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$10,000 Apple Watch will be a status symbol
- Thread starter furam90
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That may be the most intelligent comparison yet. Those cars (as in a Rolex vs Apple watch) are at completely different ends of the spectrum and both extremely desirable to automobile aficionados, and the person who owns a ';61 E-type probably has a Tesla S P85 in their stable as well. Old School sexy and high tech sexy. A new Rolex Day Date with the Presidential band will set you back about $30,000.....and WILL not let you see your investment portfolio by pressing the "crown"
$10,000 model only sports a RUBBER BAND. I am not talking to that person.
Or... you pay an extra $7,000 (total of $17,000) to have a proper leather band. And no respect for this person.
The money's better off going to charity if people are that rich to buy a disposable watch for that kind of money.
Thanks. If I may, I'll leave a similar quote that I made six months ago on the Hodinkee blog, which encapsulates how I feel about it:
"As an owner of Rolex, Omega, Seiko, etc., mechanical watches are interesting to me, but they've never had to compete with wrist real estate in the past. The increased function of a smart watch, which, in Apple's case, is in a package that seems good enough, is making me reconsider just how important man jewelry is.
I kind of feel like I've been toiling away on my classic car in the garage for years, until one day, I say "screw it" and head towards the Tesla dealership. I can still go look at my classic car in the garage from time to time, or take it out for the occasional spin...although I may just sell the thing."
We also know Rolex is proven to retain and increase in value.
Not sure about Apple Watch Edition... the circuit board and battery inside the watch are not timeless.
Apple is positioning itself next to Rolex when Rolex has history and reputation as a watch maker. So Apple makes a gold version and thinks it should charge the same amount? The difference is Apple doesn't carry the same weight as Swiss watch companies. It thinks it can but I just laugh. But that's just me.
Because... with Apple Watch Edition... you are paying $16651 for the case and leather band - the innards do not last for generations like mechanical Rolex.
then again, depending on the car the value can just increase over time. a tesla won't. it has batteries, eventually batteries need to be replaced. gas engines can last forever if maintained properly.
Do we know that for sure? Rolex sells hundreds of thousands of watches per year, and there are millions upon millions of them on the market already. If smart watches take off, and they become as ubiquitous as smart phones, suddenly, there is a lot of wrist competition, which makes the future slightly hazier.
FWIW, if you go buy a new Rolex tomorrow, most models will take a hit on value once you walk out of the show room, like a car.
And they'd be right! The iPhone sales picked up majorly when it became subsidized at a $199. In other words, when they cut the price by 2/3.
but they'll last.
do you really think this watch will last 10 years? definitely not.
They kind of last. You do realize that you have to take in a Rolex for a $600+ service every 5 years to keep it working? I think my last service came to $850, if I remember correctly. Either way, I'm not saying it won't last. I'm saying that it may not hold the value that we've become accustomed to the last 20 years. Buying a used Rolex in the 80s wasn't nearly the expensive endeavor that it is now.
In the end, it probably doesn't matter. The Apple Watch is gunning for the Tissots of the world, which is the meat of the Swiss watch industry. The average Swiss watch price is around $750.
In my opinion, if someone needs to buy a $10,000 watch for the prestige, (read: perceived exclusive acceptance of others) that person is buying the watch for the wrong reason.
Character mixed with an affable personality and desire is what transforms a person, and gives them balance and depth that no material item can.
There will be some people who buy the watch for the potential rise in value (due to collector demand). The collectibles market is volatile. And a purchase of this caliber may not bring to the market what a Apple day trader might hope.
Character mixed with an affable personality and desire is what transforms a person, and gives them balance and depth that no material item can.
There will be some people who buy the watch for the potential rise in value (due to collector demand). The collectibles market is volatile. And a purchase of this caliber may not bring to the market what a Apple day trader might hope.
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That's the one and only reason to buy it.
Most people know next to nothing about different watches or what they cost. You could wear a $20,000 mechanical watch, but only 1 in 30 people might notice.
On the other hand, walk down the street wearing your gold Apple Watch and EVERYONE will know that you spent 17 THOUSAND DOLLARS on your watch.
Just be sure not to walk by any alleys.
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this is true. but say you go out and buy the gold/rose gold one. 5 years from now the battery won't hold a charge, or does not charge anymore. from the design and my previous experience as working at a tech in the genius bar, it looks like the battery isn't replaceable (like iPods/ipod touches/ipads/). so say you can't replace the battery. or you go to the beach and salt water ruins it. what happens then? after your 3yr apple care is up. at least with a rolex/patek/ other high end brands, you can get it repaired for a cost. in the end its a piece of gold with some electronics inside. not a hand made mechanical watch. you just spent over 10 grand and now you have to replace it. also, over time the battery gets depleted. first gen problems. for something so small apple won't try to fix it. they'll just want to replace it. i wonder what an out of warranty replacement cost would be for the edition model would be.
That's a good point, and that's why I sold my Rolex. People commented on it all of the time, which wasn't the point, for me.
it wouldn't be as flashy as gold/rose gold. people would mistake it for the cheaper model.