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High-End 18-Karat Gold Apple Watch Could Cost Up to $1,200
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while that's true, it will still tell the time (and do a few other things) without an iphone, and people pay tens of thousands of dollars for "handcrafted swiss timepieces" that have no functionality except telling the time.
This made me chuckle.
Most 18kt alloys are twice as hard as 24kt gold.
Love Apple. Always trying to make the commonplace sound special.
Like every company does with their marketing. Check out some of the marketing materials for Google's material design.
Sad to see that my once favorite tech company is now turning into a sleazy pointless fashion brand.
Where will the next keynote be held - at fashion week?
Swing and a miss. Probably one of the worst and most inaccurate analogies I've ever read on this forum.
I'll just wait however long it takes to get a rose gold colored one for only like $150. I don't even want real gold, I just want the color.
...I'm sure I'll be waiting a very long time. Maybe forever.
...I'm sure I'll be waiting a very long time. Maybe forever.
Don't forget that a round model = less, useful display area unless the thing is absolutely enormous. About the only thing a round display is good for is an analogue watch face, which is why they have made this thing the shape it is. I suspect it will get thinner and thinner in time, but remain a similar shape.
Duh, sell it for 1000 and buy the next one.
And the watches will come out every 12 months and you will always have the same problem so I guess you ain't getting an Apple Watch for your birthday.
I guess Rolex doesn't improve their watches every year. Try them.
Yeah... until they change it to round, then it will be the biggest revolution ever.
My predicted prices
First of all if the gold one isn't solid gold there will be righteous indignation at that not having been mentioned/made clear during the announcement. So assuming solid gold...
The stainless steel models
$349 gets you aluminum and a non-sapphire crystal. Going to SS and sapphire will be at least $100, probably $150. And that's with the equivalent lowest cost sport band. No self respecting high end watch maker would sell a nice leather band like Apple showed for less than $50 and mostly more, so either $50 or even $100 for the leather bands. Steel bracelets $100 more than leather (which would be inexpensive by some standards, and these are very nice bracelets).
Therefore
SS with sport band: $499
SS with leather band: $599
SS with steel band: $699
The gold models
Gold watches are really expensive. Way more expensive than the same watch in SS than just the additional cost of the gold would warrant. And obviously Apple has no problem with that kind of pricing (see Apple's flash and memory prices).
Gold with gold band: $1999 absolute minimum but more likely $2499. Logic being only crazy rich people are going to spend $2k (or even much over $1k as people here are commenting) for a soon to be obsolete electronic device. Most who would spend $2k will spend $2.5k, so why not, make it have more prestige and value.
First of all if the gold one isn't solid gold there will be righteous indignation at that not having been mentioned/made clear during the announcement. So assuming solid gold...
The stainless steel models
$349 gets you aluminum and a non-sapphire crystal. Going to SS and sapphire will be at least $100, probably $150. And that's with the equivalent lowest cost sport band. No self respecting high end watch maker would sell a nice leather band like Apple showed for less than $50 and mostly more, so either $50 or even $100 for the leather bands. Steel bracelets $100 more than leather (which would be inexpensive by some standards, and these are very nice bracelets).
Therefore
SS with sport band: $499
SS with leather band: $599
SS with steel band: $699
The gold models
Gold watches are really expensive. Way more expensive than the same watch in SS than just the additional cost of the gold would warrant. And obviously Apple has no problem with that kind of pricing (see Apple's flash and memory prices).
Gold with gold band: $1999 absolute minimum but more likely $2499. Logic being only crazy rich people are going to spend $2k (or even much over $1k as people here are commenting) for a soon to be obsolete electronic device. Most who would spend $2k will spend $2.5k, so why not, make it have more prestige and value.
Rolex is mass market. I guess that tells us how far up the food chain you live.
That is very cheap
If it is solid gold then this is very cheap price. I recently have bought a Rado watch for my wife. Sapphire with lots of zarkonia and 4 real stones for more than that. It costed me USD 1277. It is golden plated only and not solid gold. A watch with solid gold should go beyond USD 2000.
If it is solid gold then this is very cheap price. I recently have bought a Rado watch for my wife. Sapphire with lots of zarkonia and 4 real stones for more than that. It costed me USD 1277. It is golden plated only and not solid gold. A watch with solid gold should go beyond USD 2000.
Exactly. This whole bit about having a gold model will be very interesting. They don't really have any business asking for typical gold watch prices for it, but then if they charge less what message is that sending? (Yes, we know, disposable consumer electronics, which is why they don't want to send it.)
In due course, and not with this model, I imagine they will aim to make the watches upgradeable, so you take in the chassis and they put in a new chip and battery. At that point, they could sell really expensive cases. $1200 is not a lot for many.
There's no such thing as "standard 18tk gold".
- 24kt is ~100% gold.
- 18kt is 75% gold, 25% other metals.
The mixture determines the color and hardness.
For example, to get rose gold at about twice the hardness of pure gold, it'd be mixed with mostly copper (for the pink) and a bit of silver.
Other mixtures might allow the 18kt to be four or more times as hard, but perhaps not as pretty.
In the images of the watch on Apple's website, it says on the back of the watch "18-KARAT GOLD". There is no modifier like "10 micron", "plated", "filled", etc. that would suggest any gold-on-base metal. The 18K might be relatively thin, and be supported by some other material, but it is likely solid gold, and is going to be pricey.