) it stays in the drawer - most of us only wear one watch at a time.
When it comes to wrist adornment, if 99% of time is spent with a computer on there, when it comes to buying the next device, what will you choose? Yes, there will always be a market for jewellery but where are the new customers going to come from
Re: (Score:2)
During the 1970's and 1980's people primitively thought that Digital watches were a pretty neat idea, there were some expensive and high style digital watches available during that time too. However the Mechanical Watch came back and the digital watch is seen as a cheap alternative.
The Apple watch, is cool right now, however the next generation of technology will make it seem out of date. And Tacky (like someone with a watch calculator today, apologies to anyone who still wears them, but sorry they do look
Re: (Score:1)
On the other hand the digital watch had basically the same functionality than the mechanical one and this doesn't happen with smartwatches.
Re: (Score:2)
My two main go-to watches are an Apple Watch 5 and an Omega Seamaster. I've had the Omega for years before Apple Watch was a thing. Whichever one that I wear on a particular day depends on my mood and whichever one I feel like wearing. I use my Apple Watch as a watch, I very rarely use any other part of the watch (I do dig the heart rate, and moreso the EKG built in, but I wish I could remove 90% of the 'apps' on there), I just like the way it looks, and it's incredibly light and comfortable. The bigges
Re: Odd take (Score:2)
You can remove almost all of the built in apps on an Apple Watch.
And thatâ(TM)s actually a Delete; not just a Hide.
https://www.igeeksblog.com/how... [igeeksblog.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Apple Watches are vastly more useful
Until the battery runs out after less than a day .....
Re: (Score:1)
If this is your case you might wanna think about buying a better smartwatch.
Re: (Score:3)
Because they don't have a recurring revenue stream the way Apple does? HMM....
Ironic. If people had to keep regularly replacing their mechanical watches, they'd think they were junk and start buying a different brand, but if people have to regularly replace their electronic watches, they consider that to be expected. Some things, like a fine mechanical watch, are made and expected to last, while other things not so much -- no matter how much they cost.
Re: (Score:2)
Which is why I wonder why the two are even compared as equals?
One is a multi-use electronic device that can display a time.
One is a single purpose time piece
It's like comparing the sales of motorcycles to that of bicycles... so what if one sold more than another?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why is them still working a good thing? Wouldn't a company rather have the customer keep buying new ones every few years?
Re: (Score:2)
Apple watches are gadgets retailing for a couple of hundred bucks.
Swiss watches often retail for tens of thousands of dollars, and are items of jewellery that often appreciate in value. Patek Phillipe watches start new at about $20,000, and their Grandmaster Chime sold new for $2.6M. A particularly rare example just went for $31M at auction.
So no, I'm not convinced that their owners would be pleased if they kept breaking all the time.
Re: (Score:2)
"Swiss watches often retail for tens of thousands of dollars, and are items of jewellery that often appreciate in value. Patek Phillipe watches start new at about $20,000, and their Grandmaster Chime sold new for $2.6M. A particularly rare example just went for $31M at auction."
IOW they are things that people put in a safe, not sure why they are compared to gizmos that call an ambulance if their owner gets a heart attack and keels over.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Depends on your business model.
Low sales and High Margins vs High Sales and Low margins.
A High end watch sale probably cover a year salary for the watch maker, if they can make and sell few dozen a year they are doing well.
If you are going to sell in bulk, your job as a watch maker will not be as rewarding, and you may have so many expenses that your company may not do well.
Being that every sale is vital to your business, you have invested interest in making sure the customer is happy with the product, and
Re: (Score:1)
That's why Swiss watchmakers aren't too concerned.
... Wouldn't that just be another reason for concern? Apple watches have obsolescence built right in. Swiss watchmakers can only wish they had thought of that, they've built their reputations on exactly the opposite and so they're screwed.
Re: (Score:2)
Companies like Patek Philippe pride themselves on their watches being passed down from generation to generation. The type of person who would appreciate an heirloom like this could possibly be the type of person who would want another piece at a little lesser value for a daily wear, so you end up with your $30k dress-up watch, and your $6k daily watch, it's still another sale, possibly a couple extra sales. PP is an extreme case where just getting your foot in the door will run you $20-30k.
Omega, Rolex, T
That's even worse for Swiss... (Score:1)
Apple will have a recurring business model, selling a new smartwatch every so often.
Swiss watches will just keep going for the next 20 years.
Re: (Score:2)
Swiss watches are designed to last for generations, an heirloom to pass onto your children.
Apple watches are designed so multiple generations of the watch will be needed fo the one person, and they will all be passed onto scrap metal dealers.
I say this as an Apple watch owner, and the owner of pocket watches owned by my great grandparents .
Re: (Score:2)
On 2007-05-04 I paid £69-99 for a Casio digital solar power WaveCeptor watch. I've worn it almost every day since, it still agrees to the exact second with the time display on this Linux Mint netbook and I've never seen it show a power level less than maximum.
That's what I call a smart watch and the bracelet clasp still works perfectly.
Re: (Score:2)
Not having to charge it up every night is a killer app.
Re: (Score:2)
Agree entirely! I hate having to charge devices - and few devices beyond a Kindle/nook/kobo have batteries that last longer than a day.
Re: (Score:2)
How does an analogue watch that is still working 10 years from now translate to sales of a new watch? Why would I need a new one when the old one is still working?
I can maybe understand buying a Rolex, or other high-end analogue watch as an investment to be rarely worn, but most people can't afford those watches.
The watch market seems to depend on selling watches to those people who don't already have a working one, whereas lots of people could conceivably want, use, and ultimately buy an Apple watch, even
Re: (Score:2)
This is comparing two different markets.
It is like saying Toyota is outselling Rolls-Royce
The Swiss watch tells time, but so can a digital watch you get out of kids vending machine.
However you don't get a Swiss watch just so you can tell time. But it is a jewelry item to be worn, and being you are paying so much for it, it better keep good time too. You keep this watch for 50 years, and you still look good with it.
The Apple Watch is just a device meant to supplement your phone, and offer some features, It
Re: (Score:2)
In 2029, let's see how many people still care about Swiss watches.
Apple has a built-in customer base with regular repeat sales. Swiss watches have a dying customer base and no repeat sales.
I know which one I'd bank on for the future.
Why? (Score:2)
I am certain that Coca Cola also sold out, by volume, the entirety of the French wine industry.
Or that Mattel shipped more toy cars than all the car manufacturer's combined.
Or that the dildo market output has far outpaced the number of penises per capita, globally.
But at least the people buying dildos are not deluding themselves about paying to get fucked by the product they're buying.
And they can stick it up their asses much more easily and safely than an Apple watch.
... and they will still be using Apple Watches (Score:2)
In 2029, let's see how many of those 21 million Swiss watches are still working vs the 31 million Apple watches.
Irrelevant. The important metric is how many of these Apple Watch users will still be Apple Watch users.
Apple will make great strides in hardware, health sensors and software while the Swiss watchmakers will replace a stainless steel bezel component with a ceramic component and charge $2K more.
That's why Swiss watchmakers aren't too concerned.
LOL, not concerned.
Re: (Score:2)
> That's why Swiss watchmakers aren't too
> concerned.
We're talking about totally different markets here. Would I *LIKE* an Omega Speedmaster 321? Of course I would. Who wouldn't? It's not just a fine piece of machinery. It's practically a work of art. I enjoy fine engineering for its own sake. And it would probably appreciate in value over the years; which is untrue of just about all electronics.
But some people like to go on about the "Apple tax"? Try the "Swiss Watch tax". That Omega... that
Different Devices (Score:5, Insightful)
The thing is that despite both being called a "watch", they are really different devices entirely. The apple watch is a tech device. Swiss watches are jewelry. This is almost like comparing laptop sales to diamond ring sales.
Re: (Score:2)
This. There's a real difference in perceived value between a finely-made, hand-crafted chronograph and some stupid piece of plastic and electronic junk. For impressing people, Tag-Heuer beats Apple junk every day of the week.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
True, true. My $10 Casio keeps great time, and it has water resist and light features too.
Women can't get enough of it, trust me!
Re: (Score:2)
There's something magical about precision engineering so advanced that they had to invent new materials to meet the tolerances required, that sets hitherto unattainable levels of timekeeping accuracy, and that can thus need correcting only as often as a $2 digital watch.
(I cheat: My three main non-mechanical watches all use GPS or atomic clock radio time signals to correct their time)
Re: (Score:2)
Most Swiss watches are not the "finely-made, hand-crafted chronographs". Many are inexpensive---even disposable---trinkets. (Think Swatch.) These low-end watches comprise the bulk of the Swiss watch sales (by part).
Low-end watch manufacturers are probably more concerned that less people are wearing watches because they are carrying a cellphone. However, I would not expect Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, and Patek Philippe would be overly concerned any more than Bugatti, Ferrari, and Auston Martin worry about
Re: (Score:2)
You mention Swatch as a cheap brand, but not a lot of people know that Swatch owns a LOT of high-end watch brands, and makes the movements for many brands that they don't own. Swatch is a powerhouse in the Swiss Watch industry.
I gained a whole new respect for them when I'd learned that. I still don't OWN a Swatch, but Swatch has gotten my money a couple times.
Re: (Score:2)
Many are inexpensive---even disposable---trinkets. (Think Swatch.)
You and the GP both missed the OP's point. Even a Swatch is nothing more than a piece of jewelry. Time is free, you have multiple devices around you that can tell it to you right now. The only reason to wear a watch that only tells the time is as a fashion accessory. For me that's a Breitling, for my partner it's a Swatch (she has about 8 of them and picks the one that suits her outfit).
Being cheap doesn't make Swatch disposable.
Re: (Score:2)
between a finely-made, hand-crafted chronograph
That probably isn't good for the one thing it was desinged for. You can spend $20k in a watch with a deviation of 3 seconds per day. That's almost 20 minutes per year.
But, yeah, it'll be a nice watch and some people will know that you have $20k in your wrist because, in the end, that's the true purpose of those watches. It's basically jewellery for men.
Re: (Score:2)
Yup, they're jewelry. And it's why I have a quartz watch - aesthetically nice, perhaps, but still quartz, and vastly more accurate than any mechanical.
Re: (Score:1)
Some people do, some people don't. Like all things.
Re: (Score:2)
I bet there were a lot more watches sold, luxury ones, than Apple watches. A LOT more.
I agree there were a lot more watches sold, but not the they were luxury ones - those have always been a more limited market, that I'm not sure has really shrunk much.
In the heyday of watches probably most watches sold were under $100, like the Timex LCD watches. Just practical timekeeping devices.
Re: Different Devices (Score:1)
I glance at the watch on my wrist to see the time and date. I am not one of those fools who carries my cellphone ever-ready, in the palm of my hand.
Price (Score:5, Insightful)
Toyota outsold Ferrari, so Ferrari should be afraid of Toyota right?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Again which segment would you use? I would guess the Swiss watch segment was the largest segment until Apple came along as not many people buy them anymore. There are GPS watches that runners/cyclists use but that is a small market. The comparison was not done as comparison of markets but a comparison of sheer numbers.
Let’s take an example of the computer industry. Intel wants to compare sales of their NUC computer line. It is a niche market. That are going to compare against the Mac mini as they are
Re: (Score:2)
I would guess the Swiss watch segment was the largest segment until Apple came along as not many people buy them anymore.
I'd imagine the most popular watches were (and possibly are since we don't see this comparison) standard quartz fare like Citizen, Casio, Timex, etc. as opposed to mechanical watches in the 3000-250,000 range
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's silly to compare Toyota to Ferrari, and much more relevant to compare Toyota to Porsche, the latter being part of a larger organisation more representative of the industry.
The Swiss watch industry includes everything from a $10000 Omega to a $15 Swatch. Incidentally both of those brands owned by the Swatch Group.
Re: (Score:2)
Ferrari is a brand owned by Fiat, if that helps?
Re: (Score:2)
"Toyota outsold Ferrari, so Ferrari should be afraid of Toyota right?"
Everybody outsells Ferrari, they make around 8000 cars a year.
Re: (Score:2)
No, Fiat outsold Ferrari, and now it owns it.
VW outsold Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche, wanna guess the result?
Re: (Score:2)
The air gets rarified up there (Score:2)
Swiss watches are a luxury item. Apple certainly didn't outsell watches in general. I've got a perfectly good Skagen that I'm very happy with. Let the high end brands fight it out, I can't afford them anyway (and wouldn't have an Apple watch even if I could afford it -- as others have said, it's not really a "watch").
Re: (Score:2)
Swiss watches are a luxury item. Apple certainly didn't outsell watches in general. I've got a perfectly good Skagen that I'm very happy with. Let the high end brands fight it out, I can't afford them anyway (and wouldn't have an Apple watch even if I could afford it -- as others have said, it's not really a "watch").
I have a couple watches (that I rarely wear), but my favorite is an Airborne Kommandirski watch my mom picked up in Poland during the Cold War. Not rare, but still a cool looking watch.
Re: (Score:2)
Swiss watches are a luxury item. Apple certainly didn't outsell watches in general. I've got a perfectly good Skagen that I'm very happy with. Let the high end brands fight it out, I can't afford them anyway (and wouldn't have an Apple watch even if I could afford it -- as others have said, it's not really a "watch").
I have a couple watches (that I rarely wear), but my favorite is an Airborne Kommandirski watch my mom picked up in Poland during the Cold War. Not rare, but still a cool looking watch.
I guess, if you like fugly...
https://www.amazon.com/Vostok-... [amazon.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Mine doesn't have that hideous orange band. We put it on a leather one.
Re: (Score:2)
I want something that provides functionality that I can't easily get with other products or that could combine the functionality of many other devices. Right now it just seems like an okay fitness tracker, but not really good enoug
Re: (Score:3)
Swiss watches are a luxury item. Apple certainly didn't outsell watches in general. I've got a perfectly good Skagen that I'm very happy with. Let the high end brands fight it out, I can't afford them anyway (and wouldn't have an Apple watch even if I could afford it -- as others have said, it's not really a "watch").
It tells time. I straps to your wrist.
I'd call that a "watch".
Re: (Score:3)
Swiss watches are a luxury item. Apple certainly didn't outsell watches in general. I've got a perfectly good Skagen that I'm very happy with. Let the high end brands fight it out, I can't afford them anyway (and wouldn't have an Apple watch even if I could afford it -- as others have said, it's not really a "watch").
It tells time. I straps to your wrist.
I'd call that a "watch".
Your cell phone tells time. You carry it in your pocket. Would you call it a pocketwatch?
Silly article... (Score:2)
Sure, you can call the Rolex jewelry if it makes you feel better, superior, or smarter. I don't give a shit. I've had mechanical automatic watches since 1986 - Rolex, Breitling, Glycine. I'm not going to change that now.
I think the Venn diagram of Swiss watch owners and iWatch owners has a small overlap, but most everyone looking into buying a Swiss watch isn't looking at smart watches and changing their min
Re: (Score:2)
Congrats on owning that model. Beautiful piece.
Why units sold? (Score:5, Informative)
So basically, Strategy Analytics got a bunch of sales stats, and asked themselves "how do we spin this so Apple ends up on top?" By every other metric, Swiss watch makers are ahead. But they ran a story about the single metric which showed Apple leading. I've noticed Apple fans do this a lot. When Android device sales eclipsed iOS device sales, they stopped talking about unit sales and instead began talking about sales revenue. When Android sales revenue eclipsed iOS, they shifted to talking about number of apps downloaded. When Android passed iOS there as well, they switched to talking about app revenue. I imagine when Android app revenue eventually surpasses iOS app revenue, they'll switch to average revenue per app. Always concentrating on a metric which shows their chosen platform ahead, ignoring other metrics even if they were the metrics they were advocating before.
Re: (Score:2)
Here’s some points about the comparison: 1)Apple watches will be replaced every few years whereas Swiss watches will be handed down like heirlooms. 2) Apple has only been selling watches for the last several years whereas the Swiss watch industry is hundreds of years old and Apple has just surpassed them. 3)Based on your own analysis, an Apple Watch is cheaper and thus more likely to be purchased by more people. In the future, Apple sales are likely to increase.
With that all in mind, they both serve d
Re: (Score:2)
Best use for an Apple watch (Score:4, Funny)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Well, duh... (Score:2)
There's a lot more Chinese in China to make Apple watches than there are Swiss in Switzerland to make Swiss watches...
The Apple Watch Isn't a Watch (Score:2)
The Apple Watch isn't a watch. It's a smartphone accessory (usually) and sometimes a temporary smartphone substitute. It's a "smart bracelet" that also shows the time and date. A standard watch and the Apple Watch (or any smart watch) are so different in capabilities, that it's inappropriate to compare their sales.
Comparing Apple Watch sales to watches is like comparing sales of a desktop computer to a typewriter.
Different beasts (Score:1)
There are boutique watchmakers who only put on 20 or so pieces a year but charge $200k per piece and have three year waiting lists.
Hopefully the Swiss watchmaking industry learned its lessons from the mistakes they made with the quartz movements.
They invented the movement but did not think it was as good as the mechanical movements they had until they were gutted by the Japanese who flooded the world with cheap but accurate watches made with them.
orthogonal markets (Score:2)
People shopping for a smart watch are not shopping for a Swiss watch, and visa versa. Except to own both possibly, to wear as needed.
Lifesaving device (Score:5, Interesting)
I am the type of person who always thought he would buy a Rolex before he bought an Apple Watch.
Last year my Dad was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib). This is apparently the root cause of all the small strokes he has had over the past 10 years, causing his dementia.
Based on his family medical history, there is a genetic component, because his decline mirrors the decline of his mother and grandmother.
I asked my Doctor about what kinds of symptoms I might expect as early warning signs of A-Fib. She didn't have a lot of answers, fatigue, tired, while helpful are too common for something so dangerous
Then I read that the Apple Watch 4's and 5's had a basic EKG function built into them, that is capable of detecting A-Fib. It isn't capable of detecting a heart attack, but it can detect this problem that is killing my Dad.
I bought one for myself within the month. I do an A-fib check once a month, so far no signs, but, if I get it, hopefully I will be able to get treatment before I start having strokes like my Dad did.
I haven't seen a Rolex or Tag Hauer capable of doing the same thing for me.
Re: Lifesaving device (Score:1)
There are numerous other devices you could have used for this once a month check. Many have a longer track record for accuracy and quality. And will not be depreciated and out of date two years from now.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The built in EKG is actually pretty nice. You do a 30sec reading by holding your finger to the crown and it will actually give you the entire reading as a printable PDF saved to your phone that you can share with a doctor. I think it gives you the option to email it straight away, too.
I've used it once or twice for that purpose and it really is pretty handy if that's your every day watch. I'm sure there are other devices that do this, but I haven't seen them. Do they give you a timestamped PDF of your E
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
I haven't seen a Rolex or Tag Hauer capable of doing the same thing for me.
It sounded like you wanted something that had a functional purpose instead of a fashion accessory. No one buys a Rolex for it's ability to do anything. They aren't even very good at telling time, easily outdone in accuracy and long term stability by a $10 Casio.
But honestly I think you either made a knee jerk poorly thought through decision or were looking for an excuse to buy something more functional. I wouldn't take medical advice from watch. The medical industry has countless certified devices for your
Re: (Score:2)
No one buys a Rolex for it's ability to do anything. They aren't even very good at telling time, easily outdone in accuracy and long term stability by a $10 Casio.
Do you honestly think people buy Swiss watches that aren't good at telling time? Certainly, battery powered watches are more accurate - but my day doesn't require 1/10sec accuracy.
As for not being able to 'do anything' - my watch can tell the time in three time zones, concurrently. Which is why I bought that model. I don't use that function as much as I once did, but I'm a sucker for a watch with a GMT complication.
m
Casio (Score:2)
And Casio likely outsold the Apple Watch. This of course means sales volume, as Casio watches are not ridiculously overpriced.
Several Casios' (Score:2)
The Casio G-shock watches I have (I think I have seven of them) are always ready for use, they are Solar powered and use the radio signal for setting them. I don't have to do anything other than deciding which one to wear.
When I look around my workplace, almost everyone is wearing a watch. However, I do not recall seeing a Swiss watch at all (and I do look
Re: (Score:2)
However, I do not recall seeing a Swiss watch at all (and I do look)
Maybe an industry or location based thing. I would say us engineers in Europe are pretty evenly split between expensive fashion accessories and Smart watches. In some cases even both, I know several people who wear their nice Swiss watches out on the town but wear their Garmins or similar to work to track steps, or go jogging or similar things.
About the only thing I see truly rarely are cheap watches, and that should be no surprise. You don't need a watch to tell the time. Time is available all around you.
You guys use watches? (Score:2)
How quaint.
Re: (Score:2)
No we don't. We wear watches. They are fashion accessories.
Re: (Score:2)
OK boomer
I want a stand alone smart watch. (Score:2)
I don't want a smartphone to be required. I will stick with my old school rad(ical) Casio Data Bank 150 calculator watch. ;P
Re: (Score:2)
It finally happened: slashdot hit peak nerd.
Comparing Casio to Rolex (Score:2)
Yes, the Apple watch (and all other smartwatches) are just very high end Casio watches. There is no way it would compare to a fine, hand crafted Swiss watch in terms of value, or even build quality.
This is like saying the McDonalds next to the gas station sold more food this year than the fine expensive restaurant in the most posh part of town.
Nurses (Score:2)
The #1 Apple Watch demographic: nurses. They have to have watches and before the Apple Watch came around they typically wore cheap pieces that were easy to clean. Next time you're in a hospital look around. You'll notice that like 90% of the nurses have Apple Watches. It's really useful for them because they generally can't pull out their cell phones.
I really don't think anyone who is considering buying a $5,000 TAG Heuer is considering the Apple Watch as their other potential option.
Fashion statements (Score:2)
Neither Swiss watches, nor Apple watches, are about keeping time. They are both fashion statements. Swiss watches doesn't even keep time all that well!
Apple has always been about fashion, and fashion is short-lived, so it's not surprising that they have overtaken another fashion industry that is hundreds of years old.
Re: Fashion statements (Score:2)
My Apple Watch is not a fashion statement. It is a digital tool for multiple tasks, among them the ability to tell time without fishing my phone out of my pocket.
Re: (Score:2)
Fashion statements and digital tools are not mutually exclusive. The fact is, if you want a smart watch, there are many other choices that cost a lot less. Choosing Apple over the competition isn't about function, it's about fashion--making a statement.