Apple Now Most Popular Watch Brand Among Upper-Income U.S. Teens, Unseating Rolex

[BlackJacques]

Lot of people missing the point here. Of course teenagers and the vast majority of their parents can’t afford rolexes. This survey is a measure of relative brand perception within a product space. Advertisers and marketers dine out on this and get paid handsomely for it. There are MBA courses dedicated to this kind of thing.

Remember when you were a teenager or remember other teenage boys and their car posters above their beds? They didn’t depict cars they could afford like a Corolla. They had lambos and Ferraris. The vast vast majority of them would never own one, but some of them would aspire to and get a bmw or Lexus. Cars have the highest brand loyalty from early teenage perceptions. This is why there’s halo concept cars. The biggest problem plaguing many manufacturers is that their customer base is aging out. The coveted marketing demo for cars is the recent college grad. For example, Mercedes recognized the median age of their customer was constantly rising and of they didn’t bring in the youngest buyers or even aspiring owners young they’d be screwed in a generation. This is why we have cheap, attainable Mercedes like the CLA and GLA.

The fact that teenagers even know what a Rolex is, is valuable name recognition. The fact that Apple is second shows how far they’ve come in a product space they only entered six years ago.

But hey, somehow we’re all smarter than Apple marketing MBAs. That’s why we on this website end up here daily speculating on what product will be coming next and pre-order or line up launch day like Apple is handing out cash.

 

[icwhatudidthere]

The actual paper is available, probably inadvertently, through the last link in the article.

From the actual paper, you can see they're just talking about brand popularity, not necessarily ownership of an actual watch. As far as demographics go, it lists average household income of $67k with upper-income defined as households with average income of $107k.

As far as Rolex goes, it's just a brand preference on a slide titled Favorite Watch Brand and says nothing about actual ownership.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

TIL that teenagers wear Rolexes.

 

[mi7chy]

I find it amazing anyone thinks Apple watches are even particularly attractive, let alone a complement for a nice outfit.

Great tools for what they do, but on the fashion front, they are 4 out of 10 in my view.

Looks too feminine and casual. Waiting for a design that's at least appropriate for business casual.

 

[xraydoc]

I find it interesting that you think Apple people would be trump supporters. Certainly not me …

Rush Limbaugh was a huge Apple fan. I've read that he would get mad at Apple for not advertising on his show.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

My god the privilege of these teens......they must all be destroyed in the name of equality.

 

[MacLawyer]

Uh, I don't think I had a Rolex when I was a teen. 😏

Of course back when I was a teen, we had to strap grandfathers clocks to our backs. 😂

 

[Smearbrick]

but it's not amusing to you that people in all these articles are triggered by what the articles are about? not necessarily the same people, but still. every article title is a trigger for a different group of people.

It's amusing that Rolex owners are triggered every time someone uses "rolex" and "apple watch" in the same article.

They trot out the same words: value, investment, etc. that marketing by Rolex has really paid off.

Having just disposed of a few Rolexes, I can say that the modern ones (80s) don't hold their value really well. They were women's models though.

I’m trying figure out why the Apple Watch is even compared with the likes of Rolex. Hell, comparing an Apple Watch to any purpose built, none disposable item is silly.

 

[blacktape242]

who cares what teens think... get off my lawn!!

 

[Analog Kid]

Interesting. I find it completely obscene for a teenager to wear a Rolex, but for some reason don’t react the same way to a teen wearing an Apple Watch. I’m not sure what Rolex’s sell for, but I suspect my issue isn’t the price. I probably have a bias as to what I find useful and therefore justified.

I’ve also no problem with adults wearing a fine time piece if they want it.

Anyway, that’s more about me than them.

 

[steevn]

The survey has more meaning to luxury Watch companies. You can’t walk into a store & buy a Rolex anymore. You literally have to get on lists & form relationships with dealers or pay 2-4x the MSRP of the watch on the grey market. It’s a bunch of nonsense. Rolex etc should pay attention to their long term sustainability, don’t they want to grow their brands. Good job apple.

For real though, this isn’t on topic with the original post but I ended up getting an Omega because I wasn’t about to wait forever for a Rolex that I’ve always wanted.

Sure, I’m not their biggest market but they lost thousands from me alone, how long are they able to do that at a time period when watches are super popular right now?

 

[cr2]

I don't know anyone much under 50 who wears a Rolex... it's decidedly become very gauche and a symbol of douchebaggery.

Don't forget these (Rolex, Omegas, Patek) have become uglier in the last 20 years...Big, heavy, and ugly. But then what do I know about fashion or aesthetics?

 

[555gallardo]

Not a sucker for peer pressure marketing. Still feel smartwatch is redundant smartphone accessory with tiny screen and short battery life that leaves an ugly tan line on wrist as reminder.

With COVID possibly taking full-on on my lungs, I’m happier than ever they track my blood oxygen. I’m waiting for test results, but I don’t feel well.

//EDIT: Just received a negative test, lungs still hurt though.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Apple Pay is the second most popular payment method among teens, but cash is still the most popular. This means that Apple Pay is now more popular than the likes of prepaid cards and PayPal.

This seems much more headline worthy to me... all other stories have suggested that Apple Pay is not a major player in the payments industry.

If Apple Pay is ahead with teens today, though, that either means they switch to other services as they grow up or that tomorrow's adults will mostly be using Apple Pay.

 

[rulymammoth]

Who cares what upper income teens think? If they are choosing a throw away watch over something with real value, they are unnecessary and irrelevant, and shouldn’t be trusted with anything.

Today's upper income teens are tomorrow's adult trendsetters. That's why that demographic is important.

 

[rulymammoth]

With COVID possibly taking full-on on my lungs, I’m happier than ever they track my blood oxygen. I’m waiting for test results, but I don’t feel well.

Wow, sorry to hear that. Hope you feel better. The blood oxygen monitor on Apple Watch is definitely a nice addition.

 

[Blackstick]

It sounds like you just have an insecurity with people who have nice stuff.

Nah. I own a ridiculous amount of technology. We have two European cars. I just don’t like chonks of gold and platinum on my wrist.

 

[Apleeseed84]

Last time I checked teens didn’t know that mechanical watches Kept time So this poll is a lie. lolol Even then I don’t blame apple watches at this point, it’s easier to get them than the current 3 year waiting list i am on right now fuuuuu lolololol

 

[alexandr]

I love baiting Rolex users, because it's fun. The whole "invest in your watch" targets a specific thought process which I believe is ridiculous, and I'm always amused when I hear members of the public parroting the lines almost verbatim.

The Rolex brand is an aspirational brand, and their schtick is essentially "you've made it."

You don't buy a Rolex because it's a f*cking awesome watch. You buy it because it has a marketing-created aura that you (or your ancestors) got suckered into.

They're like the Bose of luxury watches (double ouch).

i'm a rolex "user" couldn't care less about this 'baiting' you speak of. the point i made in my post(if you saw it) is that this comparison seems to vague to make the conclusion that it does.

and i honestly think people buy rolexes for many different reason, including the one you listed — some because it is, in fact, an awesome watch.

and even if you consider rolex to be the bose of luxury watches, i guess some people still prefer that over koss.

 

[alexandr]

I’m trying figure out why the Apple Watch is even compared with the likes of Rolex. Hell, comparing an Apple Watch to any purpose built, none disposable item is silly.

that's what i was trying to say in my original post — this comparison is too much of a stretch.

 

[jdclifford]

Comparing a teen having a $400 AW versus "owning" a $10k - $20k Rolex? Seriously? If it's just brand preference put me down for Rolex and a Ferrari.

 

[MallardDuck]

Teen and Rolex in the same sentence? Someone has WAY too much disposable income.

 

[warpdrive]

Maybe someday, teens will gravitate toward Rolex in the way vinyl has taken off. Because vinyl has soul and digital streaming is soulless. Then brands like Rolex will be aspirational again.

To me, the AW is just a tech accessory. It's pretty ugly but I put up with it because it's useful. It's like buying a mouse for your new laptop....you buy it because it enhances your main device.

I have mechanical watches, but I can only wear one watch at a time, and the AW is just too useful so it definitely competes for wrist time. The regular watches comes out only for special occasions, which as of now in the pandemic, isn't often

 

[827538]

It replaced my Omega Seamaster I had since I was 21 so I could see this. Also it’s a lot cheaper than Omega or Rolex.

Also Omega > Rolex. Rolex’s are quite tacky in my opinion.

 

[JamieLannister]

what a laugh. it is like saying Ferrari has been unseated by Honda. Because there's more people buying a Honda instead.