I think Apple was trying to marry tech and fashion, and it’s a unique proposition given that Apple seems to be the best company to do that. It doesn’t seem to be working too well, so perhaps tech + fashion isn’t really a thing.
Apple did manage to sell a lot of bands, apparently, so that part was a good idea. No doubt that even helped sell people on its rather boring (to me) digital watch styling.
Apple wasn't the first to try high fashion with a smartwatch, of course. I think Casio sold a gold Databank back in the 1980s.
With recent smartwatches, I'd say the 2012
I'm Watch, running custom Android with a curved capacitive screen, from fashion conscious Italy, went the luxury route first.
They had Sport models for $250, titanium for $900, and then they go into silver and gold, and even diamond encrusted, models from $2,000 to $20,000. You could even order one made of any materials for the case and band that you requested. Now that's a true luxury item.
Going back much further, it was IBM back in 2000 that really started the whole idea of "digital jewelry", with their concept where each piece was a fashionable part of the whole, from wrist display to earring headphones, to necklace microphone, and even an LED notification light on a finger ring.
That is actually the kind of true fashion smartwatch innovation I would've expected from Apple, not just an iPod looking case with a swappable band.
