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Apple Watch Will Be Available for Purchase at Select Boutique Stores on Friday

sampaul said:
I don't think you understand the term frustration. Several people, including myself, have ordered Apple Watches right after the online store opened, just because we are GUARANTEED to get that Watch by Friday. And so was promised by Apple. Now, the weird thing is, people who had a 4-6 week delivery time frame are getting updates on their Watch. Whereas for me, no movement. I have every right to be frustrated and mad about this.

And nope, there is no way I am getting the Watch on Monday, and Friday, I lost hope on that several days ago.
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Hmm, that is weird. I wonder why your delivery isn't happening on Friday. I wonder if we are going to find that a certain band is delayed or in very short supply. Still this is only frustration and it will be forgotten within a day of your watch arriving.

But get used to this if/when Apple launches another new product. There is no way for a company this popular to launch a new line of products and come even close to meeting demand, if the launch is for something even remotely mainstream. I think Apple is going to launch a new version the Apple TV soon and I'm wondering if I need to stay up late and preorder that product.
 
What a great way to send a big "**** you" to long standing, loyal Apple customers. Such a shame.
 
SHNXX said:
True

The other thing is that the Apple watch is a more outrageously new thing compared to a Patek.
A 100k Patek is not surprising and won't cost the owner much money over 10 years because it will likely be worth more in 10 years than now.
Also a 100k Patek is made in an entirely different way from a 500 dollar watch by master artisans by hand.


A 17k Apple Watch will be worth next to nothing in 3 years and it is functionally exactly the same and was manufactured using the same way except for the case.

These make the Apple Watch a more outrageous expense compared to a 100k Patek.
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Nothing is guaranteed to be worth more in ten years. Pateks have gained in value over the last several decades. But the moment they stop doing that the market for them will drop significantly. They are a bit like art in that they have no intrinsic value compared to their aesthetic value.

I think the value of Pateks will be determined by two competing forces. First, the concentration of increasingly richer and richer people who have already bought food, shelter, clothing, etc. to a ridiculous degree and who are seeking other ways to spend/store their money. That is pushing the value of luxury items up, especially if the items are viewed as partly just a way to store money.

Second, though, the value of wrist real estate to house a small computer. If wearing a Patek means sacrificing wearing what proves to be a very useful wrist computer than I think the price of the Patek will reflect that sacrifice. The bad news for the Patek is that the small wrist computers will become inevitably more useful and cheaper, while in our hypothetical the Patek needs to remain sufficiently desired that many people want it so there is a market for it as a used device at $100,000.

I've never been interested in spending that kind of money for a watch (partly because I could only afford to do so in a theoretical way that yes, I could write the check for one. But it would be a crazy financial decision). But I'd be even less likely to do so now that I've seen the Apple Watch.
 
farewelwilliams said:
LAUNCH APRIL 24TH

BUT NO STOCK IN STORE

BUT THERE IS STOCK IN STORE

JUST NOT APPLE STORE EVEN THOUGH WE MAKE THEM.


most confusing launch ever.
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Not confusing at all. It launches April 24th, meaning that will be the first day you can walk into a retail store and walk out with one. And you can, at the stores listed.

For now, Apple Stores are online only. Big Deal. If that's too hard to understand, then people who don't get it should go back to Kindergarten, instead of looking for any little thing they think they can pick on to somehow say that Apple is doing things wrong or badly. Because you know, the people making that claim could run Apple soooo much better. Apple is, after all, losing BILLIONS of dollars due to poor merchandising. :rolleyes:
 
So THIS is where the not happening blockbuster launch happens… I hope they are prepared. Good job, Angela!
 
TallManNY said:
Nothing is guaranteed to be worth more in ten years. Pateks have gained in value over the last several decades. But the moment they stop doing that the market for them will drop significantly. They are a bit like art in that they have no intrinsic value compared to their aesthetic value.



I think the value of Pateks will be determined by two competing forces. First, the concentration of increasingly richer and richer people who have already bought food, shelter, clothing, etc. to a ridiculous degree and who are seeking other ways to spend/store their money. That is pushing the value of luxury items up, especially if the items are viewed as partly just a way to store money.



Second, though, the value of wrist real estate to house a small computer. If wearing a Patek means sacrificing wearing what proves to be a very useful wrist computer than I think the price of the Patek will reflect that sacrifice. The bad news for the Patek is that the small wrist computers will become inevitably more useful and cheaper, while in our hypothetical the Patek needs to remain sufficiently desired that many people want it so there is a market for it as a used device at $100,000.



I've never been interested in spending that kind of money for a watch (partly because I could only afford to do so in a theoretical way that yes, I could write the check for one. But it would be a crazy financial decision). But I'd be even less likely to do so now that I've seen the Apple Watch.
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I agree that as the wrist devices become more useful, we may see a decline in high end watch sales.
However I want to bring two counter points
1) high end such as Patek or Lange or Audemars Piguet will be the last to be affected, since no Patek buyer buys them for utilitarian purpose.
2) wrist may not be the final form factor for wearables. As more and more internet of things come along, it's possible that wrist will be reclaimed by watches as better form factors for on-the-go computing arise.
 
SHNXX said:
I agree that as the wrist devices become more useful, we may see a decline in high end watch sales.
However I want to bring two counter points
1) high end such as Patek or Lange or Audemars Piguet will be the last to be affected, since no Patek buyer buys them for utilitarian purpose.
2) wrist may not be the final form factor for wearables. As more and more internet of things come along, it's possible that wrist will be reclaimed by watches as better form factors for on-the-go computing arise.
Click to expand...

I love point 2 above. I totally agree that the wrist might not be the place. And lets not forget that while wearing two watches seems unthinkable now from a fashion position, if the smart watch is really a wrist computer and everyone sees it that way, then using the other wrist for personal expression might become very socially acceptable.

But on point 1 don't be so sure that the high end is so unassailable. Remember those watches need incredible levels of demand to maintain their high prices. It is a very precarious position to have to justify that a watch should go for $100,000. I definitely can see a scenario in the next two years where (A) it is still unfashionable to wear two watches and (B) it is annoying to not wear a smart watch once you've grown accustom to that utility. If 20% of the guys who currently put on a Patek stopping wearing there's (and hence do not go out and buy a high end watch or maybe they even attempt to sell them), I think that will move that market.

Or maybe folks won't like wearing smart watches in general. Or it will be considered uncool to do so by the economic elite to display that level of connectedness (just like at one point it was a bit uncool among executives to read email; you had your email printed for you by your secretary and you read it when you got around to it). We shall see.
 
TallManNY said:
I love point 2 above. I totally agree that the wrist might not be the place. And lets not forget that while wearing two watches seems unthinkable now from a fashion position, if the smart watch is really a wrist computer and everyone sees it that way, then using the other wrist for personal expression might become very socially acceptable.



But on point 1 don't be so sure that the high end is so unassailable. Remember those watches need incredible levels of demand to maintain their high prices. It is a very precarious position to have to justify that a watch should go for $100,000. I definitely can see a scenario in the next two years where (A) it is still unfashionable to wear two watches and (B) it is annoying to not wear a smart watch once you've grown accustom to that utility. If 20% of the guys who currently put on a Patek stopping wearing there's (and hence do not go out and buy a high end watch or maybe they even attempt to sell them), I think that will move that market.



Or maybe folks won't like wearing smart watches in general. Or it will be considered uncool to do so by the economic elite to display that level of connectedness (just like at one point it was a bit uncool among executives to read email; you had your email printed for you by your secretary and you read it when you got around to it). We shall see.
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Although I'm not your average Patek owner, I do have a Patek Calatrava.
I actually don't plan on buying the Apple Watch 1 except maybe for testing and development purposes later.
I think it's just a tiny bit disappointing to be honest in terms of functionality.
 
This is pretty lame. Apple said it would be online order only, bent over backwards to explain it...and a lot of people understood and/or were a little upset. Not to mention,they had their employees toe the party line and explain that it was online order only. Then they make everyone look stupid by sending some for day one buying to fashion stores.

They should have just explained the launch truthfully the first time. They can launch how they want, its just snot good business to lie about it/keep changing it
 
Boys ( and girls ) , if you think the gold Watch is elitist, you should go out more.
I've just been to Colette today , and in the watch section , at least half the display was occupied by watches between 20.000 Euros and 67.000 euros.

The Sport and Steel Watch is actually going to be the CHEAPEST watch there !! :eek::D

And Colette isn't even a real luxury store, it's more like a hip/cool concept store for the rich kids.
 
darthbane2k said:
Just been to one of these 'boutique' stores. They are flat out denying this
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These stores aren't your average retailers. Completely prepared, if they are receiving watches from Apple they've already notified their highly valuable regular clients and promised them watches.

To pacify Apple they may hold back a few for display, but aren't going to share that with a first time contact over the phone. They're too smart for that. The last thing they need are TV cameras waiting as they open on Friday.

Highly successful shops, any profits they make off Apple Watches are meaningless compared to being swamped by a bunch of geeks. They will avoid that at all costs.
 
Purchasing a watch from DSML tomorrow...

FYI from DSML's website...

"How to make an appointment to try-on or to purchase

From Friday 24th April to Sunday 26th April:
We will be posting a dedicated telephone number tomorrow morning to allow you to book an appointment. In the meantime please note that appointments cannot be made at the store and we kindly ask you not to queue."

Good luck with that...
 
whatos said:
These stores aren't your average retailers. Completely prepared, if they are receiving watches from Apple they've already notified their highly valuable regular clients and promised them watches.

To pacify Apple they may hold back a few for display, but aren't going to share that with a first time contact over the phone. They're too smart for that. The last thing they need are TV cameras waiting as they open on Friday.

Highly successful shops, any profits they make off Apple Watches are meaningless compared to being swamped by a bunch of geeks. They will avoid that at all costs.
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The apple watch pop up store in London has no regular clients, it is new. Secondly I went there in person, not on the phone.
 
Does anyone else miss Ron Johnson?

I just hope this doesn't flop angela ... To be honest this has been the worst launch day of a device from inception to completion. She in my humble opinion doesn't understand or care for apple culture ... but is there apple culture any more. **Off Soap Box ** Crying
 
sampaul said:
I don't think you understand the term frustration. Several people, including myself, have ordered Apple Watches right after the online store opened, just because we are GUARANTEED to get that Watch by Friday. And so was promised by Apple.
Click to expand...

Since we're calling each other out for not understanding certain well-defined terms, could you elaborate on how "4/24-5/8" translates into "GUARANTEED to get that Watch by Friday"?
 
kds1 said:
Not confusing at all. It launches April 24th, meaning that will be the first day you can walk into a retail store and walk out with one. And you can, at the stores listed.

For now, Apple Stores are online only. Big Deal. If that's too hard to understand, then people who don't get it should go back to Kindergarten, instead of looking for any little thing they think they can pick on to somehow say that Apple is doing things wrong or badly. Because you know, the people making that claim could run Apple soooo much better. Apple is, after all, losing BILLIONS of dollars due to poor merchandising. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Not my point, but good try though. I would put a roll eyes smiley here but I don't want to be smug.
 
SHNXX said:
Although I'm not your average Patek owner, I do have a Patek Calatrava.
I actually don't plan on buying the Apple Watch 1 except maybe for testing and development purposes later.
I think it's just a tiny bit disappointing to be honest in terms of functionality.
Click to expand...

Ha, if you've got a $10,000+ watch and you comment on Macrumors, then I'm going to bet you're buying the Apple Watch at some point. And if you can justify it for development purposes, then I'm even more confident in my prediction.

Agree that on some level it doesn't seem that useful. But I think its use will become more apparent with familiarity. The reviews were actually quite positive. Not gushing or perfect. But if you got to the core of them it was clear that most folks were going to keep wearing the watch. That is the key, do you keep wearing it after you get it.
 
Last edited:
First of all, I don't even know when I called you out for not understanding a specific term. If in case you didn't notice, I was just explaining my frustration to the other gentleman.

Second of all, the keynote mentioned that the pre-orders would reach everyone on Friday. And judging by the time Apple first introduced the Apple Watch in September 2014, they should have enough stock ready for pre-orders.

As for elaborating on my point, while I was pre-ordering, the payment screen showed the delivery date Friday April 24th. I pre-ordered it right then, thus guaranteeing the fact that the Apple watch would be delivered on Friday. But as the days passed on, it changed to 4/24-5/8. And I hope you saw what MacRumors posted about people with 4-6 weeks delivery, have had movements on their orders. Whereas for me, I am still stuck on "Processing".

Hope I was clear enough.

MarkusL said:
Since we're calling each other out for not understanding certain well-defined terms, could you elaborate on how "4/24-5/8" translates into "GUARANTEED to get that Watch by Friday"?
Click to expand...
 
kds1 said:
Then what was your point?
Click to expand...

Point: Confusion lies with Apple's decision to give third party retailers stock on launch day compared to fulfilling backorders on Apple.com and denying stock in Apple retail stores where they have more traffic than high end retailers.
 
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