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I bought my first Rolex, a SS DateJust in 1983 for $900. Wore it everyday for 12 years, and a dealer gave me $1600 trade value towards a new Rolex. I've never lost money on a Rolex, on my fifth one now, and it's the last watch I'll own. Unless I get an Apple watch as a novelty.

That is very cool. Though a trade in price isn't quite the same thing as getting cash. And those years in 83 had a good amount of inflation and there has generally be huge appreciation in luxury goods in general over the last 30 years. Really all classes of luxury goods have increased in value. But still you make a great point and your experience really supports these watches as having less cost for ownership than their purchase price suggests.

As for the Apple Watch. Version one may not seem compelling. But don't be so sure that your Rolex will compete as well with the Apple watch available in 2020. The functionality may be too compelling at that point to pass up.

That said, I actually think Apple Watch will do better with folks who don't wear watches. It is easier to conquer an unoccupied territory than to displace a strongly occupied territory that already has a GREAT product occupying it. You don't have a free wrist that you aren't currently using for jewelry, status or function. You will be a tough sale (even though I suspect that the cheaper Apple Watches are priced at a level that you personally can just buy on a whim).

By the way, I have a modest Hamilton Viewmatic, which I've had and used daily since 2007 or 2008 (I don't remember exactly). It didn't start out very expensive and I don't expect it has held any significant value. But I think it looks great.
 
I have a Tag watch I bought 5-6 years ago for around $2500. If I sold it, I could probably get roughly $1500 for it now as its in near mint condition. An Apple watch with a degenerating battery that will be obsolete within 2 years will lose 95% of its value in 5 years.

I seriously don't understand the purpose of the Apple Watch...and I've owned 6 Macs, 4 Apple TVs, 7 iPhones, 5 iPods and 5 iPads.

Doesn't really matter people like the first of everything. The orig iPod 5gb in near mint condition are selling for basically double their orig price at around 800.00 to as high as a grand. If I replace my battery in my iPod 30 gb 3rd gen I might get close to what I paid for it. Nowadays folks are buying up their past and will pay good money for mint electronics.
 
I have a Tag watch I bought 5-6 years ago for around $2500. If I sold it, I could probably get roughly $1500 for it now as its in near mint condition. An Apple watch with a degenerating battery that will be obsolete within 2 years will lose 95% of its value in 5 years.

I seriously don't understand the purpose of the Apple Watch...and I've owned 6 Macs, 4 Apple TVs, 7 iPhones, 5 iPods and 5 iPads.

Obviously the gold Apple Watch is only for rich people that can afford to buy a $5000 dollars watch every year without having to resell it. If you are not one of those people then you shouldn't buy one. You'll be better with a Rolex or something like that. I seriously don't get the Apple Watch either, I think this is going to be one big major failure. The Watch is ugly, it doesn't do much by itself, is litterally just an iPhone accesory and is really expensive. There's not a single thing this Apple Watch excels on.
 
$500!?!?

Seriously??? Why so expensive and what happened to the $400 price tag?

Comparable Android watches can be had for $250 or less. The iPad only controls a premium of about $100 over comparable (and arguably better) tablets from Samsung and Google's manufacturing partners. Hell, it's cheaper than the competitors with some storage configurations! The iPhone is a similar story.

But this watch that may or may not do as much stuff-- it's double the price of a comparable time piece out today.
 
$500!?!?

Seriously??? Why so expensive and what happened to the $400 price tag?

Comparable Android watches can be had for $250 or less. The iPad only controls a premium of about $100 over comparable (and arguably better) tablets from Samsung and Google's manufacturing partners. Hell, it's cheaper than the competitors with some storage configurations! The iPhone is a similar story.

But this watch that may or may not do as much stuff-- it's double the price of a comparable time piece out today.

$5000 for the Gold one. You think they were gonna give you gold for free? Lol.
 
Sure, mechanical watches have used better materials (silicon main spring say) or co-axial movements to reduce friction etc.

But what you still have is a time telling device that is pretty inaccurate today, as it was 20, 40 or 60 years ago.

You can get all horologist on me if you like, but has COSC made their standards any more rigorous today than they were in 1973? They still certify only about 3% of Swiss watches, and the watch only has to be -4 to +6 seconds a day accuracy to be certified as a Chronometer.

Oh of course you are right about that. That was not what I was disputing. Watches have not become much more accurate, although they have become more accurate in keeping current. What I mean by this for a lack of better words is that there are now watches that will remain on time for decades even hundreds of years, even taking into account DST and the extra day every four years.

The progress in watches mostly has to do with the addition of functionality such as the flyback mechanism in chronometers (basically the "lap" button in digital watches), more information, more accurate sub second chronometer measurement and independence of gravity through multiple axis tourbillion etc.

It has never been about aiming for a similar accuracy as quartz crystal movements.
 
Don't know who's going to pay this much money for something that will need to be upgraded every couple of years. I smell a flop.
 
Gold is not for everyone...

In this day of painted gold jewelry, people seem to forget what a REAL gold timepiece is worth. For those that must have gold, the Apple watch doesn't strike me as an investment device. It's 100% vanity and very little else. So folks need to shut up and stop whining about something they can't afford. If you can afford, cool.
 
The Sport model is still $350.

We can keep trying, but I'm not sure it is going to stick.

The title of this story/discussion is part of the problem. While "Apple Watch" is the name of the specific line of models they're discussing, it is also the generic name for the product line as a whole. People are seeing "Apple Watch Pricing to Reportedly Start at $500" and flipping out.

This is partly Apple's fault for how they have named the lines.
 
Do you run or hike without your phone today?

Maybe you do, and that's totally fine. I only ask because I see this argument repeatedly, yet anytime am out engaging in physical activity everyone has their phones with them.

I think that Apple took a look at the landscape, adjusted what could fit into this first generation product to it viable, and made a decision to go forth using the iPhone for the bulk of the processing and data transmission. It is OK to disagree with the strategy, but I don't think it is all that difficult to see how they might have arrived at the decisions they've made.

I generally do bring my phone. Not always, but often. That said, since I already HAVE my phone, why do I need the watch? There's no compelling reason to spend $350+ just to have notifications on my wrist. I appreciate their strategy. I just think it's foolish. I think Tim and Jony are desperate to silence the nay-sayers once and for all. They've made a big point about how this was created post-Steve. That's what this is all about. We can innovate without Steve! Trouble is, the watch isn't particularly innovative at all. It's beautiful, but there's nothing compelling about the feature set. It will appeal to a select group of Apple diehards, but I think the audience is very, very small and certainly not sizable enough to make it a success.
 
I think the folks who are here saying that those who can afford $4k for an apple watch will just drop the $4k again in a couple years are grossly over assuming. Apple doesn't design devices tailored for Paris Hilton. The people that most of you consider "rich" are still not in a position where they can justifiably drop $4k on a novelty product, at keast not in any form of consistency that would make it make sense for apple to make product for this demographic. My gut is telling me they'll roll out a trade in to reclaim precious metals or something like that.
 
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I predict that this will be the first Apple product where geek credibility will be enhanced by NOT having one.
 
In this day of painted gold jewelry, people seem to forget what a REAL gold timepiece is worth. For those that must have gold, the Apple watch doesn't strike me as an investment device. It's 100% vanity and very little else. So folks need to shut up and stop whining about something they can't afford. If you can afford, cool.

I can afford it but I really don't think it's a smart move to buy one knowing it would be oudated next year. I'll rather buya $20,000 rolex.
 
Doesn't really matter people like the first of everything. The orig iPod 5gb in near mint condition are selling for basically double their orig price at around 800.00 to as high as a grand. If I replace my battery in my iPod 30 gb 3rd gen I might get close to what I paid for it. Nowadays folks are buying up their past and will pay good money for mint electronics.

Where on Earth have you seen a 5GB iPod for a grand? I found one eBay just now with 4 bids for $151:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-20...1376?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item20ef651030

There's a factory sealed, brand new one for $700:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FACTORY-SEA...1060?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item2a31786864

I think you're way overestimating the value of an original iPod. The Apple Watch won't do any better in terms of appreciating in value. Someone else mentioned the 20th Anniversary Mac, suggesting the Apple Watch will be a "collector's item" like the Mac. Trouble is, the Mac isn't a collector's item. You can now buy the $7500 20th Anniversary Mac for as little as $1500 on eBay.

Yes, Apple products hold value better than other products, but ultimately everyone wants new and better. If you're buying an Apple Watch because you think it will appreciate in value substantially over the coming years, I suggest you talk to a competent financial planner instead and do something productive with your money.
 
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NFC needs the iPhone too. You're carrying it anyway. So you want to spend $350 so that you can have notifications and NFC payments on your wrist instead of reaching into your pocket? Sorry, that isn't worth $350 (much less $5K!!!) to me, but to each his own. At $199, I would have been mildly interested. But $350 to start? No way. I think it's going to be a huge flop.
If I get an :apple: watch it won't be for just those reasons. If you think those are the only functions that would make the Watch attractive, you are not a very observant person.

When the :apple: Watch is closer to release, and its capabilities/limitations/pricing are more clear, I'll make my decision. It will be based on ALL the capabilities (not on any subset that you can come up with), and how I think they will fit into my life.
 
I appreciate their strategy. I just think it's foolish. I think Tim and Jony are desperate to silence the nay-sayers once and for all. They've made a big point about how this was created post-Steve. That's what this is all about. We can innovate without Steve!

I wouldn't say that is what this is all about. It is about expanding their business and offering a new product line in a developing space.

The optics regarding when the project was started and making it a success without their former leader are important, but not a reason to dump the amount of time and resources into this product that they have.

All of your other thoughts on the utility of the device are valid. We'll see how it all pans out in a few months/years.
 
Where on Earth have you seen a 5GB iPod for a grand? I found one eBay just now with 4 bids for $151:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-20...1376?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item20ef651030

There's a factory sealed, brand new one for $700:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FACTORY-SEA...1060?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item2a31786864

I think you're way overestimating the value of an original iPod. The Apple Watch won't do any better in terms of appreciating in value. Someone else mentioned the 20th Anniversary Mac, suggesting the Apple Watch will be a "collector's item" like the Mac. Trouble is, the Mac isn't a collector's item. You can now buy the $7500 20th Anniversary Mac for as little as $1500 on eBay.

Yes, Apple products hold value better than other products, but ultimately everyone wants new and better. If you're buying an Apple Watch because you think it will appreciate in value substantially over the coming years, I suggest you talk to a competent financial planner instead and do something productive with your money.
That's not anywhere close to "near mint" in the first link. Second link is about what the guy oosted (and that's a fifth gen not first). I don't see a problem here.
 
I wouldn't say that is what this is all about. It is about expanding their business and offering a new product line in a developing space.

The optics regarding when the project was started and making it a success without their former leader are important, but not a reason to dump the amount of time and resources into this product that they have.

All of your other thoughts on the utility of the device are valid. We'll see how it all pans out in a few months/years.

I think this is the first time ever that a new Apple product dissapoints since Steve Jobs came back. I would count the iPhone 6 too but that's not a new line.
 
same here

I love Tag watches.

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The Rolex watch buyer knows his watch will maintain its value for decades. There something "timeless" about luxury watches. They don't go obsolete.

Smart watches will look dated in a couple of years.

So you can buy about 5 Apple Watches or one "real" Rolex.
Should be enough Apple Watches to never feel "dated".
 
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