I wore the $17,000 apple watch: impressions

[Nebrie]

It's amazing that people are shocked to suddenly find out that a whole market segment called "luxury" exists and is somehow a thing.

This is a bag. Functionally equivalent to something you find at Walmart for $15. The people who buy these generally only use them a handful of times. It costs $31,000. It is luxury.

I know someone who owns this. I can count the number of times they intend to wear this (once) before throwing into a closet. It costs $16,000. It is luxury.

The people who buy these make so much money that they are literally richer when they leave the store after buying bags of this stuff than when they entered it.

Believe it or not, the fashion company doesn't really make any money selling a $31,000 bag or a $16,000 dress. They make the real money from the $2,000 version of the same bag or a $600 similarly-styled dress. However, the luxury version of those items created a halo around the lower-cost items that elevated their value in the same way that is making people here say "haha those rich suckers, I got my gold Apple watch for only $1,000" or "I paid $350 for basically the same thing". That's exactly what Apple was hoping you would say. They know that when you pass by an Apple Store, you'll step in to take a look at that ridiculous Edition model that you've heard about. What they're hoping is that while you're there, you'll notice how nice the SS one looks and want to try it on. They don't really care if they only sell 10 of these things; just the amount of free advertising, articles and discussion around the Edition more than paid for the cost of it's development.

 

[bruinsrme]

Umm, hmm, how do we explain this...

Gold has been the most sought after precious metal since the beginning of recorded time...

It is the definition of "high end"

Sought after for its various uses. Personally I prefer platinum.

To me a $7000+ premium doesn't necessarily make the watch high end as much as it makes it overpriced.

 

[Trius]

I think Edition is the stupidest thing Apple has ever done. Makes me wonder if Guinness Book of Records 2015 will feature this.

Like it or not, that's fine.. But the "stupidest thing Apple has ever done"?

I'm not sure I agree with that. If they sell one watch, they make ten grand.. I bet they sell more than one.

Remember this?

$30 for a sock is worse imo.

 

[jds4300]

Hi all, just wanted to share my experience after my apple watch edition try on today. I did not order an edition nor do I claim to so please do not bash me for that, these are solely my initial impressions with the appearance and appeal of the device.

So I was near an Apple Store that held the edition today so I figured what the heck I would try it on, my sg bsb ships at the end of May, but I wanted to see what the hype about the edition model is. I went to my appointment and they brought out the models guarded by security personnel.

First, the box the watch comes with is blue leather, but feels cheap. It isn't heavy at all, and the magnet holding the two sides together wasnt that strong. The box felt like an apple leather iPhone case if you want an impression. The charger itself was shiny black similar to the bezel on the black iPhone five.

Now onto the watches:

The watch was light. Very light. There was no considerable heft to the gold. It was as heavy as the standard (or so it seemed) and not more so. The watch also felt like a gold-standard watch, the leather band seemed to be made by the cheap machine made leather as the normal leather loops. There was no stitching on the bands. The clasps were identical to the normal leather bands, albeit gold. I don't understand why they carry such a premium, they aren't very nice.

The model with the sports band felt cheap. Just as the sport model does, however you can't be content with knowing it was cheap. It was interesting to me apple would even sell the watch with the sport band, considering it felt like a stupid pairing, a luxury watch with a cheap sport band.

The yellow gold looked ok, the rose gold is more matte, but neither really appealed to me. If you're going to show off a $20k watch do yourself a favor and get a solid gold band.

Anyways, i have no clue who would buy this thing as it felt really cheap for what it is. Also, I would feel like an idiot wearing it having people know I spent $15k on a first-gen product. You guys and myself included can feel content knowing that your sport and ss watches do the same thing and were money better spent.

You're right. The Apple Watch at ANY PRICE feels really cheap. None of the models are worth more than $299. But there's a sucker born every minute. Just explore this forum.

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Sought after for its various uses. Personally I prefer platinum.

To me a $7000+ premium doesn't necessarily make the watch high end as much as it makes it overpriced.

You are correct. The Apple Watch is far from HIGH END. It's definitely LOW END and grossly over priced. That holds true for every pricing tier.

 

[tivoboy]

actually

Sought after for its various uses. Personally I prefer platinum.

To me a $7000+ premium doesn't necessarily make the watch high end as much as it makes it overpriced.

actually, it's more like a 9000$ premium no? One can get pretty much any of the top of the line SS models for 999$ish, or less. The lowest price Edition watch starts at 10,000$..

I'm know I'm just making the same point, just MORE so.. ;-)

 

[bruinsrme]

actually, it's more like a 9000$ premium no? One can get pretty much any of the top of the line SS models for 999$ish, or less. The lowest price Edition watch starts at 10,000$..

I'm know I'm just making the same point, just MORE so.. ;-)

I was being somewhat conservative.

 

[bluecow]

Some random mostly related thoughts:

- Apple had one main purpose in releasing a $10K plus watch (IMO). Buzz and PR, particularly within the fashion industry. They didn't want the watch to be perceived as a geeky tech device for apple fans...they wanted it as a fashion accessory. It would have been more challenging to create a fashion story without marketing a luxury item.

- Yes, likely the select few that buy these see money as no object.

- In my opinion, it is one thing to spend $30,000 on a watch that can be handed down for generations, where the basic mechanics don't change and always be fixed....it is a completely other thing to pay $17,000 for a piece of technology that will be outdated and technically obsolete in two years or so.

I can understand the value proposition of a luxury car versus standard. I can't understand the value proposition of the Apple Watch Edition. To each their own though.

 

[janeauburn]

Money is meant to be spent.

It's also meant to be saved.

You can't take it with you when you die.

But you can pass it on. And in the meantime, you can keep yourself from living on the street or becoming a wage slave for the rest of your born days if you save it instead of spend it.

Pocket the cash. Forget the stupid watch.

If you think you have too much money, why not donate it to a charity that gives money to people who could live an entire year on $400?

 

[Newtons Apple]

It's also meant to be saved.



But you can pass it on. And in the meantime, you can keep yourself from living on the street or becoming a wage slave for the rest of your born days if you save it instead of spend it.

Pocket the cash. Forget the stupid watch.

If you think you have too much money, why not donate it to a charity that gives money to people who could live an entire year on $400?

I am with you Jane but this was likely solved a few years ago.

What is a lot of money to some is pocket change to others. Let people spend their money the way they want, we should not judge.

 

[Ixidor]

Isn't this a two year old thread?

Anyway, I don't understand why people are upset about the (discontinued) gold Apple Watch. It's pricing is that of a luxury item, as is the case in the fashion industry. And most fashion items wear out, or are only worn a number of times.

And I also find it funny how people say that people who buy the gold Apple Watch are "idiots". If anything, these people are intelligent enough to earn their wealth (assuming they didn't inherit their wealth).

And people who say things like "I will never buy it even if I had that much money" probably shouldn't say that because they don't actually have that much money and have no idea what it feels like when $10000 is spare change. In most real world situations, people's spending habits change when their salaries increase. That's why many people have problems with saving.

 

[trainwrecka]

Call the sport band what you want (Too Bright, Too expensive) but it doesn't feel cheap. It's very comfortable. Otherwise, I agreed with most of what you said, if that matters any

Easily the most comfortable watch I have ever worn (I have the Nike model, but the band is essentially the same).