Yeah, and I'm still not sure the Apple Watch will be the true mechanical watch killer, itself, but, now that Apple has made it somewhat "ok" to wear one, I'm sure we'll start seeing zillions of variants from all sorts of companies, and that saturation will be a big issue for mechanical watch makers, I'd guess.
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Apple Watch vs the watch industry
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Yeah, and I'm still not sure the Apple Watch will be the true mechanical watch killer, itself, but, now that Apple has made it somewhat "ok" to wear one, I'm sure we'll start seeing zillions of variants from all sorts of companies, and that saturation will be a big issue for mechanical watch makers, I'd guess.
MH01
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That is true.
I actually believe the biggest impact on the mechanical watch has been the mobile phone. Especially the smart phone.
Yeah, that's the interesting part. Much of the challenge isn't to get mechanical watch wearers to buy a smartwatch. It's to get those who don't wear a watch at all to wear a smartwatch, and they tend to be younger people.
I live north of London and so far I've only seen them being worn by staff in the Bullring Apple Store. I am at a disadvantage though because I've never ever been in a Starbucks. 😀
That must be an interesting cultural difference between London and Portland. Here in Portland, people tend to favor local shops over a chain like Starbucks, and I don't think Starbucks would be a hotspot for seeing the Apple Watch. Granted, I've seen the Apple Watch on everyone from suburban moms to tech guys to musicians.
MH01
Suspended
In west London, the youth love bling, the bigger the watch the better. Not something smart watches have.
The problem for youth is the entry cost, they need a phone and a watch.
Minus a few rare sightings, only time I have seen them has been in the Westfield Apple Store . Yet to see anyone use Apple Pay , have seen signs , but never anyone using their watch
Is Portland not a hipster paradise ? That's the impression I got, or maybe cause I watched that show -Portland on a flight , bad of me to generalise .
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Yep, and hipsters don't really go to Starbucks here. It's like the McDonalds of coffee. That being said, lots of hipster people (who knows what that even means anymore) are into vintage looking mechanical watches from the likes of Shinola. I see the Apple Watch on a lot of suburban and workout people, as well as tech people, here in Portland.
That's probably going to be the great irony, if mechanical watches loose a bit of their status symbol cachet and value, as hipsters will likely be the one's wearing mechanical watches in the future. Hipsters are certainly the only people that I've seen wearing pocket watches. Granted, what much of the world calls hipsters are probably just regular people, here, as lots of people have beards, long hair, etc. Our hipsters dress like the 1890s, with vests, waxed mustaches, etc.
I do live right down the street from Carrie Brownstein, and I see her walking her dog from time to time, so I'll try to pay attention to which watch she's wearing these days. 🙂
I was only joking about Starbucks because of it's hipster reputation on here though I was telling the truth about never ever going in one. I wouldn't know about London because I don't live there and rarely visit the capital but I would imagine I would have more chance of spotting one there than where I live.
I don't know anyone who owns a smartwatch or even anyone who has said they are interested in one. Most of my friends are not into technology like we are so it's not really surprising though I am meeting up with someone on Saturday who might possibly own one. It won't be an Apple Watch though because he works for Microsoft. 🙂
It could be we are a bit more patient where I live and we wait for the initial bugs to be ironed out and missing essential features to be added because when the first iPhone and iPad came out no-one I knew bought one, though that all changed when the iPhone 3G and iPad 2 were released. 😎
Yeah, oddly enough, I believe that the Watch and Macbook that I bought this year are the only first generation Apple products I've purchased.
Now that is one thing that is catching on north of Watford. 😛
I use it a lot and I've seen quite a few others paying that way but obviously not with their Apple Watches. 😀
ultravisitor
macrumors 6502a
I live in Chicago, and I hardly ever see Apple Watches, regardless of what neighborhood I'm visiting. Most people I've spoken to think they're too expensive for what little they actually do. I kind of agree. I mean, I have an Apple Watch, but I'm not disillusioned to the fact that it's really just an expensive toy. I don't miss it if I'm wearing another watch instead.
BarracksSi
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I mostly stopped wearing a watch once I finally got myself a cell phone with an external display. Would've been in 2003 or so.
The funny thing is, I started wearing a watch again because smartphones became so capable, they were becoming a distraction at my workplace, and we started discouraging having them on ourselves all the time.
Yeah, even here in Portland, people look at me like a spaceman when I use my Watch to pay for things. I actually use the Watch to pay for things more than the phone, because, if I have to retrieve my phone, I may as well just go for my wallet, instead.
I live in London and I have only seen two. One on the underground about three months ago and the other on the person serving me last week at an EE store. I have a lot of Apple gear but the watch does not appeal to me. I can see no point in adding a device that is no more than an extension of my phone and does no more than save me the trouble of taking my phone out of my pocket. I have a couple of watches and wear one of them every day. One is a Cartier Santos and the other a Breitling chronograph.
All these posts claiming "I've never seen an Apple Watch" are truly myopic and reminiscent of ostriches with heads in the sand.
According to the latest numbers, Apple Watch sales are estimated to be higher than 3 million units shipped.
These are small numbers in the realm of smart phones, but significant in watch terms: Rolex is estimated to sell fewer than 1 million units per year, and higher-end manufacturers such as Patek ship 50000 or fewer (A Lange & Sohne only ships estimated number of around 5000).
In 2014, Swiss watch industry sold 28,586,000 units total, of which 18 million were 0-200 CHF and 5 million of 200-500 CHF, meaning Apple Watch is a huge fraction of the number of watches sold in this price range.
http://www.fhs.ch/scripts/getstat.php?file=histo_gp_150909_a.pdf
Swiss watch industry has of course undergone a similar squeeze in the past during the Quartz crisis, which led to bankrupting of many companies and consolidation of independents into conglomerates.
Smart watches will likely have a much larger impact than quartz because unlike Quartz, smart watches actually deliver new functionalities, instead of slightly improving previously available functions at a cheaper price.
I was not born when the Quartz industry was born, but I believe many high-end watches went belly up last time so it is seriously difficult to imagine that they will not be affected this time around.
According to the latest numbers, Apple Watch sales are estimated to be higher than 3 million units shipped.
These are small numbers in the realm of smart phones, but significant in watch terms: Rolex is estimated to sell fewer than 1 million units per year, and higher-end manufacturers such as Patek ship 50000 or fewer (A Lange & Sohne only ships estimated number of around 5000).
In 2014, Swiss watch industry sold 28,586,000 units total, of which 18 million were 0-200 CHF and 5 million of 200-500 CHF, meaning Apple Watch is a huge fraction of the number of watches sold in this price range.
http://www.fhs.ch/scripts/getstat.php?file=histo_gp_150909_a.pdf
Swiss watch industry has of course undergone a similar squeeze in the past during the Quartz crisis, which led to bankrupting of many companies and consolidation of independents into conglomerates.
Smart watches will likely have a much larger impact than quartz because unlike Quartz, smart watches actually deliver new functionalities, instead of slightly improving previously available functions at a cheaper price.
I was not born when the Quartz industry was born, but I believe many high-end watches went belly up last time so it is seriously difficult to imagine that they will not be affected this time around.
maxsix
Suspended
I live in a very exclusive, wealthy area of Los Angeles, one where kids live at home till they're 30, drive brand new BMW's, Range Rovers, Teslas, Porshes, Jags and such. Flush with mommy and daddies cash they wear $60,000 watches dripping with diamonds like the rappers wear.
An AW is a cheap gadget to them. Oh sure a few got paid big bucks to wear one for a day or two like Beyoncé. But if they did have an AW it's tossed aside never to see the light of day again.
Personally I think AW is great for those who love it. Just don't assume it'll dominate the watch industry. Nor put a dent in true luxury watch sales. It's lacking the substance to revolutionize an industry. It'll coexist with Apples help.
I moved to Portland this past year, but I lived in West Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills for the prior 15 years (my family is still there,) and I think you're underestimating how much the Watch is popping up on the wealthy and famous. For the truly wealthy, putting $60K watches away in a drawer to never again see the light of day is no big deal, either.
Would you prefer it if we all pretended we had actually seen loads of them out there in public?
I know it's only my anecdotal evidence but I genuinely haven't seen them being worn or know anyone who has bought one or is thinking of getting one. I don't know what effect smartwatches will have on the overall market and nor does anyone else who is posting on here. Smartwatches could end up dominating the market in a few years time or they could be just another fad that fades away when people get bored but I still think it's too early to decide either way.
I've had my current watch for six years. It cost me just under £500. I've changed the battery once - that cost £12. The watch still looks as new even though I wear it daily.
If I bought an Apple watch today, in six years it'd probably be slow, no longer support the latest software and apps and need it's second or third battery replacement (at £79) to keep it working through the day. I would also have had to plug it in to charge 2,190 times. I've never had to charge my current watch.
If I bought an Apple watch today, in six years it'd probably be slow, no longer support the latest software and apps and need it's second or third battery replacement (at £79) to keep it working through the day. I would also have had to plug it in to charge 2,190 times. I've never had to charge my current watch.
This i agree with I think if I had an Apple watch I would be constantly caught out with a flat battery because i forgot to put it on charge. I often forget to put my phone on charge and have an external battery pack charger just for that purpose.
Anecdotes are interesting but they tell an incomplete story.
Swiss watch sales numbers and Apple Watch sales numbers (estimated) are available and both indicate that a) Swiss watch sales are not doing well recently and b) Apple Watch is doing well as a first gen Apple device.
Nobody can predict the future of course, but we have seen how technology displaces older industries.
There's no evidence that the Apple Watch is the cause of the drop in Swiss watch sales. This report suggests a slump in the Chinese economy and the decoupling of the Swiss Franc from the Euro is to blame.
MH01
Suspended
Just did some googling about hipsters, as they annoy me personally, but better get some facts 🙂
The thing I find the most hypocritical is that they shun big labels and cooperations, love retro, and yet love apple products. Ummm Hello?!?
I can completely understand that there would be a high concentration of apple products and watches in Portland.
I believe as a hipster you cannot wear a Rolex or Omega etc, an Apple Watch is probably the choice product to go with the iPhone and messager bag that has a MacBook in it.
Have these people not realised Apple is now cool and trendy??