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bniu

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2010
1,127
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So what is it that makes the Space Black a $100 premium over the SS model? Is there something special done to the casing that increases the cost to manufacture it?
 
So what is it that makes the Space Black a $100 premium over the SS model? Is there something special done to the casing that increases the cost to manufacture it?

What does it matter? The normal SS link model is a $1000 version of a $350 dollar watch. You are paying for the Apple brand and they've decided that black is exclusive.
 
Not buying that- check solid bands from other makes... they're far over $450 for the band.

Not touching the watch body cost itself- that's a waste of time. And the R/D involved here for the first gen is orders of magnitude more than manual/automatic/Quartz watched.

The coating probably does cost more. $3 max in quantity.

Apple loves to charge $100 for tiny upgrades.. think 16 to 32gb on many recent iPhones/iPads.

What does it matter? The normal SS link model is a $1000 version of a $350 dollar watch. You are paying for the Apple brand and they've decided that black is exclusive.
 
What does it matter? The normal SS link model is a $1000 version of a $350 dollar watch. You are paying for the Apple brand and they've decided that black is exclusive.

It's not like the black tax (as with the better spec'd blackbook) where it's the same material and cost but different color. The Space Black has DLC coating added to it so that's factored into the $100 premium (but not all of it obviously).

Either way, a $100 premium is nothing if you're already paying $1000 so nobody is going to opt for standard SS link bracelet for cost reasons.
 
They have to coat the 100+ pieces of the link bracelet in a coating that is comparable to the sapphire screen.
 
You make it sounds like they paint each part with a toothpick.

They dip it in a bath, similar to anodizing... they simply throw all the parts in a basket, dip it, assemble it.

They have to coat the 100+ pieces of the link bracelet in a coating that is comparable to the sapphire screen.
 
You make it sounds like they paint each part with a toothpick.

They dip it in a bath, similar to anodizing... they simply throw all the parts in a basket, dip it, assemble it.

That's inaccurate.

I believe you need to spray on layers of coating in a vacuum chamber.
 
The coating probably does cost more. $3 max in quantity.

Apple loves to charge $100 for tiny upgrades.. think 16 to 32gb on many recent iPhones/iPads.

It might be $3 in materials.

What about the cost of the R&D involved. How many things did they go through before they settled on DLC. How many tests did involve?

What about the cost of machinery to apply the coating?

What about patent licensing costs? (Yes, DLC is patented).

It probably doesn't cost anywhere near $100 (Apple is a business, after all), but saying it costs $3 is a little ridiculous.
 
It might be $3 in materials.

What about the cost of the R&D involved. How many things did they go through before they settled on DLC. How many tests did involve?

What about the cost of machinery to apply the coating?

What about patent licensing costs? (Yes, DLC is patented).

It probably doesn't cost anywhere near $100 (Apple is a business, after all), but saying it costs $3 is a little ridiculous.

No different from Apple's charging $49 for the rubber band that likely costs them under $2 each.
 
We recently did a project with a DLC coating. The added BOM cost was $3.64 for an assembly about twice as large as the link band, but quite similar in mechanics.

Not sure what you're thinking in regard to licensing? Yes DLC is a product, by a company, however there is no licensing going on. Apple simply uses DLC's product, the coating. Where would licensing come in to play??

It might be $3 in materials.

What about the cost of the R&D involved. How many things did they go through before they settled on DLC. How many tests did involve?

What about the cost of machinery to apply the coating?

What about patent licensing costs? (Yes, DLC is patented).

It probably doesn't cost anywhere near $100 (Apple is a business, after all), but saying it costs $3 is a little ridiculous.
 
We recently did a project with a DLC coating. The added BOM cost was $3.64 for an assembly about twice as large as the link band, but quite similar in mechanics.

Not sure what you're thinking in regard to licensing? Yes DLC is a product, by a company, however there is no licensing going on. Apple simply uses DLC's product, the coating. Where would licensing come in to play??

Are you taking about dlc coating? Or are you just talking about a normal pvd coating?
 
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