The Apple Watch Looks 'Like It Was Designed By A Student'

[SHNXX]

Jean-Claude Biver is an important person in the watch industry.
He's been with AP and Blancpain in the past and currently heads Hublot and LVMH's luxury watch division.
LVMH owns brands like Dior, Celine, Givenchy, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, De Beers, Hublot, TAG Heuer, Zenith, DFS, Sephora, Guerlain, Dom Perignon, etc.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jean-claude-biver-apple-watch-2014-9

What do you guys think of his comment?

 

[ditzy]

Sounds like a competitor rubbishing the competition, totally expected.

 

[iPadPublisher]

Sounds like what I'd say about a new competitor entering the space I occupy. He can't say he finds it interesting, ya know?

 

[jordanm86]

Jean-Claude Biver is an important person in the watch industry.
He's been with AP and Blancpain in the past and currently heads Hublot and LVMH's luxury watch division.
LVMH owns brands like Dior, Celine, Givenchy, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, De Beers, Hublot, TAG Heuer, Zenith, DFS, Sephora, Guerlain, Dom Perignon, etc.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jean-claude-biver-apple-watch-2014-9

What do you guys think of his comment?

Lol... Jean-Claude Biver... he heads the watch division of a major conglomerate - of course he is going to say something like that - he's pedalling redundant technology - designer chronograph watches... sweet... i'll bear that in mind next time i'm working with artillery ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronograph#Uses).

Now that Apple has made watches, including a more 'luxury' version, it won't be long before those brands have to either partner with technology companies to make smartwatches (e.g. a Givenchy watch but made by Sony) or scramble to build a team to do it themselves.

As a designer, I always find it hard to take criticism, but when it is constructive, it softens the blow.

By Jean-Claude Biver stating "To be totally honest, it looks like it was designed by a student in their first trimester" - this is nothing short of a blatant disrespectful, non-constructive dig at a company for advancing and embracing the future quicker than them and a kick in the teeth of Jony Ive, who is one of the best, if not the best product/industrial designer of our generation.

Through his design work, entirely new manufacturing processes have been developed.

Not only that, but for the technology in the device, I think it looks good. Personally I would like to have seen the large bracelet (curved screen) concept that people were showing everywhere but realistically, battery life would not have been possible without making it bulky.

I think Jean-Claude Biver knows that his luxury watch division has perhaps 3-5 years left before it is dramatically downscaled.

 

[SHNXX]

There is very little overlap between the Apple Watch price range and the price range that LVMH brands occupy (Tag Heuer which sells watches upward of $2000 to Hublot which sells watches higher than $8000) so I wouldn't just dismiss it as an invective coming from a "competitor."

People who buy Hublots, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, etc may buy Apple Watches but they won't stop buying the former because of the Apple Watch.

 

[Nebrie]

People who buy Hublots, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, etc may buy Apple Watches but they won't stop buying the former because of the Apple Watch.

The problem is not the current generation, but future generations. The competition is not in the watch sector but in the wrist real estate sector. Future generations who grow up with smart watches are less likely to cede smart watch real estate to mechanical watch real estate as they become wealthier. The extremely high-end watch market will never go away, but the rest of it is headed in the same direction as the camera market did after smartphones.

 

[SHNXX]

The problem is not the current generation, but future generations. The competition is not in the watch sector but in the wrist real estate sector. Future generations who grow up with smart watches are less likely to cede smart watch real estate to mechanical watch real estate as they become wealthier. The extremely high-end watch market will never go away, but the rest of it is headed in the same direction as the camera market did after smartphones.

As you say, the high end market isn't going to go away.

The current watch market isn't really about functionality; it's mostly about the artisanal and artistic aspect and a status symbol.

I suppose a brand like Tag heuer could see a hit though.

 

[JaySoul]

A luxury watch guy?

Being snobby?

I'm SHOCKED.

 

[jordanm86]

The problem is not the current generation, but future generations. The competition is not in the watch sector but in the wrist real estate sector. Future generations who grow up with smart watches are less likely to cede smart watch real estate to mechanical watch real estate as they become wealthier. The extremely high-end watch market will never go away, but the rest of it is headed in the same direction as the camera market did after smartphones.

I think it will happen even sooner than that.

If you look at the way older generations have adapted to tablets and smartphones, it's awe inspiring!

The luxury watches market (I mean your £600-10k watches... not those ridiculous £100k+ ones) depends on 35-60 year olds who have settled in life and have disposable income in abundance.

The same target mass market for expensive road bikes - weekend warrior, middle aged high disposable income.

Now, given this category of cash rich, time poor, health conscious individuals, what is the likelihood they will buy a watch that assists them in various aspects of life and will be seen as the latest 'must have'.

Not only that, but you can upgrade every couple of years (i assume there'll be a Watch2 in the future) and get more functionality from the product.

 

[SHNXX]

I think it will happen even sooner than that.

If you look at the way older generations have adapted to tablets and smartphones, it's awe inspiring!

The luxury watches market (I mean your £600-10k watches... not those ridiculous £100k+ ones) depends on 35-60 year olds who have settled in life and have disposable income in abundance.

The same target mass market for expensive road bikes - weekend warrior, middle aged high disposable income.

Now, given this category of cash rich, time poor, health conscious individuals, what is the likelihood they will buy a watch that assists them in various aspects of life and will be seen as the latest 'must have'.

Not only that, but you can upgrade every couple of years (i assume there'll be a Watch2 in the future) and get more functionality from the product.

Oh I don't know.
I don't think a cheap disposable smartwatch can compete on an emotional level with mechanical art that is the haute horlogerie.

 

[douglasf13]

Hilarious. An executive from Hublot criticizing another watch's design. I'd be embarrassed to wear a Hublot Big Bang.

 

[SHNXX]

Hilarious. An executive from Hublot criticizing another watch's design. I'd be embarrassed to wear a Hublot Big Bang.

Haha. Yeah hublots are often hated on by watch folks.

 

[Patriot24]

Remember when Microsoft and BlackBerry lambasted the iPhone as a joke and DOA?

Oh.

 

[SHNXX]

Remember when Microsoft and BlackBerry lambasted the iPhone as a joke and DOA?



Oh.

The analogy fails because hublot (> 8000 dollars) doesn't compete with the Apple watch (>$350)

 

[cmaier]

Sounds like the famous "apple won't just walk in and take over the phone market" quote. Famous last words.

 

[firewood]

LVMH makes a very wide range of watch product. The lower end of their product line will have to compete with Apple (and others), so the LVMH CEO makes a comment reminiscent of earlier Palm and BlackBerry CEOs.

The upper end of LVMH's product line is different. Veblen goods do better with rarity and stratospheric prices. No relation to anything in Apple's current catalog (even a loaded Mac Pro). If the top end of Apple Watch Edition gold hits a few thousand dollars and wants to get worn out to high-fashion and concours events, then it just might put a small dent in Veblen goods by eating up some on wrist real estate and wear time.

There is more pure revenue and profit in LVMH upper end product, but I wonder what percentage of their employees work on their lower end product lines? LVMH could stay profitable, while still have to lay-off a bunch of watch makers, staff, managers and even executives. That one version of "in trouble" for Switzerland and France. Higher unemployment.

 

[SHNXX]

LVMH makes a very wide range of watch product. The lower end of their product line will have to compete with Apple (and others), so the LVMH CEO makes a comment reminiscent of earlier Palm and BlackBerry CEOs.

The upper end of LVMH's product line is different. Veblen goods do better with rarity and stratospheric prices. No relation to anything in Apple's current catalog (even a loaded Mac Pro). If the top end of Apple Watch Edition gold hits a few thousand dollars and wants to get worn out to high-fashion and concours events, then it just might put a small dent in Veblen goods by eating up some on wrist real estate and wear time.

There is more pure revenue and profit in LVMH upper end product, but I wonder what percentage of their employees work on their lower end product lines? LVMH could stay profitable, while still have to lay-off a bunch of watch makers, staff, managers and even executives. That one version of "in trouble" for Switzerland and France. Higher unemployment.

LVMH's lower watch products shouldn't account for much of the revenue.
These low priced fashion watches are hardly the focus of these companies.

 

[cmaier]

LVMH's lower watch products shouldn't account for much of the revenue.
These low priced fashion watches are hardly the focus of these companies.

http://www.lvmh.com/uploads/assets/Com-fi/Documents/en/Revenue/Q1_2014_revenue_VA.pdf

Looks like watches in general aren't their big revenue generators.

 

[Zellio]

In b4 a bunch of fanboys rush to defend App- Oh wait

1. If Jony Ive can bash swiss watchmakers why can't this guy do the opposite? You don't see this guy bashing other swiss watchmakers do you?

2. The watches they make are not even in the same field.

3. The ipod/iphone/ipad defense doesn't work, and doesn't fit, no matter how many times people use it.

4. When ios7 came out professional designers were bashing it too. When the iPhone leaks came out people were bashing them. Now that you know it's real and Jony Ive is nowhere near as good a designer without Steve Jobs you rush to defend him no matter what the truth is, right?

 

[douglasf13]

If you think this $35K watch is better looking than the Apple Watch, then we apparently have very different tastes. You couldn't pay me to wear this thing:

 

[NewbieCanada]

Sounds like a competitor rubbishing the competition, totally expected.

Bet he'll be working for Samsung within two weeks!

 

[SHNXX]

If you think this $35K watch is better looking than the Apple Watch, then we apparently have very different tastes. You couldn't pay me to wear this thing:

Image

You are probably not their target clientele (well to do 20-40 who drive sportscars and like to show off something ""different")

It's definitely not a traditional looking watch.

 

[douglasf13]

You are probably not their target clientele (well to do 20-40 who drive sportscars and like to show off something ""different")

It's definitely not a traditional looking watch.

I wouldn't be so sure. I'm 37, had a Porsche 911 up until a year ago, and I've owned Rolex, Omega, etc. Even Hublot's steel version of that watch, which is considerably cheaper, is awful, IMO. It's kind of the Hummer of watches.

I know that people have different tastes. I just find it funny that the guy who runs Hublot is critiquing design, since Hublot is a bit of a joke in some high end watch circles.

 

[SHNXX]

I wouldn't be so sure. I'm 37, had a Porsche 911 up until a year ago, and I've owned Rolex, Omega, etc. Even Hublot's steel version of that watch, which is considerably cheaper, is awful, IMO. It's kind of the Hummer of watches.



I know that people have different tastes. I just find it funny that the guy who runs Hublot is critiquing design, since Hublot is a bit of a joke in some high end watch circles.

I feel the same way actually.
But I do like the AP ROOs which sort of the original inspiration for the hublots.

 

[firewood]

These low priced fashion watches are hardly the focus of these companies.

Yup. The companies might not focus on the unemployment rate due to lesser volumes of their low end product. The countries in which those companies are based just might.