An In-Depth Look at Apple Watch Band Options and Potential Pricing

[AppleScruff1]

I agree. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the Edition watch priced without the band. I once accompanied a friend into a Louis Vuitton shop, where he bought a small address book for about $500. The pages were a separate product priced at $45.

Maybe on the Edition Watch, but that will have next to zero impact on the majority. Or maybe the Edition will come with a certain band or choice of bands and the rest will be optional. Just throwing it out there for thought.

 

[iJon]

I am hoping that the stainless steel version is around $500-$600 range, which I'm prepared to purchase. If it's close to $1,000, it's highly unlikely I'll buy it. If the only affordable Apple Watch is the bubbly, colorful, sport models, then I doubt I'l be buying one.

I understand they might go crazy with the price of the gold models and that's fine and to be expected, but I hope the other models are within reach.

 

[StyxMaker]

Yep. This is exactly the problem with a gold apple watch. It will have as big of a market as the aftermarket gold iphones.

Luxury items are suppose to last a really long time. You can own multiple different ones sure (handbags, expensive coats, watches), but you would never just throw the old ones away. They hold value.

The minute you put a piece of technology into it, the "value holding" aspect is out of the window. It's as gimmicky as a modded civic to sound like a ferrari.

And that's the bigger problem with the apple watch as a whole, the thing is SO gimmicky. I can tap heart beats to my friend? I can use it as a walkie talkie? I can use it as a Apple TV remote??? Seriously, WHO WEARS A WATCH WHEN THEY ARE HOME WATCHING TV???

Apple couldn't even figure out a use case for it so they just threw in everything and the kitchen sink as a feature. All i can say is, good luck.

I'm home, watching TV, and wearing one of my watches.

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Until about a year ago, the Swatch group was the only company selling mechanical movements (those with automatic 're-winding') to other watch makers. And not too long before that Swatch had threatened to stop doing so which helped spur a competitor to offer such movements.

Does Swatch sell such movements that are made in China? I have a mechanical watch I bought about seven years ago with a movement made in China (still working).

 

[TommyA6]

I assume the Sport will start at $349, the Watch at $549, and the Edition at $999, maybe even $1,999. Apple wants to sell these to everyone, not just the wealthy.

As others have indicated, you can't price a watch that only lasts three or five years with a Rolex that could last fifty years (and retains the same functionality).

And I think Gruber is wrong about the straps: the modern buckle will be available on both the 38mm and the 42mm. From Apple's website, describing the modern buckle leather band:

"This band is available in soft pink, brown, and midnight blue"

If it were just for the 38mm, I think they would say so.

It will have that much in gold only (probably more), and that means even with Apple's normal margins it will cost $3000+. What's more likely is Apple going for even higher margins for the Edition watch, so the $4999+ price isn't really unlikely. Now, if you add a nice leather band, with golden buckles to your watch, the price easily rises to $5999+. If Apple introduces an 18K gold link band (as Gruber speculates), the watch will easily pass $10k, and could approach $20k.

That's what sport edition and regular apple watch are for.

 

[alco]

Left to Right

I find Gruber's comment on prices of the bands interesting.

"Sport Bands are surely the least expensive. Link Bracelets, I’m almost as sure, are the most expensive. I think Apple placed these models in order from least to most expensive, going from left to right. (Including the fact that 38mm models will cost slightly less than their 42mm siblings.)" - Emphasis mine.

He doesn't use his own logic consistently. If Apple is listing the prices of things lowest to highest, left to right, wouldn't they do that consistently? If so, that means the Apple Watch, not the Apple Watch Sport, is the cheapest model. I personally think this stands a fair chance of being true as the Apple Watch model is the one most prominent in the videos.

 

[sulpfiction]

problem being that those things are still just electronics / toys that get outdated and judged by its specs at the end of the day so those price drops will be significant as soon as the next gen or two comes along. I don't see them holding much of its value unlike real watches.

95% of the cost of the edition watch will be the gold content. Which may actually increase in value. I'd be willing to bet that those "specs" u refer to account for less then $100.

 

[gnasher729]

do you think it's easy for a user to replace the battery? That's all I care about.

So why didn't you say that? I said it's easy for Apple to replace the battery in an iPhone or iPad or MacBook, and you incorrectly said it's not. Apparently you knew that I was right all the time, but you had to contradict because it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

 

[StyxMaker]

Seriously, why?

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Not speaking about smartwatches, just about mechanical watches, your post is verging blasphemy.

You can't find any good watch for 200$.

That would depend on what you mean by 'good'.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I'm sorry, I don't care what track record John Gruber has, his pricing estimates and retail expectations are way off. There's no way Apple won't sell the bands alone as accessories after they've emphasized how easy it is to swap them out. And, of course, his prices are way too high all around, especially for the Edition.

I always have thought Gruber gets paid solely to be wrong.

 

[brewcitywi]

re: pricing

I see how the pricing could be tiered by this article. I like the stainless steel case better...but, with a sapphire crystal, it could be significantly more expensive than the aluminum cases...we'll see I guess!

 

[StyxMaker]

Even for 3000$ would be the same.

You just can't compare an Apple watch to a Rolex, an Omega or something like that.

That's insane.

No, they can't be compared, the Apple Watch will have more functionality than those other watches.

 

[Phobophobia]

So why didn't you say that? I said it's easy for Apple to replace the battery in an iPhone or iPad or MacBook, and you incorrectly said it's not. Apparently you knew that I was right all the time, but you had to contradict because it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

i never said that it wasn't easy for Apple to replace batteries. Just because I disagreed with one sentence doesn't mean I was contradicting your entire post. Maybe you should calm down and realize that I am not here to antagonize you. Arguing on the internet is often pointless and frustrating.

 

[StyxMaker]

Wrong. You can get a lot of good cars for less than $100.000, and a lot of good TVs for much less than $5000, and quite a lot of good shoes for half the price you wrote..... But clearly you don't know what a good watch is.

Your definition of a good watch and mine are probably different.

 

[manu chao]

EDIT: I do apologize for the typos. The combination of poor skills in writing in English and Danish auto correct on my iPad seems to be a recipe for disaster. I hope you'll forgive me.

Do you know that if add an English keyboard, switching to that keyboard also switches the auto-correct to English?

 

[StyxMaker]

A cheap watch could easily be seen as a tool.

But when you speak about better watches, they are more similar to jewels than tools.

Every watch is a piece of technology. Some use old technology, others use new technology. People choose what technology they want to use and other people's choices have no effect on me.

 

[Rogifan]

I find Gruber's comment on prices of the bands interesting.

"Sport Bands are surely the least expensive. Link Bracelets, I’m almost as sure, are the most expensive. I think Apple placed these models in order from least to most expensive, going from left to right. (Including the fact that 38mm models will cost slightly less than their 42mm siblings.)" - Emphasis mine.

He doesn't use his own logic consistently. If Apple is listing the prices of things lowest to highest, left to right, wouldn't they do that consistently? If so, that means the Apple Watch, not the Apple Watch Sport, is the cheapest model. I personally think this stands a fair chance of being true as the Apple Watch model is the one most prominent in the videos.

View attachment 531234

No, stainless steel, sapphire and ceramic will be more expensive than aluminum and glass.

 

[MH01]

Why? Because luxury watches get handed in for servicing on a regular basis. So this is already part of the process. Apple could offer this to the Edition folks only. Walk in hand over watch and $500 and Apple puts a new set of internals (cost including labor, $200) and you come back and pick up a better watch. Apple makes a profit on the transaction and the rich person does two trips to the Apple store (probably picking up a new iPad on a whim while there).

Cause Apple can sell a brand new watch to the rich person every year . Why take £500, when you can take $5k?

Same very good reason apple never offered a cup upgrade program on the very expansive Mac pros. you could buy a new one. It's beneth apple and thier profit margins to offer "upgrades"

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No, they can't be compared, the Apple Watch will have more functionality than those other watches.

Owww dear....

By your logic, the below is better than a omega , Rolex etc

http://www.klepsoo.com/en/watches/casio/casio-collection/dbc-611e-1ef.html?reffr=FRGL&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=catalog&ifrom=GB&utm_campaign=Froogle-GB&gclid=Cj0KEQiAvKunBRCfsum9z6fu_5IBEiQAu4lg4sEH-sEvbDH8r7zBToFs2BB0SIjlnLnYBcYF42xbJtsaAhwO8P8HAQ

The comparisons to real watches need to stop, the apple "watch" is an iPhone accessory, the others are real mechanical watches.

If people want to compare the features of the apple watch, they should compare them to android devices to cheap electronic watches, not Swiss made pieces. For me an apple watch is potentially a great gadget but a toy compared to a real watch.

 

[Max(IT)]

perhaps the battery or the processor will be replaceable but even that is far from a given IMO. Gruber and company are pushing an idea of a completley modular watch (for reasons you mention) but it's a pipe-dream
which completely discounts the technical limitations of such strategy. making things swappable always costs space. always. they don't solder RAM onto the motherboard in MBA to kill upgradability but to make it as thin as possible. This will be doubly true for the watch. every mm of thickness and mg of weight will count there.

next, miniaturization progress never stops. it is all but certain that in 2 years they will be able to make a watch that actually fits under a shirt cuff. but not if they lock into the current form. plus, what about adding extra functionality such as various new health tracking sensors. Apple is not going to lock themselves in like that. Regular people buying 350-1000 watches will be able to buy completely new ones every couple of years. Rich people who can drop 20k+ on a fashion item? I don't know how they think but I assume they can afford to buy a new one every few years too.


I think Edition IS aimed at the people who have money to burn and who can afford to drop that much money on an Apple Watch every two years. and that 850K number is a guesstimate by some analyst that should not be given too much weight.

Apple is not trying to make a watch or even a smart watch. they are trying to create a new market category as they did with the iphone. I am not saying they'll succeed but that's clearly their goal. Apple Watch will be even less a watch than an iphone is a phone. but calling it a "wearable computing device" is hardly sexy so they call it a watch. but telling time will be a very small and very minor part of what it does and Apple is not aiming at watch people here. they are aiming at the masses with the entry models and at rich people in general with Edition. so the horology comparison is mostly irrelevant here.

I missed the point where Gruber spoke about a modular watch.
I think he didn't.
The only "modular" part will be the band.
The modular concept was introduced in this thread, and I'm not convinced it would be an Apple's solution.

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do you think it's easy for a user to replace the battery? That's all I care about.

Do you think it's easy for ANY WATCH to replace the battery ?

 

[Arndroid]

How is this newsworthy? Gruber doesn't know any more than the rest of us. You might as well throw up an article asking MacRumors to guess what prices will be.

Actually he does as he talks to people with knowledge and information we are not privy to, not to mention he has seemingly been discussing this with knowledgeable people in both the tech and watch industries.

The watch will always tell time which is all 20k watches do now. People are way too hung up on the watch tech needing to be replaced every year.

Given the practical limitations due to the size of the device I suspect the first several generations will be very similar. Down the road we will see a major breakthrough but that could be five plus years away.

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But if it's a fashion accessory, how can you spend $10k on one knowing that in 12 months it will be half as thick? $10k for this is absurd.



Exactly - the value of these things will go to zero (besides possible scrap price for gold, etc.) in 12-24 months, guaranteed.

This is a disposable product - if it weren't, Apple wouldn't be in this market. Remember, Jobs said TV sets were a horrible business to be in because the turnaround is so infrequent. So this product has to be disposable, and a smart watch is almost by nature, so getting people to shell out retarded amounts of money for something that WON'T stand the test of time when they can buy a Breitling etc. that WILL stand the test of time is going to be pretty difficult.

What people are missing here is that people who spend a lot of money on watches usually tend to buy/collect them knowing they will have them for life, that they will never really depreciate much or go out of style. A good swiss watch is timeless, and buyers such as myself know this.

Not to mention, the Apple watch is just plain ugly, so it's not much of a fashion accessory IMO like a nice classic watch.

Rolex could introduce a watch half as thick in twelve months, that is irrelevant. People continue to miss the audience for these devices, especially the high end.

 

[Donoban]

Ain't it fun speculating about the Apple Watch?

I just saw an article on a website, what the iPhone will look like in 10 years. OMG, show me your click bait.

So I was thinking of starting a thread, what will the Apple Watch look like in 10 years. Anyone in? Lolz

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Maybe on the Edition Watch, but that will have next to zero impact on the majority. Or maybe the Edition will come with a certain band or choice of bands and the rest will be optional. Just throwing it out there for thought.

If you notice in the pictures, the edition bands have gold connectors. So it may be that you can only buy certain bands for the edition? Only time will tell.

I for one will be buying on release day. My horn is ready,

 

[Max(IT)]

I suppose you're right. But, just imagine the internal form factor to remain the same, thereby making it easier for a sort of trade in/upgrade program.

Of course, a business model requiring people buying new watches (much like they do now; regarding iDevices and to some degree PCs) does make more sense.

I just imagined it as a sort of way to lure people into some confidence, that their (potentially) four figure watch wouldn't be outdated or near useless within a half to an entire decade.

My laptop, runs just as good today as the day I bought it. It's an Early 2008 MPB (+ SSD). My phone (a 16 GB iPhone 4) still has some time left before it's passed on to my son (who is three years old) instead of buying him a brand new iPod Touch.

In that regard, I'm actually not a very good consumer. I use my tech until it breaks beyond repair or reason. I'm also not that interested in bling-bling or fashion statements - which also puts me outside the potential user base for the Apple Watch Edition. I could, however, imagine myself buying the Vanilla or Sport (TBH; they had me at the heart beat thingie).

On the other side, I do know some people who spend a lot of money on watches (Rolex, Tag Heuer and so on) an they are a different crowd entirely.

The Vanilla and Sport, have their own pretty - in my opinion - obvious target audience.
The Edition however, throws me off a bit. The 'easy' choice/reasoning would be to write the target audience off as being show-offs or that kind of thing.
But; what could be the reasoning for a 'typical show-off' to buy into what essentially is a piece of tech in gold? What does that do them good, other than being slightly more expensive?

It does sound a lot like, those hating on Apple users, for spending more than they should - just because of the Apple logo, finally have something to back them up.

But, like I said before. It was just a thought

EDIT: I do apologize for the typos. The combination of poor skills in writing in English and Danish auto correct on my iPad seems to be a recipe for disaster. I hope you'll forgive me.

I don't know. Being an Apple user for a very long time, I can't see them keeping the same design/form factor for more than two years in a row.
My idea is: they release watch 1.0, far from being perfect, they have success. One year later they release watch 2.0, correcting some things (i.e. better battery life, GPS receiver and so on) and have more success. Everyone try to copy. Another year later they release watch 3.0 with a totally changed design.


P.S. Don't need to apologize. I'm an Italian writing in English and facing the same problems

 

[Max(IT)]

That would depend on what you mean by 'good'.

Surely not one with a Chinese mechanical movement.....

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Your definition of a good watch and mine are probably different.

Considering the fact you are using a Chinese watch, I do agree: we have a different concept about a good watch.

 

[Mikes1]

And that's the bigger problem with the apple watch as a whole, the thing is SO gimmicky. I can tap heart beats to my friend? I can use it as a walkie talkie? I can use it as a Apple TV remote??? Seriously, WHO WEARS A WATCH WHEN THEY ARE HOME WATCHING TV

pretty much everyone who wears a mechanical watch but ironically you can't use that as a remote

 

[bobob]

Surely not one with a Chinese mechanical movement.....

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Considering the fact you are using a Chinese watch, I do agree: we have a different concept about a good watch.

Do you have an issue with the Chinese? Chinese manufacturing standards?

China manufactures the iPhone to exceedingly high specified tolerances in incredibly high volumes.

 

[Max(IT)]

Do you have an issue with the Chinese? Chinese manufacturing standards?

China manufactures the iPhone to exceedingly high specified tolerances in incredibly high volumes.

I definitely have issues with Chinese manufacturing luxury mechanical movements for watches. Definitely.