Swatch Working on Apple Watch Competitor With Custom-Made OS and Better Battery Life

[MacCurry]

lol... they think they are going to beat a company that has an entire mature ecosystem around a custom SOC and world class hardware and software design? they aren't even going to compete. if they are lucky they will last a month after launch. how can people be so blind? they would be more successful giving me all the money they are wasting on this development and letting me invest it for them on any other stock in the market. They would make more on Apples dividend alone then they will ever make on this hair-brained idea of theirs.

It isn't about beating AAPL, it is about not losing more market share or sales of existing customers by responding to market forces. Swatch will have to segment. Some inexpensive watches between $100-$200 and then an upper end line over $500 with their Tissot brand. Further, MANY DO NOT LIKE THE APPLE WATCH DESIGN. They want something different and Swatch's offerings may appeal to them.

We've seen this before when quartz watches took the place of mechanical watches, sales of older mechanical watches dropped. Similarly, we now see smart watches taking the place of inexpensive quartz watches.

 

[Precision Gem]

Longer battery life makes complete sense since these devices are fitness trackers and you want it on while sleeping. You want it off for just a couple of hours to charge it. Smart watches are meant to be worn 24/7.
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Right now the major Swiss watch makers will be survive like Rolex, Omega, Breitling, and Swatch (Tissot), but will certainly suffer in reduced sales. The major Japanese watch makers like Casio, Seiko, Citizen and Orient will also survive, but Seiko may get acquired as it doesn't really have any new technologies to offer nor are its mechanical watches aesthetically pleasing jewellery.

Casio and Citizen have hybrid smart watches that are solar powered, get GPS and radio time synchronization, and communicate via Bluetooth to a smart phone. This is probably the most exciting feature in any watch. Perpetual accurate time on earth without the use of external power sources or phone connection.
[doublepost=1489962784][/doublepost]Right now the most exciting hybrid smart watch that is coming out this May is the Casio GPW-2000.

I would never sleep with a watch on. I never really thought of sleeping as part of my work out. I suppose you could wear the watch during sex, then take it off to sleep?

As far at traveling, yes I travel a lot, and depend on my watch as a night stand alarm clock. Much better than fumbling with the hotel clock to correct the time on it and set an alarm.

I would think those who want to sleep with a watch on would be the minority of users.

 

[MacCurry]

I would never sleep with a watch on. I never really thought of sleeping as part of my work out. I suppose you could wear the watch during sex, then take it off to sleep?

As far at traveling, yes I travel a lot, and depend on my watch as a night stand alarm clock. Much better than fumbling with the hotel clock to correct the time on it and set an alarm.

I would think those who want to sleep with a watch on would be the minority of users.

People travel domestically and internationally and the watch doesn't come off for several days at a time. The strap and case become part of you and should be comfortable as such. In this regard the Apple Watch is very comfortable compared to most Casio, Citizen and Seiko watches that I have.

Sleep tracking is a big feature of smart watches. You can do that with the Apple Watch, but you need to sync two watches to your phone. One for day and one for night. And yes, I do wear my watch during <ahem ahem>. I can brag to my wife that I last more than 2 minutes.

 

[mrex]

IFurther, MANY DO NOT LIKE THE APPLE WATCH DESIGN. They want something different and Swatch's offerings may appeal to them.

Excatly! The traditional Longines Hydroconguest, Rolex submarine, Tag Heuer Aquaracer or more complex looking Carrera appeal to many people.

There are already smartwatches from swiss watch companies:
- frederique constant horological smartwatch
- alpina smartwatch
- tag heuer connected (that can be replaced by a traditional watch after two years)