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Tag Heuer Partnering With Google and Intel to Build Connected Smartwatch

iLondoner said:
I love my Tag Heuer watch which I've had for 14 years.

Tag isn't high-end compared to some of the £50,000+ watches around, but the company is certainly up-market, so why would it want to associate itself with Google/Android technology?
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They are low enough on the luxury watch hierarchy to take the risk. Someone like Rolex would not try it in case it damaged their reputation.

I think Tag are a perfect candidate, and they have dabbled in digital before, I had a Tag that was mechanical/digital.

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Rogifan said:
So if Tag does something decent who would buy an LG or Huewai wmartwatch?
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People who can afford to spend way more than $200-$300 for a watch.

Check out Tag prices.....
 
littleredwagen said:
what I see holding back this watch is the software. Android just never seems a s polished as iOS. With the current offerings of Smart Watch the Apple Watch is the best it seems, from fit and finish to the software. We will see when it is in the hand of normal consumers. I am sticking for a while to my loved mechanical watches.
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Right. Not much in Android is as polished as iOS.

I read through the Galaxy Gear S developer message boards - here's links to a couple of the threads. Look around there. Interesting stuff - both positive and negative. A lot more reliable than the Gear zealots on mac rumors.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s/general/finally-giving-gear-s-t3018618
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s/general/returned-gear-s-t3051048

It's so typical of Android stuff - the watch gets uncomfortably warm - almost hot, loses bluetooth connections, charger breaks, Gear S GPS doesn't work reliably, or when connected to the phone, frustrating to use, doesn't work on Canadian carriers....

All stuff we don't expect from Apple products, but is the norm with Android products. The people in my office think nothing of their Android phone not working for a few days after they install an update. They spend all night figuring out 'fixes' to some issue. It's really ridiculous. But, I guess they love tinkering, something they can't do on Apple phones. I work on computers during the day, I do NOT want to work on my phone too - I just want it to 'work'.
 
Longines CEO said:

"A watch is not only giving time, it’s a status symbol and I don’t think you’ll get a status symbol in an Apple Watch with two billion functions that no one understands."
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I still don't get why all these luxury watch companies have to take shots at Apple. I'm not aware of anyone at Apple trashing the traditional watch industry. In fact this is what Jony Ive told the Financial Times:

However, it was not without some trepidation that he embarked on the watch. “It was different with the phone — all of us working on the first iPhone were driven by an absolute disdain for the cellphones we were using at the time. That’s not the case here. We’re a group of people who love our watches. So we’re working on something, yet have a high regard for what currently exists.”
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So why do the TAG's and Longines of the world feel the need to take swipes at Apple when Apple still shows great reverence for high end watches?
 
Ventilatedbrain said:
Huh what?? Are we talking about the same TAG
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Yes. TAG. The mall watch/fashion watch. It's amusing at how people assume a $1000-$3000 watch is a "high end" watch. Heuer was the company that was highly regarded company with true watchmaking heritage. The TAG acquisition in the mid-80s is when the company went downhill and lost all its luster with true watch fans. Only the Monaco and Carrera models hold any significance with watch enthusiasts, and even then all modern ones have the TAG on the dial to dampen that.
 
Wonder what Tag purists think of this one? Though its not like its a 4-door Wrangler :cool:

I would say Tag being a mid-range watchmaker (800-3K) should focus on the apple watch as a competitor (600-1200) not the sport or edition models... Id be interested in a sub-1K Tag smartwatch
 
wigby said:
I think you need to poke your head into this decade. Apple has altered and disrupted enough markets by now that you should understand they are merging fashion and luxury with technology more than ever now. There are far too many wealthy people in the world to be content with owning just another piece of technology. They want to stand out and express themselves in a way that most others cannot. Maybe they will hand down their Apple Watch to heir children and maybe they won't. Who cares? It does not inform any purchasing decisions they make today.
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Wealthy people own things that are unique things that normal people cannot afford Tag is not one of those things, Pateks are, and customs are. Owning a 5 figure Apple watch is not expressing individuality or a way to stand out. Watches are not about fashion necessarily either while some are like Tag and Movado, a fashion watch looses it's intrinsic timelessness because they are a reflection of their time.
 
Tag Heuer Partnering With Google and Intel to Build Connected Smartwatch

MH01 said:
They are low enough on the luxury watch hierarchy to take the risk. Someone like Rolex would not try it in case it damaged their reputation.
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Glad someone else who understands watches knows where TAG sits in the watch world, and why they would be the company to try this.
 
Chrjy said:
Risky strategy if they only intend to focus on Android! Surprises me that Tag seem to be tying themselves to Android only....bad move in my opinion. If you want to compete with all smart watches then multiplatform is the way to do so.
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Obviously, they can't build Smart Watch OS compatible with so many other devices themselves. Are there many options left for Smart Watch makers? Even Samsung is trying Tizen OS with much hesitation though they have been in the mobile industry much longer than Tag. Tag can at the most design the outer elements and be responsible for the materials involved in the making but translating their traditional watch into a global software platform will be an easy path. Eventually, they may develop "Tizen" like OS on their own, but that will be far too ahead IMO.
 
Gasu E. said:
It appears that Apple is transforming yet another industry, without even having shipped an actual product!



That, my friends, is industrial power. :cool:
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Oh really?! Did Apple ever bother to explain how their new earth will be updated or upgraded? What they're doing is not industrial power. Apple is not a person but a company filled with flesh and blood that comes and goes, or even die.

They haven't transformed anything yet. Not until after its shipped. Do you know how propaganda works? They're brainwashing you and you don't even know it.

Welcome to "1984".
 
chris975d said:
Yes. TAG. The mall watch/fashion watch. It's amusing at how people assume a $1000-$3000 watch is a "high end" watch. Heuer was the company that was highly regarded company with true watchmaking heritage. The TAG acquisition in the mid-80s is when the company went downhill and lost all its luster with true watch fans. Only the Monaco and Carrera models hold any significance with watch enthusiasts, and even then all modern ones have the TAG on the dial to dampen that.
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The might not be considered 'high end' in the watch community, however, in the UK they're generally over £1k, which, when Apple announced their stainless steel watch prices people we're disappointed, so I don't see anything released by TAG being any cheaper, not in the UK anyway.
 
littleredwagen said:
what I see holding back this watch is the software. Android just never seems a s polished as iOS. With the current offerings of Smart Watch the Apple Watch is the best it seems, from fit and finish to the software. We will see when it is in the hand of normal consumers. I am sticking for a while to my loved mechanical watches.
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You think that Apple Watch OS is more polished than Android Wear?

Have you seen the Apple Watch home screen?

In my honest opinion, I think Android Wear most resembles iOS a few updates back and Apple Watch OS resembles an earlier Android build.

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Still not worth more than $400. Please don't include a scroll wheel.
 
Pilgrim1099 said:
Oh really?! Did Apple ever bother to explain how their new earth will be updated or upgraded? What they're doing is not industrial power. Apple is not a person but a company filled with flesh and blood that comes and goes, or even die.

They haven't transformed anything yet. Not until after its shipped. Do you know how propaganda works? They're brainwashing you and you don't even know it.

Welcome to "1984".
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Don't worry eventually the Government will step in and slap Apple down. They will be broken up and have the same issues MS had for a long time. Don't be so proud because its not good when companies cant compete.
 
bbeagle said:
All stuff we don't expect from Apple products, but is the norm with Android products. The people in my office think nothing of their Android phone not working for a few days after they install an update. They spend all night figuring out 'fixes' to some issue. It's really ridiculous. But, I guess they love tinkering, something they can't do on Apple phones. I work on computers during the day, I do NOT want to work on my phone too - I just want it to 'work'.
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Kinda like the iOS update that bricked iPhones
 
Had to go into Best Buy as well as a Dillards the other day doing birthday shopping, and there were suddenly watches all over the place, on countertops, in front of other items, in fancy displays, just watches of all kinds in your face, it looked lazy and sad.
 
TechTris said:
You think that Apple Watch OS is more polished than Android Wear?

Have you seen the Apple Watch home screen?
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'Polished' does not mean just seeing pictures of each screen and determining which you like better.

'Polished' means that it works fluidly. We won't know until we actually use each device. Does the GUI scroll smoothly? Does it detect taps/swipes/presses reliably and quickly? Is it easy to do things after you get used to it?

iOS is MUCH more polished than Android. I use both daily. Android allows more flexibility than iOS, but polished it is not. And maybe that's one of the reasons why.
 
So what does one do when they have an issue with their TAG watch? Who runs customer service - TAG, Google or Intel?
 
BigInDallas said:
Kinda like the iOS update that bricked iPhones
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That's not the norm and affected very few people. It was only people who updated in a certain way a 45 minute window. My phone didn't even notify me of an update until after the problem was fixed.

It's pretty normal for my Android friends to have something not working.
 
ninethirty said:
I agree with the earlier comment that TAG isn't exactly a high quality name in the watch world, but it's amusing to see all the commenters here dismiss this as a copy cat move from TAG, as if Apple is some sort of watch expert (they aren't).

Quite frankly, I think they're all bad ideas.
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Breitling will also come up with a smartwatch afaik...
 
Watchmakers are obvious fearful of a repeat of the mobile phone industry. If they don't make plans acknowledge this a serious threat, they risk ending up like Microsoft, RIM, Nokia in the smartphone industry.

The behavior is predictable: dismiss the smartwatch and scramble like crazy to get a competing solution. The incumbents don't have the tech and teams ready so they have to partner.

We'll start to see more partnerships from other watchmakers with tech or consumer electronics companies.

.
 
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