It's $919 +taxes here in Canada for the 42mm!
That's still pretty good considering that CAD is 1.26 to USD. Most here were expecting the Milanese Loop to be significantly more expensive, second to the Link Bracelet.
It's $919 +taxes here in Canada for the 42mm!
That's still pretty good considering that CAD is 1.26 to USD. Most here were expecting the Milanese Loop to be significantly more expensive, second to the Link Bracelet.
The Edition is a halo product. Someone will buy it, mostly as a status symbol. I think China might be its biggest market.
Looks would be the primary reason to go for the stainless steel. This is mostly just an accessory. If I'm going to buy a $700 watch, with the Apple Watch at least I get something that has some functionality. Who cares if the Sport is $350 if I don't like the look?
The Edition is a halo product. Someone will buy it, mostly as a status symbol. I think China might be its biggest market.
I can live with $200 more for SS and Sapphire. Hate the timing though. It cuts too close to a 3 week vacation I will be on so I may have to wait unless I get quickly into the queue A MONTH FROM NOW. ACKKKKKKKK
It starts with s and ends with t.
From Gruber:
"When the prices of the steel and (especially) gold Apple Watches are announced, I expect the tech press to have the biggest collective ****-fit in the history of Apple-versus-the-standard-tech-industry ****-fits. The utilitarian mindset that asks Why would anyone waste money on a gold watch? isnt going to be able to come to grips with what Apple is doing here. Theyre going to say that Jony Ive and Tim Cook have lost their minds. Theyre going to wear out their keyboards typing This never would have happened if Steve Jobs were alive. Theyre going to predict utter and humiliating failure. In short, theyre going to mistake Apple for Vertu."
I agree with this. It makes sense. The problem is that the accessory costs more than the thing it is accessorizing. I totally understand, though. If I were in the market for a $500-$1000 fashion-oriented watch, theWatch would definitely be on my list. In that range you aren't looking at something that will be passed down, have some amazing movement, etc. However, this doesn't make me feel like I should be in that market if I am not already.
The Canadian Apple Watch prices are horrendous!
Starting prices:
Sport
38mm:$449
42mm:$519
Goes up to $519
Watch
38mm:$699
42mm:$779
Goes up to $1459
Edition
38mm:$13,000
42mm:$15,500
Goes up to $22,000
It's more like horns than halo. They're harming their respected brand by cynically offering something so ridiculously overpriced and such poor value for money. $3000 would have been a good halo price point.
Regular customers (where Apple makes its real money) will now start associating the Apple brand with mindless ripoff pricing and not want anything to do with it.
This could be quite damaging.
Does that include the internals?
$549 is outright outrageous!!!! I don't care who you are. That's over $200 more than the Gear S that doesn't even need a phone to work. Doesn't even have a keyboard..NO!!!!!
$10k for the watch itself and an additional SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS for a small pink leather strap.
Show me where you can find an 18kt gold watch for $3,000. Gold plated designs go for that much. This is a limited edition that will sell in tens of thousands, if that. It potentially gets them into stores like Tiffany or Neiman Marcus. Burberry sells 34mm gold ladies' watches with leather straps for $14,000.
It may be limited edition, but there's nothing inherently different about the gold version. It's the same case design and internals as the cheaper ones. There's no additional fine engineering or artistry involved. Just a material swap. And since the video showed a robotic milling machine creating the cases, and metal is metal, I can't imagine there's any additional craftsmanship involved.
...
But you can find many examples of other watches where all of these things are true. An off-the-shelf quartz movement in a stainless steel case for a few thousand dollars, and the identical movement in a gold case for 10 or 20 thousand dollars more -- that's the low end of the department store "luxury" watch business.
I posted links to some random examples a few days ago.
And yes, Burberry sell silly-priced watches too. I still wouldn't say $14K watch owners were Apple's core demographic, but at least Burberry stores make you feel like you're something special.
With the exception of the edition model (which I am not the market for) I was pretty close on my guess. Although I am surprised that there was no mention of separately sold bands.
Maybe Apple should go and hire someone from Burberry who can tell them how to change their retail experience to cater to the kind of person who is going to buy a $10,000-$17,000 watch.
Perhaps they should. Because a customer who could afford to spend $10-17K on a watch is not going to be impressed with Apple's cynical little offering.
$549 is outright outrageous!!!! I don't care who you are. That's over $200 more than the Gear S that doesn't even need a phone to work. Doesn't even have a keyboard..NO!!!!!
I agree with most of your line of thinking, but as seriously as I believe Apple needs a wakeup call, it's not going to happen.i hope it flops to give apple a reality check. i wonder what their goal in sales is. i cant see many < 25 year olds getting one considering how much the iPhone already costs, add the first Watch that looks fairly decent and you are looking at something like $1.500
Perhaps they should. Because a customer who could afford to spend $10-17K on a watch is not going to be impressed with Apple's cynical little offering.
I agree with most of your line of thinking, but as seriously as I believe Apple needs a wakeup call, it's not going to happen.
They've been partying in a cash hoard so massive all reality has been lost on them. And I'm not even referring to the prices of the various models of watch.
Apple's got the wind at their back, and have had for years now. Such forgiving optimistic mainstream press that echo statements and praise almost as though they're paid Apple shills. It's an amazing phenomenon.