Apple Shipped an Estimated 30.7 Million Apple Watches in 2019, Beating Entire Swiss Watch Industry

[fokmik]

while i understand the use for AW...my Swiss watches, especially audemars piguet, after 10-20 years i can get them to London action house and sell them for a lot more, you can buy houses with 1 collector item
AW is good and almost a must for health monitoring

 

[halluxsinister]

The Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry by a wide margin in 2019, according to new data shared today by Strategy Analytics.

Apple shipped an estimated 30.7 million units worldwide in 2019, up 36 percent from the estimated 22.5 million units shipped in 2018.

Comparatively, the Swiss watch industry (which includes all Swiss watch brands) is estimated to have shipped a total of 21.1 million units worldwide in 2019, dropping 13 percent from the 24.2 million watches shipped in 2018.

According to Strategy Analytics, the Apple Watch is "wildly popular" in North America, Western Europe, and Asia due to its user-friendly tech, sticky apps, and attractive design. Analog watches, meanwhile, remain popular with older consumers, but young buyers prefer smartwatches and computerized wristwear.

Apple beat Swiss watch shipments with its own Apple Watch shipments during the holiday quarter of 2017, but 2019 marks the first full year where Apple has shipped a larger number of Apple Watches.

Apple does not break out Apple Watch sales numbers so estimates on shipments are based on guesswork, but the large margin between estimated Apple Watch shipments and estimated Swiss watch shipments suggests that the conclusion the Apple Watch outsold Swiss watches in 2019 is accurate.

Article Link: Apple Shipped an Estimated 30.7 Million Apple Watches in 2019, Beating Entire Swiss Watch Industry

Know who beat all of Apple's product lines, though?

Apples.

I'm pretty sure more apples were sold last year than all Apple product lines combined.

As long as we're making genuinely stupid comparisons, I mean, why not?

Seriously though... in 10 years, what percent of the Swiss watches sold last year will NOT be garbage? My guess is about 90 to 95 percent, barring some big natural disaster, with most probably still in daily use if they were purchased for that purpose. In 10 years, how many of Apple's iWatches sold last year will still be in use? My guess is close to zero percent. Few will even still EXIST, most of them having been pulled apart for the junk they're made of to be turned into other little toys and doodads.

The iWatch is NOT A REAL WATCH. Sorry, it isn't. It's a wimpy little computer pulling double duty and getting to be obsolete 12 to 18 months after Apple dupes a bunch of people into buying yet another thing they don't need... assuming it doesn't fail catastrophically before that. (If Apple had been smart and decent enough to make the battery a module that attached to the back of the watch, that you could swap out and gave you a charger with say, two or three, so you could just unstrap it from your wrist, pop the old battery off, and pop a fresh one ON... I might almost respect that and call it a good idea. But as designed and sold... it's kind of a joke, really. And not a funny one.

Anyway, by contrast, the battery in a Swiss watch, (any that are quartz-based,) typically lasts longer than an Apple iWatch does itself. That is, ONE CHARGE, if you will, of a Swiss watch outlasts the LIFESPAN of a typical iWatch. The ones that are automatic can go for years and years...

So yeah, you're comparing apples and oranges, and it's a pointless comparison.

That's like saying that Nike beat Ford Motors because they sold more units, when to Nike, a unit is a pair of shoes for about maybe 80 bucks, on average... while to Ford, a unit is a Mustang or an F150... Because people get around in shoes, or in cars or trucks. That's what y'all are doing when you compare a Swiss watch, or the Swiss watch industry, to a dinky little battery-powered COMPUTER masquerading as a wristwatch.

Full-disclosure: I own three wristwatches, and though none of them are Swiss, they're built along similar lines in terms of style and design. ALL three of them will outlast the Apple iWatch, and none of them cost as much as the cheapest one Apple sells.

How long can a typical Swiss watch go without being "recharged"? If it's an automatic, as long as it's worn by an even marginally active person, it can go indefinitely, as the wearer's wrist recharges it continuously. A solar-powered one can run probably for decades without any kind of intervention as long as it's routinely exposed to light and not beaten up... try going more than a couple days away from wherever your charger plugs in and see if your iWatch will still tell time. What do they manage now, with the fifth generation... 19 hours? 20 hours to a charge? LOL... a "watch".

When the iWatch fad goes away... the Swiss watch industry will still be there, still making watches for people who need an actual wristwatch, not a toy.

This does remind me of the time Apple pretended that they'd just had the biggest album release in history by forcing that U2 album down every user's throat. Not a real album release, Apple. Sorry.

Oh, and BTW... I don't believe for a moment that the iWatch is really even competing with the Swiss watch industry, or with wristwatches in general. The Swiss watch folks should worry about Apple's iWatch the same way Ford Motors should worry about NIKE. (They should worry when Nike either starts selling cars, or when they make a shoe with which the wearer can casually stroll down the highway at 65 miles per hour.)

 

[BigDO]

In other news, Coca Cola has outsold BMW in total unit sales.

About as relevant a comparison.

 

[StyxMaker]

Does that matter? Where are all the iPhone 3Gs?

But, like the mechanical watch, the superior rotary phone will work for a hundred years and you can pass it down to your kids.

 

[QCassidy352]

I see absolutely no point in an Apple watch if you have an iPhone.

Seriously? Just trolling, or really haven't figured it out after 5 years?

 

[BvizioN]

90% of the time I see someone wearing an Apple Watch, I wonder, sometimes aloud, WTF do they need notifications on their wrist for.

They look ridiculous - they're the Pager of the current generation. Most people who had a pager them kept them as a fashion accessory.

Conspicuous consumption of a device that depreciates to $0 in 5 years. TOTAL waste of money.

I wonder the same for the ones that wear the bulky mechanical watches which they love to call "timeless" and then I realize that these are the "old/gone" generation whos brain and thinking are fixated to a different time. They do struggle to understand that time does change and things do evolve. The funny thing is that some of the "mechanical" bandwagons people do admit that they never look at the time on it. Oh, wait.... but it is TIMELESS! Like I give a ****! There is a reason why people do not wear Roman Empire clothes or use their tools nowadays. On the other hand, Apple Watch does have so many functionalities attached to it and yes, it looks cool and elegant, though I don't expect you to appreciate or understand it and I am not gonna even bother to mention the benefits of AW versus Mechanical since you seem to be so narrowminded about it. But yeah, keep calling it fashion accessory (oh... the irony here, because mechanical watches aren't) and let us enjoy the benefits of AW.
There are just so many "shopping gurus" around here, telling people what they should and shouldn't buy, and analyzing what would be a waste of money for people. You got to love the MacRumors forum board "analysts"

 

[kis]

My dad, who's 78(!), retired his Rolex for an AW2 and now an AW4. The Rolex tells time, but it doesn't track his walks, tennis, golf, heart, etc.

At some point in your life utility trumps snobbery.

Snobbery? So watching a timepiece is snobbery? Let's call the Apple Watch by its real name: Chinese 200$ throw-away product that won't last more than a few years.

Also: not everyone likes notifications on his wrist. Honestly 9/10 days I have my own Apple Watch in airplane mode. And I wear my mechanical watches far more often than my electronic toy. My dad's 71 and he'd probably rather kill himself than replacing his Omega with an Apple Watch

 

[CoconutMan]

I have an Apple Watch SS S4 and it will be my last Apple Watch. Next watch will be a Rolex. What they don’t mention is, SS Rolex’s are very tough to purchase now. ADs are out of stock with a long back order list. And It’s been that way for years. In the end, I feel Rolex is just a better overall investment, and will hold its value much better. I paid ~$1K for my AW (including tax and Apple care) and think it was really wasted money. I prefer to just pay the money up front for a nice watch and keep it forever.

The Apple Watch is fine, but it’s meh for me. I don’t care about the health tracking, and really mainly use it for calls, notification, Apple Pay and maybe some other little things. Pretty much things I could do without. And ultimately I’ll need to keep upgrading to really take advantage of all the Apple Watch features.

The reality is, nice traditional luxury watches like Omega, Rolex, Patek, AP, A. Lange & Sohne, etc have nothing to worry about with the Apple Watch. They have their customers, and will not be trading theirs in for an AW. They may just add an AW to their collection though.
[automerge]1580972781[/automerge]

consolidated quote...iWatch iWatch iWatch

It’s an Apple Watch, not an iWatch. If you’re going to bash something, at least get the product name right.

 

[MecPro]

Interesting, but I personally haven’t got an Apple Watch due to Swiss and Japanese manufacturers

 

[ani4ani]

So when Samsung sell more phones than Apple it is “well Samsung sell a lot of $100-200 phones in that number so not a real comparison and it is pointless....blah blah.” I guess that is what the Swiss Watch fraternity is thinking and they would be right.

 

[Coconut Bean]

I always enjoy reading comments like these, makes me laugh.

I remember people said the exact same thing about the iPod, iPhone, iPad, AirPods... And all of these products came BEFORE Apple turned into a one trillion dollar company.

You don't have to be a genius to see that wearables didn't become the thing it was hyped up as. Apple dominating the market doesn't change the fact that it's a relatively small market.

I don't have one, why? Because anecdotal evidence by people who had it. They didn't use it for much. Within 10 years it might become a good alternative with advancements in voice recognition and smart glasses. But now it's just a glorified notification bar with some finess features.

 

[Boroughbloke]

I’m perfectly happy with my extensive collection of mechanical and other analogue watches. Despite my love of Apple products, I have no plans to ever buy an Apple watch. I don‘t see how it would fit into my life and definitely do not see one on my wrist. They are ugly objects. It they suit other people, then that’s fine. I hope they are happy with their disposable product. My 1963 Bulova spaceview will outlast all of them as will the 1965 solid gold Omega Seamaster and my late 60s vintage Speedmaster. There are reasons for buying these that are not the same as buying an Apple Watch. As the OP said, comparing apples and oranges. They are not the same product category in any meaningful way. Who seriously compares their land line phone with an iPhone or their bedside clock with a laptop? Worth also noting that sales of the the mechanical variety are rising too Despite the endless cheap quartz alternatives and Addle watches and their kin It seems more and more people like them.

 

[Rainshadow]

I still prefer my Rolex.
Too much notifications/distractions nowadays.
Also another device that I have to charge.

the reason I OWN one is precisely BECAUSE there are too many notifications. Fewer times checking my phone and I prioritize the very most important contacts to go to my watch. I can leave my phone alone unless some preset important notification comes in.

Folks that don’t understand that havent worn the thing or at least set it up correctly.

 

[realtuner]

Usually it’s Samsung that pays shills to flood threads about Samsung products (they’ve literally been caught and fined for doing this).

Never thought I’d see the day when Swiss shills flood an Apple thread.

 

[Rainshadow]

I’m perfectly happy with my extensive collection of mechanical and other analogue watches. Despite my love of Apple products, I have no plans to ever buy an Apple watch. I don‘t see how it would fit into my life and definitely do not see one on my wrist. They are ugly objects. It they suit other people, then that’s fine. I hope they are happy with their disposable product. My 1963 Bulova spaceview will outlast all of them as will the 1965 solid gold Omega Seamaster and my late 60s vintage Speedmaster. There are reasons for buying these that are not the same as buying an Apple Watch. As the OP said, comparing apples and oranges. They are not the same product category in any meaningful way. Who seriously compares their land line phone with an iPhone or their bedside clock with a laptop? Worth also noting that sales of the the mechanical variety are rising too Despite the endless cheap quartz alternatives and Addle watches and their kin It seems more and more people like them.

the article clearly states the Swiss watch industry dropped 13% in 2019. I don’t disagree with your opinion, just saying that it doesn’t appear the Swiss varietys are on the rise.

 

[kis]

I wonder the same for the ones that wear the bulky mechanical watches which they love to call "timeless" and then I realize that these are the "old/gone" generation whos brain and thinking are fixated to a different time. They do struggle to understand that time does change and things do evolve. The funny thing is that some of the "mechanical" bandwagons people do admit that they never look at the time on it. Oh, wait.... but it is TIMELESS! Like I give a ****! There is a reason why people do not wear Roman Empire clothes or use their tools nowadays. On the other hand, Apple Watch does have so many functionalities attached to it and yes, it looks cool and elegant, though I don't expect you to appreciate or understand it and I am not gonna even bother to mention the benefits of AW versus Mechanical since you seem to be so narrowminded about it. But yeah, keep calling it fashion accessory (oh... the irony here, because mechanical watches aren't) and let us enjoy the benefits of AW.
There are just so many "shopping gurus" around here, telling people what they should and shouldn't buy, and analyzing what would be a waste of money for people. You got to love the MacRumors forum board "analysts"

Only cheap mechanical watches are "bulky". The Apple Watch is easily the thickest watch I own.
And yeah, think what you want - the Apple Watch IS a fashion accessory and its "benefits" are very limited.

Also, you do realize that you're one of those "shopping gurus" you mention, right? You're telling everyone that mechanical watches are "bulky", outdated and useless. Only the Apple Watch is worth buying.

 

[BvizioN]

Only cheap mechanical watches are "bulky". The Apple Watch is easily the thickest watch I own.
And yeah, think what you want - the Apple Watch IS a fashion accessory and its "benefits" are very limited.

Also, you do realize that you're one of those "shopping gurus" you mention, right? You're telling everyone that mechanical watches are "bulky", outdated and useless. Only the Apple Watch is worth buying.

No, I am only stating the facts! 'Looking at the time' versus 'arguably many useful functions'
I am not telling people to buy AW, instead of mechanical. People seem to reach that decision all by themselves. And another fact is that Mechanical belongs to a different era and times are changing. People seem to want on the wrist something that does more than just tell the time.
When you say the benefits of AW are limited, is that...according to who exactly? Oh, that's right! According to you. What a shocking surprise!!

 

[Chloros]

The ignorance in this thread is amazing. Once apple products become more affordable....the new apple army is loaded with less intelligent soldiers.

 

[tsa1]

It’s funny because to make up for lower unit sales, the Swiss are just raising the prices on their watches. I could be perhaps sales are down because of price increases, though. You should see the mark up on some of the watches from Swatch group.

Anyways the Swiss will be fine. They have dudes waiting two years for a Rolex.

 

[samwight]

I still prefer my Rolex.

John Henry preferred his sledge hammer, until he laid down his hammer and died, Lord, Lord.

Too much notifications/distractions nowadays.

Actually dispatching nonsense of trivial notifications on a watch is *less* of a distraction than hauling out your phone.

Also another device that I have to charge.

Turns out charging a watch at night is less hassle than visiting a jeweler every year after a week wondering if the battery is dying...

 

[Agit21]

Omg what a strange article. You can’t even buy a Rolex, AP or Patek even if you want to. The prices go up and nobody can get one because the demand is so high.

I use the Amazfit BIP since I can’t get a Rolex. Have to wait.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I'm personally surprised the Swiss watch industry is even that big to begin with. Who buys watches these days?

Millions of people obviously. Every decent airport I go through sells many brands, stores on the high street of every town and city do so also and Amazon and other online retailers sell many.

 

[samwight]

I think the point was a durable Swiss watch doesn’t need to be purchased as often as a disposable Apple Watch. I bet your Tag Heuer is older than your Apple Watch (which you’ve already replaced), but it still hasn’t been replaced and will be working 20 years from now.

My sun dial is even older.

 

[Shanghaichica]

There is beauty in simplicity. You mentioned technology that was superseded by another technology that was clearly better, easier to use or cheaper. Apple Watch (or any smart watch in general) is not clearly better than a traditional watch, argument can be made that it is more demanding and less easier to use (you have to set it up to your liking, charge it...).

I just don't agree it is superior to a traditional watch if you just want a watch function.

Who is buying an Apple Watch just to tell the time?

I used to wear traditional watches albeit not everyday but I had them. I wouldn’t buy one now because they are limited compared to a smart watch such as an Apple Watch. They only tell the time and if you are willing to get those awfulMy bulky watches they have stopwatches and timers on them but that’s it.


The Apple Watch can do so much more. However if you only care about knowing the time then an Apple Watch is a waste of money.

 

[samwight]

Why the Apple Watch is the Most Accurate Timepiece Out There

"According to Apple’s VP of Technology, Kevin Lynch, the second hand on the watch is perfectly in sync with the second hand on every other Apple Watch out there. Each device is accurate down to 50 milliseconds of coordinated Universal Time (UTC). "​

No, no. The Apple watch is more accurate because it knows the time zone you're in, it knows when DST kicks in, and as for days of the week, it knows how many days in the month.