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

[zipa]

There are a lot of Paparazzi photos of iPhones coming out of some celebrities Luis Vuitton purse... not many Vertu's...

No ****, Sherlock? There are also lots and lots of paparazzi photos of celebrities whipping out Samsungs, HTCs, Nokias and Blackberrys. Nothing luxurious about those, either.

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Sorry to say, but you just want to argue and thats all. An iphone is more elegant than most of the other smartphones and has a premium price.

What are you smoking? An iPhone is a glass fronted rectangular block, just as any other smartphone on the market. It costs the same as any other standard flagship on the market, and is actually cheaper than e.g. a Samsung Galaxy Note.

If you happen to prefer the soap-tray design of an iPhone, then kudos to you. That doesn't make it any more spectacular than any other touch screen device out there.

 

[Serban]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbUoFkNFRU8

so it's kind of official. I think he is old enough to not be afraid that Apple can sue him

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No ****, Sherlock? There are also lots and lots of paparazzi photos of celebrities whipping out Samsungs, HTCs, Nokias and Blackberrys. Nothing luxurious about those, either.

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What are you smoking? An iPhone is a glass fronted rectangular block, just as any other smartphone on the market. It costs the same as any other standard flagship on the market, and is actually cheaper than e.g. a Samsung Galaxy Note.

If you happen to prefer the soap-tray design of an iPhone, then kudos to you. That doesn't make it any more spectacular than any other touch screen device out there.

I said DIRECT competitors...so an iphone is not a direct with galaxy Note.
but here is an example of a grown man who is the chairman of an luxury brand and i think he knows more about what luxury mean than you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss6u9A2G_l4 at 2:30 min... so every man with an excellent knowledge said that Apple is somehow an luxury brand (somehow because until know, luxury was referred only in fashion clothes, jewels,cars, etc)

 

[randian]

Has Apple formally confirmed the existence of a watch project? The import of this hire is that it seems to confirm the existence of the project.

 

[Serban]

Has Apple formally confirmed the existence of a watch project? The import of this hire is that it seems to confirm the existence of the project.

Yes so it confirm the iwatch. If it will be for this year or for 2015 or 2016 who knows but now we know that it will exist and is not a project that will never end up true

 

[Tech198]

Apple's been hiring allot as of late...

Can this only point to, Apple doesn't have a fricken clue ?

 

[joneill55]

Go big or go home, that's the Apple way!

 

[firewood]

There are also lots and lots of paparazzi photos of celebrities whipping out Samsungs, HTCs, Nokias and Blackberrys.

Too bad that HTC, Nokia and Blackberry no long profit much from celebrity product positioning. Only Samsung and Apple. But Samsung's wearables look more like the stuff one would find at Walmart or Target, not the low-end counter at Tourneau, or even the high-end counter at Macys.

Apple's? TDB...

 

[zipa]

man with an excellent knowledge said that Apple is somehow an luxury brand

Well, it ain't. Unless you are trying to claim that Samsung, HTC, Oppo, Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Huawei are luxury brands as well. I mean, they all have similarly designed and priced devices on the market.

Apple is about as luxurious as Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Well, it ain't. Unless you are trying to claim that Samsung, HTC, Oppo, Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Huawei are luxury brands as well. I mean, they all have similarly designed and priced devices on the market.

Apple is about as luxurious as Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

Your analogy just fell flat.

 

[Serban]

Well, it ain't. Unless you are trying to claim that Samsung, HTC, Oppo, Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Huawei are luxury brands as well. I mean, they all have similarly designed and priced devices on the market.

Apple is about as luxurious as Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

Yea and a mercedes,ferrari,dacia,lancia all has same design same build quality and attention to detail with 4 wheels and 1 engine ) So Dacia and Lancia are in the same boat with the rest

 

[zipa]

Yea and a mercedes,ferrari,dacia,lancia all has same design with 4 wheels and 1 engine

That is true. What is your point?

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Your analogy just fell flat.

Where?

 

[kerrikins]

First, you can't have "luxury" and "mainstream". They are mutually exclusive. Apple is a mass market brand, there is nothing luxurious about it. Their products cost the same, they perform the same and they pretty much look the same as everything else out there as well.

Second, even if it was a "luxury" brand, there are tons of others out there as well. There are lots of them on the HiFi market. Vertu would be the luxury brand in the smartphone market, and I seem to recall that TAG Heuer had one as well.

You guys might be arguing about marketing, here. Apple may not 'technically' be luxury, but they definitely market themselves as luxury for the average consumer. Whether or not you agree has nothing to do with their presentation and how they are perceived by the public.

 

[viacavour]

Well, it ain't. Unless you are trying to claim that Samsung, HTC, Oppo, Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Huawei are luxury brands as well. I mean, they all have similarly designed and priced devices on the market.

Apple is about as luxurious as Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

lol ! You don't even know the difference between Walmart and BestBuy's position.

If what you said is true, then those Android clones are worse; basically as luxurious as disposable underwear.

 

[gnasher729]

Yea and a mercedes,ferrari,dacia,lancia all has same design same build quality and attention to detail with 4 wheels and 1 engine ) So Dacia and Lancia are in the same boat with the rest

I seem to remember the BMW 750 with two engines...

 

[gyang333]

If anything I think the major asset of this new hire will be his expertise in aligning jewelry stores and getting them on board to sell the watch. This is mainly to line up the distribution system. Most of what Apple sells now are through tech stores. I think it's smart to also sell the iWatch in traditional jewelry stores that carry luxury watches and this is where the guy from LVMH will have input and insight.

 

[gyang333]

you wanna bet? if they do the design right...anything else is a plus over the luxury watch that only show your status and the time, and Apple can make it for health. You know that health is the important thing in this world right? Even if you are a teenager or even better an adult

People swayed to buy the iWatch will not be choosing b/w the iWatch and a luxury timepiece. Someone who can afford a $5000+ timepiece will buy the iWatch AND still buy the luxury offering as well. The Quartz crisis already happened, the Swiss watch industry already lost those who wanted affordable watches, and in the process doubled-down on the luxury niche market. People don't buy watches anymore to tell the time, brand name matters within the world of timepieces. Someone considering a Rolex or Patek or Omega or etc will still buy that piece and get the iWatch as a separate "tool".

No one will be giving up their luxury wrist presence for an iWatch even despite the hypothesized health benefits. I might give up my bracelets on my right wrist for an iWatch but I'm not giving up my Montblancs on my left wrist.

 

[Lesser Evets]

iPod Nano with a strap... awesome.

 

[furi0usbee]

Link to source that says it will act simply as an extension of your phone....Bottom line, nobody has a clue what this thing will really do.

Why link? You've already found it... I'm the source. And what do you think the 1st gen Apple wearable is going to do? It's certainly not going to replace my iPhone, but it will most likely extend the functions of the phone, or at least make it easier to do things with the phone in my pocket or backpack. Great for all the health stuff, but anything it can do is certainly not worth $250.00+ of my money. For other's, they may want to pay more.

As a 1st gen device, all it needs to do is a few things which could make people's lives easier. 1. Let it answer calls, 2. Let you interact with Siri which can then communicate with the phone. 3. Let you access *certain* apps on the phone via the band interface.

Aside from health, the ONLY thing I see it doing is extending my iPhone functionality. If it can talk to my MacBook Pro, all the better. But as a stand-alone device, unless it's going to have all the goods of an iPhone, it's going to simply let us interact with our *Apple* devices a bit better. In the future, the tech and interface may allow it to replace a phone, but that's not 1st gen.

 

[shoppy]

Just my 2 cents but I do not class Tag as a luxury brand, they are at the very bottom entry level of swiss watches. PP, JLC VC yes they are IMHO luxury swiss brands. But Tag, really.

 

[d4rkc4sm]

tim has bitten off more than he can chew. this luxury iwatch gamble will be a failure.

 

[alphaod]

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.

Except it's not the competition.

I think you're misunderstanding the fact they don't compete in the same market. I don't know how you can think a tradition timepiece either for timekeeping or jewelry is considered competition for a smart watch.

I don't go stop buying my watches just because I have a Pebble now? For starters I barely use my Pebble or if I owned a Galaxy Gear, but you can be sure I have my watch on every single day.

 

[BiscottiGelato]

Apple already has me waiting.

I'm thinking about an IWC Portuguese Chronograph. Hopefully something that I can wear for the next 20 years. And maybe a Mio Link for any fitness related activities.

Now I have both ideas in the freezer and want to see what Apple comes out with first. I don't mind to save some money and go Apple if what they come up with is the perfect blend between class, price and functionality.

I know Apple can't be compared to IWC in class, but if it's for a quarter of the price and the functional and aesthetics appeal is strong enough, maybe the materialism and class can take a back seat.

Hell maybe I'll buy the IWC later also

 

[PocketSand11]

That's a pretty mocku- oh wait, that's the 6th generation iPod nano… it actually looks good as a watch. I really thought it was a mockup at first. What were they thinking when they made the 7th generation nano?!

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I don't go stop buying my watches just because I have a Pebble now? For starters I barely use my Pebble or if I owned a Galaxy Gear, but you can be sure I have my watch on every single day.

So do you sometimes wear two watches at once?

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Well, it ain't. Unless you are trying to claim that Samsung, HTC, Oppo, Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Huawei are luxury brands as well. I mean, they all have similarly designed and priced devices on the market.

Apple stuff costs much more. The pricing isn't very similar. It's also better quality. You could call Huawei a knockoff luxury brand like Hyundai, though. "We've got the same kind of paint used on a $100K Mercedes" and the same design.

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It would be hilarious if the iWatch was a huge trolling campaign by Apple and they're actually not planning on releasing anything remotely similar.

Er, the Apple fraction of my S&P 500 stock wouldn't find it funny.

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you wanna bet? if they do the design right...anything else is a plus over the luxury watch that only show your status and the time, and Apple can make it for health. You know that health is the important thing in this world right? Even if you are a teenager or even better an adult

The iWatch could do lots of cool, nerdy things, but health?? Yeah, my health is important. How is the iWatch supposed to help me with that, by graphing my heart rate? By measuring my blood pressure through accessories I have to buy separately and attach to my body? "Wow", my blood pressure is 115/76 mmHg! Useless. Apple had better come up with better features, and those features can't be about health unless the thing could somehow scan my body for cancer.

 

[whcchief]

the anal-yst in me says it will be around 300- 2000 USD

joking aside, i think it will be around 600-800 USD

6-800? Come on mate, jesus. 199 and 299 for various options.

 

[thejd]

Whatever Apple's wearable is, it has to be always on you, under $200, and will be a secondary band on your wrist. No display, no Android Gear style push notifications, very thin, very elegant.

This kind of concept is what gets my attention. Optical processing would be jaw-droopingly amazing in a wearable though I do believe some kind of display would still be necessary.