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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.

That's pretty much $1,000 for a smart watch.... Tim Cook can praise it all day long, but at least for now, it is more "tech toy" than "life-changing, must have" device.

I love Apple and I'll be buying the watch, but I have to put perspective onto this purchase. I'd rather save a few hundred for the new MacBook or a vacation, or hey, rent and food!
 
The Edition is a halo product. Someone will buy it, mostly as a status symbol. I think China might be its biggest market.

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.
 
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 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, the :apple:Watch 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.
 
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

How have you managed without a watch thus far? ;)


OP: I'd hardly call this the biggest ****-fit in history. You should read past posts when iPhones launch, MacBooks are updated, the iPad Mini wasn't really updated and so forth. ****-fits and MacRumors are synonymous. Hell, when I'm ready to have one, I visit this site as well. :D
 
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?” isn’t going to be able to come to grips with what Apple is doing here. They’re going to say that Jony Ive and Tim Cook have lost their minds. They’re going to wear out their keyboards typing “This never would have happened if Steve Jobs were alive.” They’re going to predict utter and humiliating failure. In short, they’re going to mistake Apple for Vertu."

ahhhh... thanx! i've never heard that term before.....
 
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, the :apple:Watch 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.

A watch by definition is an accessory. I didn't mean that it was an accessory to the iPhone per se. This passes the "looks good even when it's off" test so it is a fashion accessory.
 
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

I agree - with the prices on the rest of the products on the CAD vs US Apple store it's insane, unfortunately compared the exchange rate it isn't that insane. There is no way I can afford the $1449 for the space black stainless steel watch... I guess other people can though.
 
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.

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.

The real story is that the stainless steel is reasonably priced, and they have created a new market for bands, etc. I'm guessing the hinge mechanism is unchanged for years. That way in the future you can just update the watch for $300-$500.
 
Does that include the internals?

I assume it's for the case, probably including the crown and button.

The listed "case" gold weights are the same for all the gold strap options. Since the straps have gold components, and must have different amounts of gold, I'm pretty sure these numbers do NOT include the gold in the straps. The modern buckle, in particular, looks like a significant amount of gold.

I'm not sure what you mean by "internals". I don't think the internal components contain any gold. Only the case and the metal parts of the straps are gold.
 
$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!!!!!

Keyboard and phone???
Lol, you do NOT want a wearable sir.
 
$10k for the watch itself and an additional SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS for a small pink leather strap.

Have you found anything indicating the amount of gold in that small pink leather strap? I have not found it, but it's clearly not a negligible amount.
 
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.

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.
 
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.
 
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.

Yep, but those manufacturers have spent a long time cultivating their up-market image and developing their clientele.

For Apple to think they can just "do" their regular aluminum watch in gold and that in itself will justify an ENORMOUS premium on it seems either arrogant or naive. Nether are desirable mass-market brand qualities.
 
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.

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.
 
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.

Exactly. People expecting a company that sells $1200 laptops when others sell for $400 expected a cheap watch????
 
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.

I think today would've gone better had Apple just released the aluminum and steel mass-market models that most customers will actually buy.

Maybe in a few months, they could've quietly introduced the Edition as a sort of mid-life kicker to drum-up publicity. As it was, introducing a $17,000 version of a $350 product, side-by-side, has me (and I'm sure others) making uncomfortable comparisons and questioning what Apple's brand values are.
 
$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!!!!!

That Gear S will be abandoned by Samsung in 6 months. With Apple, you are paying for 2-3 years of software support and overall a more complete, thought out experience.
 
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
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.
 
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.

Comparing the Apple Watch to current mechanical watches is going to be interesting. I love watches (have since I was a young child,) and I enjoy everything from my Seiko to my Omega, etc. However, watches have become an anachronistic source of fun for people. If, similarly to the iPod/iPhone/iPad, a large percentage of the population finds that smart watches are somewhat of a necessity for their day, what are people going to do about mechanical watches, which are essentially jewelry? How are the two going to compete for wrist time? Two watches at once?

I love my mechanical watches, but I'm realistic about the possibility that my Apple Watch may take over my mechanical watch stable, and I'm fine with it. Like a classic automobile, I may leave the mechanicals in the garage for occasional Sunday drives, while I drive my Tesla most of the week...but I may end up just selling the old timers.

That's why it is smart for Apple to make Watches at several price points. It may be inevitable that everyone will need one, eventually, and wearable technology needs to cater to all types of people.
 
I suppose the SS models are priced OK-ish, but the only bands I like are the most expensive. Sigh. It's still a lot of money for a Watch that essentially duplicates functionality.

Weirdly, Apple have made me less likely to buy one than before the event. When Kevin Lynch was on stage doing the whole garage door thing, I just kept thinking 'surely this would be easier on your 5.5" iPhone?'.

If I get a watch, it will be a 38mm Sport with white band.
 
Vote with your wallet and not buy this BS. Money talks.

----------

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.

Enough is enough. People need to stop buying items they believe to be bad value for the price before anything will change.

One person at a time.
 
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