TAG Heuer Sales Director Patrick Pruniaux Joins Apple in Run-Up to iWatch Launch [Updated]

[Serban]

All Rolex watches are made manually my friend. And most BOSS watches have quartz movements (not all though). It is by now very clear that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Please stop, you are only making it worse for yourself. There is no one here that takes you seriously and that will have an effect on other discussions you will have on this board. You are bound to end up on a lot of ignore lists.

I am just staying, like someone who post above, that you are missing my point, and near future point. And seems like others you are stuck with someone business in your head. I am telling you if that an iwatch will be life proof, nobody wants (or nobody with his head straight) will still want to spend 1000$ or 100000$ on a watch for pure fashion and pure perfection of that item, instead of an iwatch that can save you from getting fat through the days, or having heart problems. So yes, im a normal person i don't care about spending a lot of money on a single watch NOW, because for me is perfection and a pleasure to do that,BUT if i can wear instead of my Longines an iwatch who can measure my heart or my glucoze every day and it's based for saving your life...sorry to said but i am not an crazy person to wear a fancy just for it instead of an elementary health product

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Apple it's all about occupied your left hand with something more important FOR your personal life and health. Or it's just me believing that Apple will do

 

[Nozuka]

maybe they sent him to apple to spy on them

 

[nando87]

I am just staying, like someone who post above, that you are missing my point, and near future point. And seems like others you are stuck with someone business in your head. I am telling you if that an iwatch will be life proof, nobody wants (or nobody with his head straight) will still want to spend 1000$ or 100000$ on a watch for pure fashion and pure perfection of that item, instead of an iwatch that can save you from getting fat through the days, or having heart problems. So yes, im a normal person i don't care about spending a lot of money on a single watch NOW, because for me is perfection and a pleasure to do that,BUT if i can wear instead of my Longines an iwatch who can measure my heart or my glucoze every day and it's based for saving your life...sorry to said but i am not an crazy person to wear a fancy just for it instead of an elementary health product

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Apple it's all about occupied your left hand with something more important FOR your personal life and health. Or it's just me believing that Apple will do

I'm sorry but the iwatch won't do exercise for you and won't destroy fat, it doesn't matter how good it is. It probably will be a useful item in some situations for certain kind of people, above all with certain age or with certain diseases, yes. Will it make you healthier by itself? NO, by any means, it doesn't matter how advanced the technology gets, a guy worried about his health who act accordingly will ever be more healthy than an equivalent average guy with a wrist computer, no matter how good the computer is.

If they wan't to sell it, it better has as its main feature its coolness-beauty. The rest are just add-ons.

That kind of reasoning sounds very american. No offense, I love the US, but if you don't want to get fat you better go outside and do some exercise and control your diet.

 

[Serban]

And for heart stop? if they are build to call emergency when there is no pulse, maybe can save your life
I think Tim Cook that wears a nike band cares more about health than wearing a luxury watch
And yes has to have the look..but not any Apple product looks ugly

 

[SHNXX]

Lol amazing.
It's like talking to a wall.

 

[speed.racer]

lots of people are missing the point that apple will try to go after the entire watch industry. they have done it before. just like people were saying when the iPhone came out that it does not have the keypad and cant do email and look what happened to them. apple changed the entire interface and the phone itself. this is what they will do to the watch industry.

apple iwatch or whatever they are working on will be way ahead in terms of uses and be equally beautiful.

the present watches will probably look ancient and once people start adapting to it, its game over for the watch players.

 

[Serban]

lots of people are missing the point that apple will try to go after the entire watch industry. they have done it before. just like people were saying when the iPhone came out that it does not have the keypad and cant do email and look what happened to them. apple changed the entire interface and the phone itself. this is what they will do to the watch industry.

apple iwatch or whatever they are working on will be way ahead in terms of uses and be equally beautiful.

the present watches will probably look ancient and once people start adapting to it, its game over for the watch players.

Yes and Tim Cook himself said 2 years ago that has to be so extraordinary that for those who do not wear watch or for those who wear any kind of watch it can replace

 

[ocabj]

I agree. Plus, the cyclops tends to collect dust and dirt around it.

Indeed.

 

[peterdevries]

I am just staying, like someone who post above, that you are missing my point, and near future point. And seems like others you are stuck with someone business in your head. I am telling you if that an iwatch will be life proof, nobody wants (or nobody with his head straight) will still want to spend 1000$ or 100000$ on a watch for pure fashion and pure perfection of that item, instead of an iwatch that can save you from getting fat through the days, or having heart problems. So yes, im a normal person i don't care about spending a lot of money on a single watch NOW, because for me is perfection and a pleasure to do that,BUT if i can wear instead of my Longines an iwatch who can measure my heart or my glucoze every day and it's based for saving your life...sorry to said but i am not an crazy person to wear a fancy just for it instead of an elementary health product

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Apple it's all about occupied your left hand with something more important FOR your personal life and health. Or it's just me believing that Apple will do

Serban, you are wrong (again). I get your point exactly, just like all of us here. What you don't get is that you are completely wrong and that you fail to properly read and understand what some of us are saying here. I guess you are too young to understand and that is ok, but you probably need to realise that you can't argue with people by not at least addressing some of the arguments that they make. In stead you insist on repeating the same high-level statements that are not firmly grounded in facts.

I don't expect you to come up with a coherent response to this, so this is the last time I respond to your posts. You will see in good time that you are wrong about all of this.

 

[tonyy]

Life proof? You're talking about a tech gadget. Get real.

 

[gnasher729]

I'm sorry but the iwatch won't do exercise for you and won't destroy fat, it doesn't matter how good it is. It probably will be a useful item in some situations for certain kind of people, above all with certain age or with certain diseases, yes. Will it make you healthier by itself? NO, by any means, it doesn't matter how advanced the technology gets, a guy worried about his health who act accordingly will ever be more healthy than an equivalent average guy with a wrist computer, no matter how good the computer is.

That's what I might have said until a few weeks ago. However, the right tool with the right design can be highly motivational and improve the user's health that way.

 

[thebeans]

How is it that people still misunderstand the fact that when Apple aims at a new product segment, they ARE the competition and usually take over that segment?!?!?

This just shows how out of touch this hiring manager was that said this.

I doubt Apple has any plans to branch any further into the watch market than the iWatch. The iWatch is not really a watch anyway. It is, of course, a small computer that will be worn on the wrist. It just happens to tell time. Kind of like the iPhone is not really a pocket watch even though it tells time and people carry them in their pockets. I doubt TAG Heauer has many smart watch plans.

 

[demodave]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


Apple appears to have made another important iWatch-related hire as the device's rumored debut approaches, with CNBC reporting that the company has poached the sales director of luxury watch brand TAG Heuer.

...


At the top of that list is new retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who officially joined the company two months ago from Burberry.

...


Article Link: TAG Heuer Sales Director Joins Apple in Run-Up to iWatch Launch

Two months ago? Only two months? God, this seems to have been going on forever. I don't mean to be negative, but, seriously, that is the first thing that popped into my head. The pace of watching paint dry is maddening.

 

[wilsonlaidlaw]

Rolex did and still do make quartz watches

Rolex have made quartz watches for about 30 years if not more. There are a few (very few) markets that just will not buy mechanical watches and Rolex must either cater to them or miss out. Below is a picture of the movement of a ladies quartz Rolex.

 

[filmantopia]

If you believe the iWatch is going to be a mechanical self-winding luxury watch I think you're the one who is out of touch....

That's not what he suggested at all. He suggested that the iWatch is going to dominate the watch market. Luxury watches included. And it will.

I've had this argument many times already so I'm not going to get into it.

 

[elgrecomac]

Tag Heuer, Burberry...

This iWatch thing is going to be pricey everyone.

In general, Apple products ARE pricey. An unsubsidized phone, a MBP or MBA etc are all pricey compared to competing products. Apple differentiates itself on quality: and, in general, you get what you pay for.

 

[peterdevries]

Rolex have made quartz watches for about 30 years if not more. There are a few (very few) markets that just will not buy mechanical watches and Rolex must either cater to them or miss out. Below is a picture of the movement of a ladies quartz Rolex.

Sure, but that's not really the point of the discussion here. There are two here that think that an iWatch that Apple might introduce will have such an impact on the watch market that even luxury watch makers such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Jaeger LeCoultre will need to adapt their business models.

This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the luxury watch market and its customers.

Apple's iWatch will (like many have said here) be a mass produced electronic product with a touch screen that will likely rely on a number of additional sensors to provide health management functionalities.

The product will be aimed at premium mass markets, which is anywhere between US$200 and US$700. This means it will have a profound effect on other watch makers in that segment such as Tissot, Seiko, Casio, Fossil, Guess etc. In addition it will likely convince non-watch wearers to convert and try the new concept. I think there is a very real possibility that it will succeed in expanding the size of the watch market as a whole.

This will convince other watch manufacturers to follow this trend and introduce smart watches of their own. It will follow the same market dynamic pattern as the iPhone and the iPad, since the electronics and software are commodities. Prices of smart watches will drop and with that the markets of lower end watches will also be impacted.

Some manufacturers might seek to go up the market and introduce premium version of smart watches, like Vertu did for the smartphone business. Already now the Gear Fit can be bought in Amsterdam with diamonds embedded in the bezel. These will target only a very small market though and will like Vertu struggle to be profitable (Vertu is only valued at around US$400 Million).

The segment of the market that will be unaffected by the smartphone revolution is the luxury segment. This means that everything above US$3000 -US$5000 will remain the same. The reason is very simple. A smart watch is nothing more than a miniaturised collection of commodity electronic components and software. It will not be able to address the fundamental reasons why customers buy luxury watches: exclusivity, durability, mechanical complexity and aesthetics.

 

[Lesser Evets]

And for heart stop? if they are build to call emergency when there is no pulse, maybe can save your life

An iPod Nano on a strap that tells me when I am dead... sounds unique.

 

[tonyy]

Sure, but that's not really the point of the discussion here. There are two here that think that an iWatch that Apple might introduce will have such an impact on the watch market that even luxury watch makers such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Jaeger LeCoultre will need to adapt their business models.

This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the luxury watch market and its customers.

Apple's iWatch will (like many have said here) be a mass produced electronic product with a touch screen that will likely rely on a number of additional sensors to provide health management functionalities.

The product will be aimed at premium mass markets, which is anywhere between US$200 and US$700. This means it will have a profound effect on other watch makers in that segment such as Tissot, Seiko, Casio, Fossil, Guess etc. In addition it will likely convince non-watch wearers to convert and try the new concept. I think there is a very real possibility that it will succeed in expanding the size of the watch market as a whole.

This will convince other watch manufacturers to follow this trend and introduce smart watches of their own. It will follow the same market dynamic pattern as the iPhone and the iPad, since the electronics and software are commodities. Prices of smart watches will drop and with that the markets of lower end watches will also be impacted.

Some manufacturers might seek to go up the market and introduce premium version of smart watches, like Vertu did for the smartphone business. Already now the Gear Fit can be bought in Amsterdam with diamonds embedded in the bezel. These will target only a very small market though and will like Vertu struggle to be profitable (Vertu is only valued at around US$400 Million).

The segment of the market that will be unaffected by the smartphone revolution is the luxury segment. This means that everything above US$3000 -US$5000 will remain the same. The reason is very simple. A smart watch is nothing more than a miniaturised collection of commodity electronic components and software. It will not be able to address the fundamental reasons why customers buy luxury watches: exclusivity, durability, mechanical complexity and aesthetics.

Peter, you and I have been in line with our thinking and I fully agree with your post. A lot of posting in here has showed me that the "true" luxury watch market is widely misunderstood.

How can they say the iWatch will take over the luxury watch segment when there are watches over $100k?

Its kind of hard to believe how there is no comprehension.

 

[kdarling]

Two months ago? Only two months? God, this seems to have been going on forever. I don't mean to be negative, but, seriously, that is the first thing that popped into my head. The pace of watching paint dry is maddening.

True, it does seem to be taking forever

OTOH, these sales execs that Apple has been hiring, have had to hit the ground running:

"Welcome to Apple. We need a worldwide watch sales distribution network and ad campaign from you, and we need it in two months. Thanks."

An iPod Nano on a strap that tells me when I am dead... sounds unique.

Apple should've been hiring insurance actuaries along with medical experts.

Imagine if their watch monitored your health and activities, while constantly telling you how many days/ months/ years you were adding or removing from your life, for whatever you were doing at that moment.

Everybody on the planet would buy one just to keep track of their life expectancy!

 

[Serban]

We are living in a too strong digital world to say that companies are not affected. Everybody is affected by technology nowadays we have to adapt in time to don't lose profit.
The luxury watches as we know them now, are been made by humans, humans need profit to exit, profit is made from marketing,advertisement,sales and so on. So when smartwaches will be mature enough to be fashion and very usable for every man and woman, an clasic Rolex will be taking for consideration only by people who are real collectors and you can't run a company with 3000 employees just from collectors sales, you have to adapt and i know that they will be making the same perfect class but with more purpose

Tim Cook probably in 2005 was wearing an Rolex, now he is wearing an Nike fuel band.

 

[Tech198]

The only bad thing about smart-watches is if you sell your phone to go to an Samsung, other device, most of the stuff don't work except just regular telling time.


If there was a smart-watch that was cross platform, that would be interesting. Why should u replace a wearable device just because you gave up your companion ? It should work across the board. I'm kind of amazed Samsung's doing the same "eco-system" thing though.

Indeed.

[url=https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5497/10675180873_8e63e99d9b_c.jpg]Image[/url]

I'd buy that in a heart beet.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Gorgeous.

 

[imageWIS]

Tag Heuer, Burberry...

This iWatch thing is going to be pricey everyone.

You KNOW there is going to be a champagne colored version.

Also, TAG Heuer has it's own phone: http://www.tagheuer.com/int-en/mobile-phones/meridiist but I don't think they think that the iPhone is competition.

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Gorgeous.

Wait what? That's just a blah movement. THIS is Gorgeous:

 

[imageWIS]

All Rolex watches are made manually my friend. And most BOSS watches have quartz movements (not all though). It is by now very clear that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Please stop, you are only making it worse for yourself. There is no one here that takes you seriously and that will have an effect on other discussions you will have on this board. You are bound to end up on a lot of ignore lists.

Nope. Sorry, you need to go to learn about modern watchmaking methods. Even Patek uses electronic machines for some tasks. And EVERYONE uses modern CAD / Cam technology to design cases and movements, and to manufacture from the prototype stage to production....!