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

[Ingster]

Personally i do like the idea of trying on the watch before buying, I have large wrists and most watch bands tend to be fastened on the last hole, my omega - which is lovely - is a little too tight but for when I have it on (for special occasions etc) it isn't too bad but I couldn't wear it like that every day. My pebble uses a NATO strap and i'm on the last hole, but my G-Shock with link bracelet fits perfectly - if a little loose. So I would like to know if I can actually wear the link bracelet option, or if the milanese/leather loop would be a better option or stick to the sport band

 

[technosix]

Good luck Specialists, you poor bastards.

Little did the "Specialists" ever imagine when they took the job, that one day the task of waiting on customers would take this turn...

 

[KPOM]

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

Very little jewelry is made from 24kt gold. You actually would NOT want it to be 24kt gold since it would bend and flake since gold is very soft. That's why it is usually alloyed. Most high-end gold jewelry is 18kt gold. Some is 21kt and rarely you'll see 22kt.

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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

It could be a different process.

 

[HenryDJP]

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."

It IS different because people are making personal appointments to try on the AppleWatch. If you truly think that a customer making a personal appointment will be strung along for at least an hour gazing at the watch they love and are ready to buy, that the employee will suddenly tell them it's not available for months then you know nothing about Apple's customer service. It's okay though....

 

[kdarling]

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

It's different because a gold Apple watch will be immediately recognizable as authentic and desirable to rob... versus someone wearing a "gold" watch that might be simply a fake that's so common in NYC.

Unless lots of people start buying those Chinese knock-offs

As for number of people with one, heck Apple supposedly expects to sell millions of the Edition worldwide.

 

[Sasparilla]

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.

This is the question today - if Apple does it. If they designed it so people can come into the store and upgrade the guts (battery/cpu) for $200-$300 whenever you want - then this becomes a possible long term purchase and the floodgates will open as this starts to seem like a much more reasonable long term purchase.

They have the CPU package looking very self contained in the watch...that has led to much speculation of this capability.

If they don't have this capability and they're really just disposable $400/$1000/$10000 watches then it'll be a much tougher slog after the initial buyers rush in (~6 months) - but I can't see Apple making them disposable.

 

[thelookingglass]

This will actually be interesting - not the watch, which I really couldn't care less about - but how they'll sdjust their retail stores to promote the watch. We're talking about a fundamental shift from a tech company to a fashion accessory company. From Apple to Burberry.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

It's quite sad to me that your thoughts go to having to announce to other people that you have the more expensive model.

Purchasing any item should be justified by your own desire to own it... not by whether others will perceive it as an "expensive" model rather than a "cheaper" one that looks similar.

Really sad.

That's not my thoughts. I'm not even much interested in this particular product. I'm simply pointing out that that's what it would take to make others aware that one had a platinum version vs. a polished aluminum version... much like Sapphire iPhone screens would have not been obvious vs. Gorilla Glass. We whined about Sapphire too when we believed Apple was going there and then again when they did not. But had they, it still would have been a transparent rectangle on the front of a phone. The only way others would know that it was Sapphire vs. GG if is we told them. What "we" usually want is a form factor change so that it is obvious that we have the newer model. Sapphire there or Platinum here would not be obvious.

 

[douglasf13]

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.

Despite all of this, titanium has had a hard time gaining much traction in the luxury watch world. I think people simply prefer the color of steel.

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Personally i do like the idea of trying on the watch before buying, I have large wrists and most watch bands tend to be fastened on the last hole, my omega - which is lovely - is a little too tight but for when I have it on (for special occasions etc) it isn't too bad but I couldn't wear it like that every day. My pebble uses a NATO strap and i'm on the last hole, but my G-Shock with link bracelet fits perfectly - if a little loose. So I would like to know if I can actually wear the link bracelet option, or if the milanese/leather loop would be a better option or stick to the sport band

You might consider being an extra link from Ofrei for that Omega.

 

[MH01]

nothing wrong with gold scratching, you can buff it back no problems. If apple wants to make a watch that does not scratch, they should go ceramic. Pretending to make a gold watch that does not scratch will just allow them to flog a lower quality gold item for more profit.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Lots of people choose platinum or white gold watches over the similar looking steel version. I once had a guy come up to me at a liquor store and ask me if my steel Rolex was platinum, which surprised me. Spooked me a little, too, because I wasn't sure of his intentions. Platinum Rolexes are very expensive.

I understand all of that. And there's nothing wrong with making anything like this out of any metal- precious or not. I'm simply pointing out that platinum vs. polished aluminum would be unnoticeable without the owner having to tell people... among a group who whine for design changes to new generations of Apple everything, so that it is obvious to their peers & friends that they have the latest & greatest.

Platinum and Gold are excellent choices for jewelry. But you don't see a lot of traditional jewelry also made in (much cheaper) polished aluminum. For example, where's the polished aluminum version of a Rolex President model?

 

[DudeDad]

Appointments try one on sounds like one of those things that on paper may look good, but in reality will be a cluster-fark...

Those on this board who are sold will not need an appointment. Those walking into a store and told "make an appointment to try it on" will turn around, leave, and will not likely make an appointment (they will wait for the hype to die down).

As a watch collector who wears a different watch every day, I'm not inclined to purchase this watch...but I do want to check it out.

 

[Ihatefall]

Platinum would be to polished aluminum what Sapphire would have been to Gorilla Glass: visually unnoticeable while dinging the wallet in a very noticeable way. Both would look silver and require you to verbally tell people that it's the platinum edition if you want to distinguish your watch from the multitudes of cheaper aluminum versions in the wild.


Image

The aluminum one (sport) isn't polished. The stainless steel one is.

Personally I like the matte black look of the sport one the best.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

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

18k gold is not pure, by definition. You would not want a watch made of pure (24k) gold. It would not last long.

 

[Attonine]

This is the question today - if Apple does it. If they designed it so people can come into the store and upgrade the guts (battery/cpu) for $200-$300 whenever you want - then this becomes a possible long term purchase and the floodgates will open as this starts to seem like a much more reasonable long term purchase.

They have the CPU package looking very self contained in the watch...that has led to much speculation of this capability.

If they don't have this capability and they're really just disposable $400/$1000/$10000 watches then it'll be a much tougher slog after the initial buyers rush in (~6 months) - but I can't see Apple making them disposable.

Upgrading like this is tough though. When Leica originally released the M8, their first digital rangefinder, the then CEO made a statement that it would be upgradeable. The CEO was replaced and it never happened. The next model, the M9, had slightly different dimensions, it was clearly much more difficult than originally anticipated to get the new PCBs etc into the old shell. The hi-fi manufacturer Cyrus has an upgrade programme. It's expensive. Often you can get a better deal selling your old kit and buying the new.

Upgradeability is not impossible, it's just difficult to pull off. With the watch you also have the added difficulty that the design will become dated, and probably very quickly.

 

[Recognition]

It isn't available until April and I think it's unlikely they will have test models.

It seems I'm too excited to read properly lol!

I misinterpreted 'product launch' as being today's event! Doh!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

The aluminum one (sport) isn't polished. The stainless steel one is.

OK. Where's the polished steel version of the Rolex President then? The watchmakers who tend to work at that end of the (premium-priced jewelry) scale don't make their primary designs in cheaper metals. Here, we see an apparently likely decision to make the exact same watch innards inside both cheaper and more premium metals.

Again, nothing particularly wrong with that. But for those whining for Platinum, they would need to tell people they have the Platinum one. And once the marketplace fills(?) with polished steel or aluminum, that they had paid so much more for a more special edition would not be obvious.

 

[Technarchy]

Unless lots of people start buying those Chinese knock-offs

I once had a co-worker that got an iPhone from the local classifieds...it came with a stylus, resistive screen and was in Chinese by default.

True story. Now imagine NYC.

 

[gnasher729]

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?

This is trotted out again and again and again and again and again ...

So here's a little challenge: Imagine it was your job to sell lots of these watches. And you heard of this objection. What would you do? Would you say "Oh well, I am *********, I won't sell any of those watches"? Or would you come up with a plan to overcome this objection?

Now from Apple's point of view, if you hired someone to sell lots of these watches, and they didn't come up with a plain to overcome this objection, what would you do? Give up selling watches? Or fire that useless guy and hire someone with a clue?

 

[Ihatefall]

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.

I love Titanium but it has two problems. One is environmental impact vs other metals and the second is that Titanium is an awful metal to push radio signals through. Nokia had a very expensive phone in the early 2000s that was Titanium and got awful reception. Apple was made the titanium G4 PowerBook that also had reception issues.

It's great for bike parts but not electronics that relay on radio signals.

 

[Mr. Gates]

My prediction. 2.5 year update cycle

 

[Attonine]

I love Titanium but it has two problems. One is environmental impact vs other metals and the second is that Titanium is an awful metal to push radio signals through. Nokia had a very expensive phone in the early 2000s that was Titanium and got awful reception. Apple was made the titanium G4 PowerBook that also had reception issues.

It's great for bike parts but not electronics that relay on radio signals.

I tried on a Titanium Omega Speedster once. It felt odd, much too light. The only thing I can really compare it too is really cheap coins, the kind used in India where you are not sure whether they are plastic or metal.

I think for the Apple watch, technological limitations aside, Titanium would be a nice finish; a high tech material for a high tech device manufactured by a hi tech company.

 

[i5pro]

This is the question today - if Apple does it. If they designed it so people can come into the store and upgrade the guts (battery/cpu) for $200-$300 whenever you want - then this becomes a possible long term purchase and the floodgates will open as this starts to seem like a much more reasonable long term purchase.

They have the CPU package looking very self contained in the watch...that has led to much speculation of this capability.

If they don't have this capability and they're really just disposable $400/$1000/$10000 watches then it'll be a much tougher slog after the initial buyers rush in (~6 months) - but I can't see Apple making them disposable.

As much as I want to hope you're right, I seriously doubt the guts are upgradeable and it is disposable. Long gone are the days of upgrades at Apple. The only thing in their current line-up that is upgradeable is the old 13" MBP and the MacPro..not a single iOS device. The watch doesn't stand a chance.

 

[gnasher729]

I understand all of that. And there's nothing wrong with making anything like this out of any metal- precious or not. I'm simply pointing out that platinum vs. polished aluminum would be unnoticeable without the owner having to tell people... among a group who whine for design changes to new generations of Apple everything, so that it is obvious to their peers & friends that they have the latest & greatest.

Platinum and Gold are excellent choices for jewelry. But you don't see a lot of traditional jewelry also made in (much cheaper) polished aluminum. For example, where's the polished aluminum version of a Rolex President model?

The most important property of platinum is that it is very, very, very hard. That makes it possible to create jewellery that couldn't be made from a softer material. For example a wedding ring made of platinum with a gap, and a nice big diamond just held by the edges of the platinum ring. Not possible in gold, that diamond would be gone pretty soon. So you look at it and think "that must be platinum (and not steel or aluminium) because otherwise it just wouldn't work".

 

[leenak]

It's different because a gold Apple watch will be immediately recognizable as authentic and desirable to rob... versus someone wearing a "gold" watch that might be simply a fake that's so common in NYC.

Unless lots of people start buying those Chinese knock-offs

As for number of people with one, heck Apple supposedly expects to sell millions of the Edition worldwide.

Except you could buy a pebble gold that looks similar for only $250 I mean there are people walking around with purses that cost $75k, I think people wearing apple editions will be fine.