Jony Ive On iWatch: Switzerland is in Trouble

[apolloa]

Agreed. Completely different. Rolex & company will continue to do just fine.

ALL of them will do fine, Swatch owns them all more or less. I would challenge Jony to make an automatic movement that runs on fluid, like the Swiss have. Or hands in liquid that move by magnets, like the Swiss have, and those are the small makers.

In fact doesn't Jony himself wear a Swiss watch? Ah a quick google and he designed and wore this, then auctioned it for charity, but it still has 'Swiss Made' at the bottom:

 

[JoEw]

Think about every beautiful Apple product Ive designed, this iWatch is gonna be something.

 

[D.T.]

People that buy $10,000-$50,000 watches aren't going to not buy them because of Apple.

There was an interview with one of the luxury watch vendors CEO back when the first digital watches came out in the 70's. The interviewer asked about the threatening competition from digital watches, and the CEO gave back the answer "We're not in the watch business. We're in the Jewelry business."

The Swiss watchmakers have nothing to worry about.

If Johnny Ive thinks that people buy high end watches aka
"Switzerland" are going to stop buying Rolexes, Breitlings or even Tag-Heuer for a iWatch then he's in trouble. People don't buy those watches for function. I think Apple may be clueless on this one. How many women wear smart-watches?

Ive is a bit of a watch fanatic, he understands the industry, particularly the high end segment, i.e., he knows where this device will fall in the marketspace. It was a little poke for fun, a little enlightening that it sounds like it’s designed as a styling timepiece - instead of taking a stab at “non-competitors” in the smart watch field, he leveled it at the basic foundation for the device (a watch, and who does watches the best).

 

[nagromme]

Wow, I didn't know he could talk smack.

You still don't: this is unverified rumor about a private conversation that may have happened.

Everyone's treating the "story" like it matters

 

[nando87]

You sound like Ballmer's reaction to the iPhone and iPad. Arrogance. Look what happened to him and to Microsoft.

That he's a billionaire and MS is the seller of the most popular desktop OS and business software?

 

[imwoblin]

My 30 year old Rolex Submariner has been through 2 wars, countless dives and still looks brand new.
I don't think the Swiss have anything to worry about....

 

[DanielSw]

Anyone in the medical field wears a watch for function, and a lot of people buy expensive watches due to the reliability that they stand for.

No Swiss watch can beat an Apple iDevice for accurate time, as long as it has internet access. It also automatically switches time zones and between daylight savings time and standard.

If the iWatch syncs to one's iDevice, then it will also have such accuracy and be back on one's wrist for convenient access.

We haven't yet seen everything else that it will access and make more convenient, but, just like the computer is a "general purpose machine" thanks to its programmability and digital inner workings, the iWatch will be not just a watch and certainly far more general purpose than an analog set of revolving "hands."

I think the Swiss watch industry is truly in for a rude awakening in the not-too-distant future.

 

[LethalWolfe]

The death of the wrist watch seem to be greatly exaggerated.

Watches Are Rediscovered by the Cellphone Generation

And that piece was from 2011. As some posters have mentioned, there are different markets for different watches. Not really any different than smart phones with cameras taking a bite out of the point and shoot camera market but not doing much to impact prosumer or professional lines of cameras.

If someone wants a nice looking, well crafted watch they'll still buy a nice looking, well crafted watch.

For smart watches that have their own wi-fi and cellular radios in them (as opposed to just BT to tether to a phone) I wonder how hot they will get if they are in an area with a weak signal. All of my cell phones have gotten pretty warm when trying to grab a weak signal and having that kind of heat being generated by a watch would kinda suck.

 

[Ryan T.]

As a bit of a WIS, I'm curious about the new iWatch and may even own one, but in no way will it replace one of my Omegas or Tudors in my watch box. I really don't see them as competitive products at all.

There are many reasons for buying a high quality Swiss mechanical watch, and telling time is actually pretty far down on the list for most. Similarly, the ability to check email, send texts, activate Siri, etc. is unlikely to convert many folks who appreciate haute horologie.

 

[Rogifan]

No way would an active Apple employee leak something like this to the NY Times. It's either BS (with the point of trying to create unrealistic expectations and/or paint Apple as arrogant) or it's a targeted leak from Apple PR under the guise of an "Apple designer".

 

[Teste]

People who are going to buy Smartwatches are _mostly_ a different market to those who want a dress watch.

Definitely, with the first group being basically Apple fanboys.

 

[Ryan T.]

No Swiss watch can beat an Apple iDevice for accurate time, as long as it has internet access. It also automatically switches time zones and between daylight savings time and standard.

If the iWatch syncs to one's iDevice, then it will also have such accuracy and be back on one's wrist for convenient access.

We haven't yet seen everything else that it will access and make more convenient, but, just like the computer is a "general purpose machine" thanks to its programmability and digital inner workings, the iWatch will be not just a watch and certainly far more general purpose then an analog set of revolving "hands."

I think the Swiss watch industry is truly in for a rude awakening in the not-too-distant future.

No Swiss mechanical can compete with a $20 Quartz Timex for accuracy, and hasn't been able to since the 1970s. That's not really the point.

It's a luxury item, not a utility.

 

[Medic311]

Jony Ive: "Steve, I managed to finish the last project I was working on before you died. I never had the chance to show you. I present to you, the iWatch"
Steve Jobs ghost: "That's a dopey idea"
Jony Ive: "What? No it's isn't"
Steve Jobs ghost: "Yes, it's dopey"
Jony Ive: "No it isn't!"
Steve Jobs ghost: "You're right, it's isn't"
Jony Ive: "See I told you!"
Steve Jobs ghost: "It's really dopey"
Jony Ive: "Well I'm going to tell everyone that before you died that you said that with the iWatch, the Swiss are F*#&"
Steve Jobs ghost: "At this point I don't even care since all you've released are me-too products for the last 3+ years with a sick obsession with 1GB of memory for every new iDevice. I mean seriously...wtf Jony. I should have fired you back when I asked you to put the speakers inside the iMac and you initially refused...y'know...kind of like that programmer who developed a word processor without fonts and then said it wasn't a pressing issue."
Jony Ive: "Well I take back everything I said at your eulogy"
Steve Jobs ghost: "I wouldn't know because I wasn't there"

 

[iwayne]

Anyone in the medical field wears a watch for function, and a lot of people buy expensive watches due to the reliability that they stand for.

I am in the medical field and you are correct I do wear my watches for the function of the second hand.

 

[apolloa]

No way would an active Apple employee leak something like this to the NY Times. It's either BS (with the point of trying to create unrealistic expectations and/or paint Apple as arrogant) or it's a targeted leak from Apple PR under the guise of an "Apple designer".

I'd go with the BS as that is one strange PR leak... seriously, attacking the ENTIRE Swiss watch industry? Nah it's BS I say or he said it internally and privately.

 

[tigres]

Their stock has been going up.

tanked today

 

[apolloa]

Jony Ive: "Steve, I managed to finish the last project I was working on before you died. I never had the chance to show you. I present to you, the iWatch"
Steve Jobs ghost: "That's a dopey idea"
Jony Ive: "What? No it's isn't"
Steve Jobs ghost: "Yes, it's dopey"
Jony Ive: "No it isn't!"
Steve Jobs ghost: "You're right, it's isn't"
Jony Ive: "See I told you!"
Steve Jobs ghost: "It's really dopey"
Jony Ive: "Well I'm going to tell everyone that before you died that you said that with the iWatch, the Swiss are F*#&"
Steve Jobs ghost: "At this point I don't even care since all you've released are me-too products for the last 3+ years with a sick obsession with 1GB of memory for every new iDevice. I mean seriously...wtf Jony. I should have fired you back when I asked you to put the speakers inside the iMac and you initially refused...y'know...kind of like that programmer who developed a word processor without fonts and then said it wasn't a pressing issue."
Jony Ive: "Well I take back everything I said at your eulogy"
Steve Jobs ghost: "I wouldn't know because I wasn't there"

hahahaha brilliant post sir

 

[X-X]

Their stock has been going up.

Nope they hit a wall... hard.

 

[Rogifan]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ROLF hahahahahahahaha what a total idiot hahahahaha

Yeah Jony, I am 100% certain the entire Swiss watch industry will be shaking in their boots with the iwatch announcement

Makes me feel ashamed to be British that stupid comment does.

Hmm he has come out on record and said this? More like Apple are in trouble then to make a claim like that, since when have they done this....


EDIT:::

Ah I see, it was APPARENTLY said by Jony internally... faith restored in that case, fair enough if he wants to gloat like an utter tool like that in private, but for a moment I did think he stated it publically!

Since it was allegedly said inside the walls of one infinite loop how do we know it was actually ever said? Do you really think an Apple designer would talk to the NY Times? When do rank and file Apple employees ever talk to the media?

 

[firewood]

The Swiss watchmakers have nothing to worry about.

Swiss watchmakers do not make the bulk of their money from the ultra-high end.

When I was a kid, the people who could afford nice Swiss watches also purchased Leica and Hasselblad cameras. A couple kids at school, when I was a kid, borrowed them from their dads for photography class.

Leica still makes cameras, but compare their current annual sales to the iPhone's annual sales. I wonder whether Leica and Hasselblad "worry".

Maybe "eclipsed" is the right word. The same thing could happen to similarly nice watches in a few years as well.

 

[apolloa]

Since it was allegedly said inside the walls of one infinite loop how do we know it was actually ever said? Do you really think an Apple designer would talk to the NY Times? When do rank and file Apple employees ever talk to the media?

And hence my EDIT comment.

 

[apolloa]

Nope they hit a wall... hard.

Image

That will more then likely be due to the leaked celebrity photos scandal. Nothing like being accused of weak security and celebrities to damage your shares. Unless anything else has gone on with them?

 

[Rogifan]

I'd go with the BS as that is one strange PR leak... seriously, attacking the ENTIRE Swiss watch industry? Nah it's BS I say or he said it internally and privately.

If it's legit I'd be curious to know who leaked it and I wonder how much longer they'll have a job.

 

[RickInHouston]

No Swiss watch can beat an Apple iDevice for accurate time, as long as it has internet access. It also automatically switches time zones and between daylight savings time and standard.

If the iWatch syncs to one's iDevice, then it will also have such accuracy and be back on one's wrist for convenient access.

We haven't yet seen everything else that it will access and make more convenient, but, just like the computer is a "general purpose machine" thanks to its programmability and digital inner workings, the iWatch will be not just a watch and certainly far more general purpose than an analog set of revolving "hands."

I think the Swiss watch industry is truly in for a rude awakening in the not-too-distant future.

And how long will you be able to wear that apple watch before having to charge it? Will it go underwater? How long can I wear my Rolex before it stops? Hmmmm. Who's worried?

 

[Rogifan]

That will more then likely be due to the leaked celebrity photos scandal. Nothing like being accused of weak security and celebrities to damage your shares. Unless anything else has gone on with them?

No it's because some Wall Street clown said "sell the stock" this morning.