Apple Recruiting Specialized Engineer to Focus on Apple Watch Clock Faces

[Tech198]

"clock face team" is that what Apple calls it ? there's gotta be a better name. Just use the term Apple watch and keep the rest under-wraps...

I'm ok with faces i've seen on the Apple Watch (edit.. u really expect me to buy one?) but these fees less important.... I mean how often would u been admiring a watch face when its on your wrist all the time ? You only admire wallpapers on the desktop, because u stare at a Mac much more often than u do a watch.. so on a smart watch, any watch, its less important to over flood the dveice with watch faces......

It'll become like the iOS "Back to The Mac" that Apple once said. Noting ever just remains simple these days...... it starts that way, but then users want more.... instead of being happy with what they already have..

 

[DynaFXD]

Would rather hear that they are looking for an artist and not an engineer. But any port in a storm....

 

[Zaren]

It would be nice to think that end users would be able to create their own watch faces (and I'd love to make a little steampunk themed face), but the last time Apple let folks tinker with the interface, we ended up with stuff like Kaleidoscope - see http://www.atpm.com/6.08/gui-junkie.shtml for examples of how that turned out.

 

[ttmm]

Yes, it would be great to see more futuristic watch faces like TTMM for Pebble
http://www.time.ttmm.eu

 

[Rogifan]

Heck, I would love it if it looked like this smartwatch:

Except those smartwatches only look nice when they're mimicking an analog watch with an analog watch face. And they're HUGE. Would look ridiculous on my tiny wrist.

If the watch face does not stay on so others can see it, what's the point. Still a black face 90% of the time. Old time watches, this type of face was truly stunning and a statement to others as well as the wearer. The Apple Watch face is almost exclusive to the wearer. Just saying.

Are the faux analog faces as stunning as the real thing? Someone can wear an LG Urbane trying to pass it off as a luxury mechanical watch but I don't think that flies. Hence why I say if someone prefers that they should just buy a mechanical watch and then a Fitbit or something if they fitness tracking or something.

 

[hauntvictim]

This should have been news over a year ago. Come on Apple, make me want to love the Apple Watch again.

 

[eelinow]

All I want are more analog watch faces. I abhor digital watch faces but have enjoyed my SS Apple Watch w/Milanese Loop band since I received it on April 24th, 2015. When the first batch of new faces were released w/WatchOS 2.0 (?) I was rather disappointed that they were all digital.

At this point, I'm tempted to give this watch to my 15 year old (also an analog watch wearer) to pickup an Hermès Apple Watch because those faces are more inline with my preferences for square faced timepieces. It isn't as if they're expensive for a watch, it is just that I would expect a better balance of analog to digital faces. Other than that, there hasn't been a day where I've not worn my watch, with my best battery life lasting 44 hours from a full charge (down to 3%).

 

[Mac 128]

I don't really understand why they didn't hire this "watch face engineer" from day one. It's not like they didn't know that customers would want choices. Seems a little late to the ballgame. The fact they introduced three major watch faces in 2014, but we didn't see them until a year later is indicative of problems behind the scenes.
[doublepost=1455134585][/doublepost]

Are the faux analog faces as stunning as the real thing? Someone can wear an LG Urbane trying to pass it off as a luxury mechanical watch but I don't think that flies. Hence why I say if someone prefers that they should just buy a mechanical watch and then a Fitbit or something if they fitness tracking or something.

Back to your old deceitful, hypocritical tricks I see.

[doublepost=1455134772][/doublepost]

A good example is what they did with Hermes, where they partnered with them but still control the experience.

If the Hermes is any example, the watch face has no relation to the bands, other than Hermes happens to make the bands, which visually look no different than a hundred other bands out there in the world. It seems to me like this will necessarily limit a customer to the limited collection of basic watch faces Apple provides, and one or two others offered through some arbitrary partnership, eliminating a world of other options, not to mention a lucrative income stream for Apple vis a vis a 'watch face store'.

 

[Spendlove]

I am so surprised that a curated watch face store has not been made yet. Watch of the week. One watch face a week. Come on apple!

 

[2457282]

If the Hermes is any example, the watch face has no relation to the bands, other than Hermes happens to make the bands, which visually look no different than a hundred other bands out there in the world. It seems to me like this will necessarily limit a customer to the limited collection of basic watch faces Apple provides, and one or two others offered through some arbitrary partnership, eliminating a world of other options, not to mention a lucrative income stream for Apple vis a vis a 'watch face store'.

Have you seen the watch face for Hermes? It is a specific watch face created by Apple and can only be found on watches purchased with the Hermes band. So yeah there is a relation.

 

[xDKP]

Have you seen the watch face for Hermes? It is a specific watch face created by Apple and can only be found on watches purchased with the Hermes band. So yeah there is a relation.

I would love some additional simple classic watch faces - I'm not looking to mimic a mechanical watch (I have several of them, and will wear them if that's my mood that day) but I still like my Apple Watch to have the simple clean look - As a Space Black SS model, I like it to be stylish and not geeky... The Hermés is cool, but exclusive, so that's pretty sad.


Rocking this at the moment with max brightness - pretty cool actually:

 

[Mac 128]

Have you seen the watch face for Hermes? It is a specific watch face created by Apple and can only be found on watches purchased with the Hermes band. So yeah there is a relation.

And what's the relation again? How is the Hermes band visually distinctive from any other stitched band? I understand the value in the face, as it's essentially a skeuomorphic representation of a Hermes Cape Cod. But how does the watch face relate to the band? How are other partnerships going to relate their watch faces the bands?

 

[2457282]

And what's the relation again? How is the Hermes band visually distinctive from any other stitched band? I understand the value in the face, as it's essentially a skeuomorphic representation of a Hermes Cape Cod. But how does the watch face relate to the band? How are other partnerships going to relate their watch faces the bands?

What is not clear. If you want the watch face you have to buy the band. They go together. It's a package deal. Not sure how many other ways I can make the same point.

 

[Mac 128]

What is not clear. If you want the watch face you have to buy the band. They go together. It's a package deal. Not sure how many other ways I can make the same point.

Totally missed the point I was making about partnerships. So, never mind. You're making a totally different point than I am making.

 

[69Mustang]

Totally missed the point I was making about partnerships. So, never mind. You're making a totally different point than I am making.

You guys are making different points. Yours about the partnerships is a good one that I didn't think about.

What is not clear. If you want the watch face you have to buy the band. They go together. It's a package deal. Not sure how many other ways I can make the same point.

I think Mac 128 referencing partnerships is a good point. Partnerships like the Hermes deal don't do much from a consumer perspective. In the sense that you have to buy the band to get the face, that could get expensive really quickly. Apple can still control the app experience. A curated section of watch face apps is easily doable. Devs can submit faces to Apple for approval and if they make the cut, they're in the store. Apple can even draw attention to the watch face apps by letting customer vote on the top 3 up for consideration. Mo' marketing mo money.

Famous brands can submit their faces if they'd like to be included in the app store. That way you can get the Hermes face without dropping a ton of money on the band.

 

[Piggie]

Sorry, but I do think that Apple are flogging a dead horse here.
Not on the watch front.
I mean on the desperately trying, for now, to make it seem VERY special and a special strap goes with a special face you can only get as a strap.
I know and understand why they are trying, but I just feel, eventually it's going to dawn on them, after much time wasting that this just is not going to work for a digital watch.
Be it 2 years or 10 years, like the tablet size, the phone size, the stylus, the plastic phone, it's just going to end up changing and they will just admit that this control and trying to pretend it's something it's not was all a waste of time.

 

[kdarling]

I'm ok with faces i've seen on the Apple Watch (edit.. u really expect me to buy one?) but these fees less important.... I mean how often would u been admiring a watch face when its on your wrist all the time ? You only admire wallpapers on the desktop, because u stare at a Mac much more often than u do a watch.. so on a smart watch, any watch, its less important to over flood the dveice with watch faces......

If the face was on all the time, like with many Android Wear watches, perhaps it would be more important to have a nice looking one.

In any case, according to Apple their watch is a fashion item. While some people are okay looking like everyone else, or having limited choices, other people like to be more distinctive. And of course, it's always nice to have a watch face that has all the complications you want on it.

That's when Android Wear shines. Thousands of faces available and/or easy to make yourself with clock face player apps. And almost any complication you can think of. Plus custom launchers.

Upshot: I agree with others -- Apple could make a killing selling faces through their app store.

 

[Mac 128]

I got a watch as part of my job. The faces are nice but surprised how few their are. I only use the watch face and messages so I wish there were more watch face options. Overall I think it is a product without much utility for the price. It has about $100 of value to me (not a watch wearer). But I would love more faces.

It's especially ironic when 5 years ago Apple released 17 watch faces for their customers in the iPod nano's second year after people started wearing them as watches.

 

[JohnApples]

Please, give us more faces. I want more analog ones. I want a square face. I want one similar to the Time Lapse face but that will display the weather conditions instead— complete with animations. I'm hoping for a load of new faces, or a face store. I'll forgive the overall slowness and lackluster app support if I can just have lots more face choices.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Maybe they want a nicer looking Apple Watch instead?

for what they want mechanical could be better tbh. They have a look no digital can touch. As you see the mechanics in involved to some degree. Even if its just 3 hands machined to be balanced to rotate accurately on a tiny shaft of metal. Even rendered in really good 3d...the effect will not be there imo.
The crown mentioned is also a mechanical watch thing. It ties to the construction. Push in fully and turn to lock after adjustments. The watch is now sealed. Omega will show its depth rating (180m). This crown mechanism (plus seals in the assembly of it) is what help makes that happen. Will also note the bezel. Which is screwed on in a special way and has seals. Not glued on....

An attempt to emulate would be too copy cattish really. It have form, but no function. Which tends to be hallmark of knockoffs. Not the route apple wants to go down I think.

 

[0248294]

It's especially ironic when 5 years ago Apple released 17 watch faces for their customers in the iPod nano's second year after people started wearing them as watches.

Haha, I recently picked up an iPod Nano for dirt cheap (20 bucks) just for using it as a watch, with a strap I bought afterwards. The Nixie Tube watch face is my favourite, definitely a homage to Woz.

 

[555gallardo]

It's especially ironic when 5 years ago Apple released 17 watch faces for their customers in the iPod nano's second year after people started wearing them as watches.

And a lot of them being more beautiful than ones on Apple Watch

 

[maxsix]

Apple seems to have pushed the watch into the sales channels in haste. With Android wearables being the leader, Apple suddenly rushed theirs.

Perhaps the second gen model will attract more attention. Yet it does come across as a niche product which is reinforced by its rather lackluster sales. Tethered to an iPhone makes the watch limited in it's appeal.

 

[drumcat]

The one watch face I always see is Modular. Everything else is just cute. Why Modular can't do seconds is hard to believe.

Also, why can we not have watch complications on our phone lock page??

 

[npmacuser5]

The problem with the watch isn't the lack of faces. It's the actual design of the watch itself. Ugly incarnate.

Compromise of form and function. The high end round watches are just that a watch and some notifications, no sensors etc. Depends what you are looking for the watch to do. For me the Apple Watch does what I need it to do with a nice style.