Apple Begins Shipping Gold Edition Watches to Early Pre-Order Customers

[whatos]

Look, I get the perceived glamour of the luxury watches.

Perhaps you "don't get it."
The glamour and luxury are very real, although it seems to be beyond your comprehension.

Personally, I think most of them are ugly gaudy and scream LOOK AT ME, I HAVE MONEY AND NEED YOU TO KNOW IT.

Be careful of your criticism, Apples entire brand was built in large part by hyping "look at me I have an "Apple" ______ watch, iPhone, iPod or other gadget with the well recognized logo.

 

[dirkaloha]

It does more than tell time

I believe a lot of negativity over the Apple Watch Edition and the Apple Watch in general is coming from:

• Someone who doesn't own an Apple Watch
• Someone who owns a Swiss made watch
• Someone over 50 years old
• Someone who can't afford to spend $17K or $349
• Someone who believes the Chinese have less skills than the Swiss
• Someone who works for a Swiss watch factory

Apple decided to make a change in the watch industry. They saw a potential market. They came up with a watch that does more than tell time. Will the Apple Watch have an impact on the Swiss made watches from now on? I believe both Apple and the Swiss watch companies are in for a big surprise. If you want a mechanical watch that tells time, then great. If you want a watch that does more than tell time, then that's understandable as well. Posting here why a Swiss made watch is better than an Apple Watch Edition is probably what the Swiss watch makers are thinking now. Unfortunately sometimes you have to Think Different

 

[nando87]

I believe a lot of negativity over the Apple Watch Edition and the Apple Watch in general is coming from:

• Someone who doesn't own an Apple Watch
• Someone who owns a Swiss made watch
• Someone over 50 years old
• Someone who can't afford to spend $17K or $349
• Someone who believes the Chinese have less skills than the Swiss
• Someone who works for a Swiss watch factory

Apple decided to make a change in the watch industry. They saw a potential market. They came up with a watch that does more than tell time. Will the Apple Watch have an impact on the Swiss made watches from now on? I believe both Apple and the Swiss watch companies are in for a big surprise. If you want a mechanical watch that tells time, then great. If you want a watch that does more than tell time, then that's understandable as well. Posting here why a Swiss made watch is better than an Apple Watch Edition is probably what the Swiss watch makers are thinking now. Unfortunately sometimes you have to Think Different

To be fair, call me skeptical but once you're majority then your thinking is the normal one. Thinking Different implies being far minority. Not today's Apple, if you want more clues.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

...Well, you know that Rolexes are completely CATIA-CNC machined don't you? It's just the movement that's hand-assembled because it's much simpler that way.

So, we have that:

1- Rolexes are mass produced.
2- Rolexes are created purely by machines, and assembled by humans (like iphones, but the assembly is more complicated)...

Let us see what professionals say:

"One of biggest misconceptions about Rolex is that machines build their watches. This is because traditionally Rolex didn't communicate much on this topic. Well the truth is that Rolex watches are given all the hands-on human attention that you'd like to expect from a fine Swiss made watch.

Rolex uses machines in the process for sure. In fact, Rolex easily has the most sophisticated watch making machinery in the world. The robots and other automated tasks are really used for tasks that humans aren't as good at. These include sorting, filing, cataloging, and very delicate procedures that involve the type of care you want a machine to handle. Most of these machines are still human-operated though. And everything from Rolex movements to bracelets are assembled by hand. A machine however helps with doing things such as applying the right pressure when attaching pins, aligning parts, and pressing down hands. Having said that, all Rolex watch hands are still set by hand via a trained technician."

("10 Things To Know About How Rolex Makes Watches" by Ariel Adams, Blog To Watch)

And these are the alleged "machines" that create Rolexes:

 

[Ulenspiegel]

...Apple decided to make a change in the watch industry...

What kind of change? Can you be a little bit more specific.

 

[laurim]

Lmao racist , China is known for the biggest counterfeit of goods. China does not have a good reputation and are affiliated with cheap products . That's why Apple doesn't put made in China on there products. Wonder why they put designed in California on there products ? It's much more appealing then seeing made in China. They put assembled in China designed in California. the only companie I know that does that. Companies don't manufacture here because they can pay people in China penny's on the dollar compared to here. Get your facts straight. Then you have huge tax rate here for business.

Rolexs hold there value.

They put "Designed in California/Assembled in China because it's true. I know someone who is trying to sell a product. It's designed AND made in China with a some input from him. Totally different.

Rolex watches only hold their value as long as other people who like Rolexes still want it. They have fashion and nostalgia value, not concrete value. Just like any other piece of jewelry. Sure, you could melt down the gold parts and pick off any gems but you wouldn't get the total value back by a long shot.

----------

Perhaps you "don't get it."
The glamour and luxury are very real, although it seems to be beyond your comprehension.

Be careful of your criticism, Apples entire brand was built in large part by hyping "look at me I have an "Apple" ______ watch, iPhone, iPod or other gadget with the well recognized logo.

And yet they are confident enough to not plaster their logo on it, unlike your luxury watches.

Your luxury watch obsession is "beyond my comprehension" because I think they are mostly ugly, gaudy and only tell time. To each their own. I'm amused how desperate you are to convince us of their worth, though. To me, your watch is worthless because I would never wear it. Your watch is kind of like stock. It's only worth money after you sell it and you better hope someone wants to buy it. You better hope the advent of smartwatches doesn't make your watches quaint dinosaurs no one wants anymore. Your kind could die off or watches only bought by hipsters trying to be ironic

----------

Let us see what professionals say:

"One of biggest misconceptions about Rolex is that machines build their watches. This is because traditionally Rolex didn't communicate much on this topic. Well the truth is that Rolex watches are given all the hands-on human attention that you'd like to expect from a fine Swiss made watch.

Rolex uses machines in the process for sure. In fact, Rolex easily has the most sophisticated watch making machinery in the world. The robots and other automated tasks are really used for tasks that humans aren't as good at. These include sorting, filing, cataloging, and very delicate procedures that involve the type of care you want a machine to handle. Most of these machines are still human-operated though. And everything from Rolex movements to bracelets are assembled by hand. A machine however helps with doing things such as applying the right pressure when attaching pins, aligning parts, and pressing down hands. Having said that, all Rolex watch hands are still set by hand via a trained technician."

("10 Things To Know About How Rolex Makes Watches" by Ariel Adams, Blog To Watch)

And these are the alleged "machines" that create Rolexes:

The funny thing is, when I glanced at that photo I thought it was to mock Chinese people assembling the Watch in a sterile factory

 

[Neil McRae]

My wife got hers yesterday morning and she absolutely loves it. It was half the price I paid for her Omega Ladymatic too !

 

[Keirasplace]

Mechanical (Swiss) watches have been assembled by hand. And yes, some parts are made, finished by hand even nowdays. In order to work in a Swiss watch factory, you have to finish a special school. And it takes years while you are allowed to assemble on your own. It is not magic, just an ability to make masterpieces and not gadgets.

Masterpiece my foot, they no more making masterpieces than Apple is. They're a well oiled human machines applying a well worn process, with well trained technicians and attention to quality and detail, no question, but that's it.

And no doubt the finish is fantastic, just like it would fantastic if each workers in any the factory spend a whole day polishing an object or any of its parts.

They're not machining those parts by hand, because its pointless and less precise to do it. And even if did crappier hand machine parts (because humans don't work at nanometer level), I wouldn't care either. Unless you think using a modern machine and entering the info from a cad station is "machining by hand"... In this case I guess they would do it "by hand" (sic).

Anyway. I don't care. This is a dying technology, within 10-15 years, they'll mostly be out of a job and on the street except for the few people in the world that cares that the exact same internals were worked on by humans for 2 days, instead of by a few robots working for 30 minutes. That's why 99.9% of people buy factory built cars and not hand formed and assembled ones.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Masterpiece my foot, they no more making masterpieces than Apple is. They're a well oiled human machines applying a well worn process, with well trained technicians and attention to quality and detail, no question, but that's it.

And no doubt the finish is fantastic, just like it would fantastic if each workers in any the factory spend a whole day polishing an object or any of its parts.

They're not machining those parts by hand, because its pointless and less precise to do it. And even if did crappier hand machine parts (because humans don't work at nanometer level), I wouldn't care either. Unless you think using a modern machine and entering the info from a cad station is "machining by hand"... In this case I guess they would do it "by hand" (sic).

Anyway. I don't care. This is a dying technology, within 10-15 years, they'll mostly be out of a job and on the street except for the few people in the world that cares that the exact same internals were worked on by humans for 2 days, instead of by a few robots working for 30 minutes. That's why 99.9% of people buy factory built cars and not hand formed and assembled ones.

You think too much of your foot.
No comment.

 

[uid15]

I'm gonna start selling "gold" chocolate coins at 1,000x face value of the originals upon which they are based...

 

[vito]

Don't usually link to the Daily Mail however it seems HRH Prince Andrew has received his - pics and story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-Apple-Watch-Buckingham-Palace-event.html

 

[Sandbag1]

Luxury items usually are examples of excellent craftsmanship. The edition is just a normal apple watch with gold. Plus unlike other 16k dollar watches it'll be obsolete in a year. A Rolex would last a life time or more.

Also, you should care about people wasting money. That money could have been spent making the world a better place instead of lining the pockets of Cook et al.

Get over yourself. Sell your Mac and any other item someone somewhere might think is a luxury and go back to using a pencil and paper and an abacus.

 

[uid15]

Don't usually link to the Daily Mail however it seems HRH Prince Andrew has received his - pics and story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-Apple-Watch-Buckingham-Palace-event.html

Eww those horrible comments on that site - what a bunch of goons.

 

[Sandbag1]

Im going to gold plate mine. That looks great!

Here ya go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czTjYlsct_k

 

[cbrand493]

I believe a lot of negativity over the Apple Watch Edition and the Apple Watch in general is coming from:

• Someone who doesn't own an Apple Watch
• Someone who owns a Swiss made watch
• Someone over 50 years old
• Someone who can't afford to spend $17K or $349
• Someone who believes the Chinese have less skills than the Swiss
• Someone who works for a Swiss watch factory

Apple decided to make a change in the watch industry. They saw a potential market. They came up with a watch that does more than tell time. Will the Apple Watch have an impact on the Swiss made watches from now on? I believe both Apple and the Swiss watch companies are in for a big surprise. If you want a mechanical watch that tells time, then great. If you want a watch that does more than tell time, then that's understandable as well. Posting here why a Swiss made watch is better than an Apple Watch Edition is probably what the Swiss watch makers are thinking now. Unfortunately sometimes you have to Think Different

Ummmm. You mean they jumped on the bandwagon that heaps of other smartphone manufacturers had done before them? Don't try and say apple came up with a revolutionary new design. They weren't the first to make a smart watch (or a decent one at that). The last thing Apple made that was truly revolutionary was the iPod and perhaps the original iPhone. Everything else has been done. A MacBook is just a laptop. An iMac is just an all-in-one computer. A Mac Pro is just a computer with a fancy case. Every iPhone since the original is just updating with newer technology (the making bigger phones was done by Samsung years ago. Apple realised big phones were popular hence the 6+). Apple watch was jumping on the smart watch bandwagon. iPad is just a tablet computer, been made for years.

 

[CFreymarc]

I hear that Jony Ives will personally be delivering them to the 5 people that could afford it....

I would not put it past that something like that would happen in the Bay Area near Cupertino.

----------

I believe a lot of negativity over the Apple Watch Edition and the Apple Watch in general is coming from:

• Someone who doesn't own an Apple Watch
• Someone who owns a Swiss made watch
• Someone over 50 years old
• Someone who can't afford to spend $17K or $349
• Someone who believes the Chinese have less skills than the Swiss
• Someone who works for a Swiss watch factory

Apple decided to make a change in the watch industry. They saw a potential market. They came up with a watch that does more than tell time. Will the Apple Watch have an impact on the Swiss made watches from now on? I believe both Apple and the Swiss watch companies are in for a big surprise. If you want a mechanical watch that tells time, then great. If you want a watch that does more than tell time, then that's understandable as well. Posting here why a Swiss made watch is better than an Apple Watch Edition is probably what the Swiss watch makers are thinking now. Unfortunately sometimes you have to Think Different

I have a associate that ordered TWO Apple Watch Editions and is expecting them next week. Both are immediately headed to a safety deposit box and going into cold storage with very little unboxing. He is convinced they will increase in value like many of the early Rolex Oysters.

----------

Don't usually link to the Daily Mail however it seems HRH Prince Andrew has received his - pics and story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-Apple-Watch-Buckingham-Palace-event.html

Love to see if it has a standard OS build.

 

[cbrand493]

I have a associate that ordered TWO Apple Watch Editions and is expecting them next week. Both are immediately headed to a safety deposit box and going into cold storage with very little unboxing. He is convinced they will increase in value like many of the early Rolex Oysters.

Good luck with that. What's he going to do when the iPhone iOS and Apple Watch OS get updated past what it supports and is no longer compatible? It'll only be worth the gold it's made of then.

Unfortunately it's not a watch that can be collected. It won't last forever more like a quality swiss mechanical watch will with the proper care and servicing. His best bet is to sell it now at a premium where the buyer won't have to wait however many weeks to get it from Apple.

 

[Abazigal]

What a waste for something that will be outdated in a year.

To put things in context, a 1st class air ticket costs over $20000. And it will be "outdated" in a couple of hours. And there are people who don't bat an eyelid over this.

Think about this long and hard.

I don't understand the furore either. Just because something is hand-made doesn't mean it's good or worth paying a premium for. Just because something is machine-made doesn't mean it sucks. Heck, my friend is still using a cheap casio watch he bought as a student for a few dollars more than 10 years ago and it still works. If you want to argue that a rolex lasts a hundred years, why not just save the money and buy 20 cheaper watches anyways?

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Here's the deal: Everyone needs to stop telling other people how they should spend their money.

1. No deal. People are never going to stop harshly judging the people on one hand who blow enormous sums on frivolities while the people on their other hand are starving and dying of preventable disease and are kept from education & stuck living in ignorance and poverty and squalor. All the socioeconomic justifications for it you can dream up will never convince people you've got a sound ethical leg to stand on.

2. That's not a need, that's a want. Your want does not equal other people's need.

 

[Grey Area]

Rolexs each take a year to make.

Rolex churns out about a million watches every year, with around 3000 employees. This is mass production - not on the scale or with the automation of some Chinese assembly lines, but still.

I won't rule out some very special edition Rolexes actually being assembled over months or even a year by a lone craftsman each, but the vast majority of their watches cannot have more than a few hours of total manufacturing time. How much is a "normal" Rolex - between $5K and $20K? Good luck finding Swiss employees who would work for that amount as their annual income.

 

[RogerWilco]

Building on success, when will they announce the platinum case Edition? I'm sure everyone wants to hear Ive pronounce "playteenem".

 

[2010mini]

The people who can afford something like this don't mind replacing it in a year. It's only a waste if you're not the target market. Though, I would say I'd rather people with that much money give it to charity and buy the SS or Sport model instead.

You would probably be surprised but people who can afford this do give to charity. they probably own traditional watches that are 3X the price of the Edition model.

 

[Rogifan]

Don't usually link to the Daily Mail however it seems HRH Prince Andrew has received his - pics and story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-000-Apple-Watch-Buckingham-Palace-event.html

So I wonder does this go down as a marketing expense or are these coming out of Jony Ive's paycheck?

 

[Grey Area]

As for the craftsmanship behind logic boards, they're printed. Nothing technical about that. Logic boards for computers are produced by the tens of thousands daily.

I may be a fan of mechanical watches, but I am also a fan of science, and it dismays me a bit to see such dismissal of computer manufacturing. True, the individual logic board is quickly made, and cheaply. (So is a 1000 page novel, by the way.)

However, there are thousands of man-years of research, engineering and construction separating something like the Apple Watch from mechanical watches. Mechanical luxury watches are deliberately left at an archaic level of technology - polished and refined maybe, but still sufficiently crude to be made by our klutzy human fingers. And simple enough to be fully understood by a single craftsman - no single person could replicate a modern logic board or an Apple Watch from scratch in their lifetime, starting with only the knowledge required for a mechanical watch.

 

[cbrand493]

I may be a fan of mechanical watches, but I am also a fan of science, and it dismays me a bit to see such dismissal of computer manufacturing. True, the individual logic board is quickly made, and cheaply. (So is a 1000 page novel, by the way.)

However, there are thousands of man-years of research, engineering and construction separating something like the Apple Watch from mechanical watches. Mechanical luxury watches are deliberately left at an archaic level of technology - polished and refined maybe, but still sufficiently crude to be made by our klutzy human fingers. And simple enough to be fully understood by a single craftsman - no single person could replicate a modern logic board or an Apple Watch from scratch in their lifetime, starting with only the knowledge required for a mechanical watch.

There's thousands of man-years of research and development in mechanical watch movements. Mechanical watch movements are still based on old designs because there's no need for new ones. The only improvement is adding new complications. You can't improve something that already works perfectly. Sure you could make the power reserve longer, but how? The bearings are almost frictionless as it is. Physics is limiting a mechanical watch from being improved.

Alan Turing developed the bomb and built a fully functioning "computer" in less than month back when computers didn't exist. The bomb was based off of the polish Bomba which was designed in mere months. They had no knowledge of computers. They didn't exist!