Apple to Take Reservations for Trying On Apple Watch, Considered Platinum Model

[2499723]

So, any other high-value watch (of the Rolex ilk, for instance) is marketed around its timelessness and its ability to last a lifetime. Why would I want the same precious metals to go into a watch that has a shelf life of about three years at the most?

Never mind the fact that Apple better have a mandatory recycle scheme in place if you ever decide to get rid of your watch; those metals aren't infinite. At this rate, our great-grandchildren will be cursing us for using all of that on consumer trash at the expense of future generations' health care, etc. Meh, screw my great-grandkids.

 

[KPOM]

It's funny Apple is trying to be some sort of exclusive jewellers, but I also have to think how are buyers going to react to a very expensive watch that isn't made from pure gold? Because I thought every other high end watch was made from pure 18 or 24 caret gold?

The Edition is 18kt gold. The rumor is they are using an alloy made from ceramic (like Hublot) rather than another metal like silver, since ceramic makes it harder and more scratch resistant.

 

[kdarling]

Gold and platinum don't mix with consumer and disposable devices. When your Watch becomes obsolete, what will you do? Send your watch for melting?

Maybe so.

For some reason this reminds me of a guy I knew back in the 70s who ran a business cleaning IC prototype labs.

Back then, it was common for these labs to be soldering tiny gold wires virtually by hand, and a lot of tiny snippets of gold wire and gold dust ended up in the anti-static floor mats.

Once a month he'd remove all the mats and replace them with new ones. He could afford to do this, because of all the gold scrap he was able to melt out of the used ones. It was a great gig for a while.

--

As for gold Apple Watches, I wonder what big city police think of this. They just finally started seeing crime decrease because of iPhones. Now here comes a product that doesn't even have to be resold in working order or even in normal shape. It can simply be melted for gain.

 

[chukronos]

I know I'm in the minority on here, but I am very interested in the watch. I wear watches everyday. So, I am curious about it. I like the idea of "tap" notifications. I am mostly interested in if I will be able to buy a stainless band and upgrade the actual watch to fit in that band in the next cycle.

 

[penajmz]

Aren't we all buying the cheapest one possible? I mean next year = Apple Watch II.

 

[CalWizrd]

isn't that why people buy watches? "mine is more expensive than yours" "oh u wear an Hublot watch? feel free to use the VIP entrance into P1"

No. It's why shallow people buy watches (or cars, or houses, or anything else).

As an real example, I had wanted to buy a Rolex Daytona (steel and gold model) for most of my adult life, but the $15,000+ price tag made it a stretch.

At one point, a jeweler I knew offered me a Daytona knock-off that was really well executed. Really good.

I declined the offer in spite of the fact that no one would have known it wasn't the real deal. Except me.

About five years ago, my position in life was significantly improved, and I got my (genuine) Daytona.

Nobody else would have known the difference. But I knew. That's all that mattered to me.

 

[KPOM]

So no online ordering? Pre-order? That could be messy for the stores.

It may depend on the model. I wouldn't be surprised if you could pre-order the Sport, but needed to make an appointment to purchase the Edition or perhaps even the stainless steel model if it is more expensive. They don't want these products returned.

For instance, if the Edition is reasonably priced (i.e. $5,000 or less), I'd like the 38mm rose gold plus a spare black classic buckle. I think that combination would work, even with the stainless steel trim on the classic buckle, but would want to see it in person before I buy it. If I go with the stainless steel model, I think I want the space black link, but would be interested in other bands, as well.

It's that kind of thing that makes the personal appointments a good idea. Apple doesn't want or expect lines of hundreds of people outside stores like an iPhone launch, at least not for those getting more expensive models. If they allow pre-orders for the cheaper models, that helps free up resources for the more expensive models.

 

[ewkid]

Anyone else think the guts on these watches will be upgradeable? For example buy gold watch this year and next year swap out the guts for Apple Watch 2 for a few hundred upgrade.

 

[nad8e]

Watch body: 316L vs Titanium

I own a Ford F150 Platinum. It's not made of Platinum.

I own multiple Titanium (Citizen) watches and love them. I swim with them regularly and they look like new (minus the scratched crystal from my abusive lifestyle.)

I see a huge mistake coming here for Apple... Not making a titanium edition/case.

Comparing Titanium with Stainless Steel when used inside the body:

Medical grades of titanium have a significantly higher strength to weight ratio than stainless steel. Titanium implants are light, weighing about 45% of comparably sized 316L stainless steel implants and yet the single load strength of Grade 4 Pure titanium is only about 10% less than that of stainless steel. Titanium alloys have higher tensile and yield strengths than stainless steel. With internal fixation, the resistance to repeated loads (cycling) is much more important than the ultimate failure strength of the implant. Compared to stainless steel, titanium has superior strength under the high cycle repeated load stresses encountered clinically with internal fixation. Titanium and titanium alloys are not notch sensitive, which means that stress raisers have minimal effects on mechanical properties of titanium implants. Titanium has a lower (approximately 50% less) modulus of elasticity than stainless steel. A lower modulus of elasticity means that titanium is significantly less stiff than steel, which helps to minimize stress shielding of bone. Compared to bone, titanium is approximately 4-5 times stiffer and stainless steel is approximately 10 times stiffer. Titanium is immune to fretting and local corrosion that is seen with stainless steel implants. Titanium implants demonstrate negligible magnetism and causes less interference than stainless steel when scanned with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment.

 

[JFazYankees]

While you're amusing yourself with your own version of comedy....I'm sure Apple won't be displaying watches for people to try on that aren't available for months.

Does Apple display new iPhones when they aren't available to ship for months? Yes...

 

[Technarchy]

As for gold Apple Watches, I wonder what big city police think of this. They just finally started seeing crime decrease because of iPhones. Now here comes a product that doesn't even have to be resold in working order or even in normal shape. It can simply be melted for gain.

How is it any different than any number of expensive watches on the street at any given time?

And I doubt the more expensive models will be the mainstream models. They'll be rare, unlike iPhones.

 

[Zebulon76]

isn't that why people buy watches? "mine is more expensive than yours" "oh u wear an Hublot watch? feel free to use the VIP entrance into P1"

Well, a expensive watch will work for decade. How can people select gold or platinium for a watch that will be technology outdated in 2 years max?

Does Apple guarantee a technology upgrade if you select such fancy option?

 

[HenryDJP]

I'm probably going to hold off for a few generations of the Applewatch. No doubt Apple will implement a camera for FaceTime chat so people can talk into it like the Jetsons.

 

[KPOM]

As for gold Apple Watches, I wonder what big city police think of this. They just finally started seeing crime decrease because of iPhones. Now here comes a product that doesn't even have to be resold in working order or even in normal shape. It can simply be melted for gain.

That's the case with any gold or platinum jewelry, though. I guess the difference here is if the Apple Watch Edition causes an overall increase in the sales of gold watches, whether Apple or otherwise. If the watch makers enter the smart watch market, or if some of the Android Wear producers make gold watches themselves, or partner with others to do so, then it might. On the other hand, if the Edition is just a low-volume halo product to be seen in the glass case at a Tiffany or Neiman Marcus, it might not.

 

[gugy]

I have considered buying watches made of precious metals in the past, but an Apple watch? No.

I can see the utility in an Apple watch, a health/activity monitor etc, but I would want water resistance to use it for swimming etc too. At the moment I see the Apple watch more in line with the original Swatch ethos, a disposable watch. I just can't get my head round it as being a long term purchase, something to invest any significant amount of money in.

What's holding me back is the water resistance part. I am puzzled by the watch but because I am a swimmer and do a lot of water sports, I can't consider it until it s water proof, meaning you can fully submerged it (10m is enough) without worrying.

 

[Attonine]

As for gold Apple Watches, I wonder what big city police think of this. They just finally started seeing crime decrease because of iPhones. Now here comes a product that doesn't even have to be resold in working order or even in normal shape. It can simply be melted for gain.

I would imagine the market will not be very large for the gold Apple watches. Sure they will sell, but not in huge numbers. I mean people bought those case upgrades for iPhones etc with diamonds etc all over them, so some people will surely buy gold Apple watches.

Any major city anywhere in the world will have a not insignificant number of people owning and using valuable watches. Gold Apple watch will be immediately recognisable, but I'm betting pretty rare.

 

[leenak]

for people that wear platinum jewelry, a platinum watch would make sense. It is definitely a different color. I love white metals so I have a lot of platinum, silver and stainless steel jewelry. I have a smidgeon of rose gold but platinum is hypoallergenic and a good choice for people who have trouble with white gold (like I do).

 

[HenryDJP]

Does Apple display new iPhones when they aren't available to ship for months? Yes...

You're missing the point. They can display watches that aren't available just like they do everything else. You most likely didn't read back a couple of pages when someone stated that Apple employees will have customers trying on watches and get them all excited, only to tell them they are sold out for months. I'm sure they will inform people upfront.

 

[apolloa]

The Edition is 18kt gold. The rumor is they are using an alloy made from ceramic (like Hublot) rather than another metal like silver, since ceramic makes it harder and more scratch resistant.

That's not pure gold then is it, and for multi thousands of pounds/ dollars I would expect pure gold.

 

[JFazYankees]

You're missing the point. They can display watches that aren't available just like they do everything else. You most likely didn't read back a couple of pages when someone stated that Apple employees will have customers trying on watches and get them all excited, only to tell them they are sold out for months. I'm sure they will inform people upfront.

Nope, I'm not missing any points. This is in no way different from someone going to an Apple store shortly after the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, looking at the 6 Plus for a good 10 minutes, then asking an employee to go them one. At this point, the 6 Plus was backordered for over a month, yet there was no sign at the front of the store saying "sorry, iPhone 6 Plus is out of stock."

 

[dumastudetto]

Demand for these products is going to be insane. Expecting huge shortages globally as consumers rush to buy into the next technology revolution.

 

[leenak]

That's not pure gold then is it, and for multi thousands of pounds/ dollars I would expect pure gold.

Pure gold is 24k gold. What people are theorizing is that it is still 18k gold but due to using a ceramic alloy, the amount of gold is less because the overall weight is less.

So 18k gold with metals providing strength/filler = heavy = more gold by weight
18k gold with ceramic allow providing strength/filler = lighter = less gold by weight

 

[enzo thecat]

The Edition is 18kt gold. The rumor is they are using an alloy made from ceramic (like Hublot) .

Very astute. You know your watches. Hublot has a patent on this though, so I'd be surprised if Apple was able to do this. And you and I know that if Hublot had sold Apple the rights to use Magic Gold, Hublot would have had a huge PR campaign explaining such a "partnership".


Dont you agree?

e

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Who would want an intact Apple Watch in 2115?

Depending on how many are still around at that point, it could fetch a very high price, I think.

Thinking about it... even if in 100 years we have some amazing 3D printers that are able to turn dust into platinum through nuclear reactions and that can print out an exact replica of the Apple Watch, I think having an original would still fetch a huge price just for the significance of the fact that it's an original. I imagine collectors will still be a thing, and they'll still be willing to pay top dollar for such novelties.

 

[chrisone]

I love how some Apple sites announced Apple's invention of a new type of gold... It's an alloy folks, something jewelers have been doing for years.

The article linked to in the post explains that it mixes with low-density ceramic particles, which is somewhat different that standard alloys. If this is true - and if the article linked to is correct, the gold edition could be cheaper than (some) people expect.