Titanium Apple Watch 'Pro' Could Signal the End of Apple Watch Edition

[sw1tcher]

Potential names for the device include "Apple Watch Pro" or "Apple Watch Explorer Edition," and the device has been associated with extreme sports, athletes, hikers, and other users that require a more durable watch.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition, Apple Watch Expedition Edition, Apple Watch Bronco Edition, Apple Watch Mustang Mach-E Edition,... 🤣

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Apple Watch Explorer Edition, Apple Watch Expedition Edition, Apple Watch Bronco Edition, Apple Watch Mustang Mach-E Edition,... 🤣

You forgot to add the exclusive Apple Watch GT Edition, hahah!

 

[zubikov]

Evidently "Edition" is a horological term used to identify a high-end or special edition of a watch line.



With Hermès watches you are paying for three things:

1. The Hermès name
2. The included Hermès band (though you can buy them separately and use them on a non-Hermès model)
3. The Hermès watch faces that are only available on a Hermès watch

So creating an "Apple Watch Pro" line really should not impact the Hermès line since you can add a Hermès band to that watch if you want.

My point is further made in this quoted post. $1,200+ watch, informed buyer. Not aware that that only the Hermes black stainless finish has DLC coating, which carries a premium.

Well that's because 100% of Apple's marketing of the watch is geared toward expanding market share. With the low end entries being very reasonable in price, Apple wants everyone with an iPhone to have an Apple Watch. And they're doing a good job on that. The high end ones don't really need marketing, and would only hurt the low end if the wrong person sees the wrong ad and thinks Apple Watch is only ultra premium.

I totally see your point though. Their intention is to grow the ecosystem, and they're doing a helluva job with marketing related to that.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Apple needs to have some kind of a special yearly trade in for these over expensive models of the Watch. Spending $1,000 or $2,000? which is what it sounds they plan on charging for this rugged edition sounds a bit too much.

Maybe offer like a $200 trade in when going from Apple Watch 8 Edition to Apple Watch 9 Edition.

 

[AndiG]

Here comes the problem: If I would buy e.g. a Panerai Luminor Marina, I have something that has a real value. Maybe it is worth more money the next year and it won‘t be outdated, for sure.

If I buy an Apple Watch, it's bound to be worth less, weedy and obsolete next year. So it is a waste of money to buy a titanium case.

 

[Berti10]

You know, why they‘ll call it „pro“?

It is because it will allow it to have more features than the regular Watch. This is why.

 

[d-klumpp]

I like my bikes in titanium but my watches in stainless steel. And although I personally have never had any durability issues with my AppleWatches, the problems I've seen reported have not been with the case, so a Ti case would not significantly enhance real-world durability.

 

[Macative]

I would really like to see the Space Black Stainless Steel finish come back to the Series 8 watch. I have a SB Series 4 and just love the finish. I know there is the Space Black Hermès watch, but I am not 100% sure that the finish is still the same as the S1-S5 Space Black finish and even if it is, I don't really care about the custom face or the Hermès band so it hurts to pay so much more over the Stainless Steel finish premium.

For me I have a polished stainless steel wedding ring on the same hand, so it matches very well.

 

[spinedoc77]

The issue I always had with titanium it shows scratches so bad compared to stainless steel

This is what I was going to say, they need to fix this. Alternatively I'd propose they just release a brushed SS version, I know it will be heavier, but at least it will be able to be buffed out.

I've always suspected the issue with Ti was the coating, and not the Ti itself, so hopefully they improve on that process.

 

[TheDailyApple]

The “edition” had both 41 and 45 and seems to target More of the “luxury” segment whereas the “pro” seems to target “athletes/rugged” segment which are in my mind 2 different markets…
But, whatever, we’ll continue speculating about this til the day Apple releases AW8…

My thoughts precisely.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition, Apple Watch Expedition Edition, Apple Watch Bronco Edition, Apple Watch Mustang Mach-E Edition,... 🤣

In this case they should replace the Edition with Apple Watch Lincoln.

 

[name99]

Apple does a piss-poor job of marketing the higher-end edition watch benefits. Many ppl just don't know what they're getting in regular vs edition watches, and only understand that they are shinier. Apple needs to make it clear that:

- DLC coating on black Hermes watches is damn near indestructible, and is far different that the scratch-prone stainless finish
- All edition watches have sapphire

Both of those don't matter if you consider the aWatch to be a piece of electronics that will be replaced in 3 years, rather than some eternal heirloom.

Honestly I think this is a great change, the end of the dumb Jony Ive "Treat the Apple Watch as jewelry" era.
aWatches are computers, bought for computer reasons, on computer schedules. We're all better off with Apple optimizing for that fact! If you bought a $10,000 gold Apple Watch, how happy are you with it these days compared to an Apple Watch 7?

 

[CWallace]

Apple needs to have some kind of a special yearly trade in for these over expensive models of the Watch. Spending $1,000 or $2,000? which is what it sounds they plan on charging for this rugged edition sounds a bit too much.

I admit I do not know why someone would spend the money for an Apple Watch with a Stainless Steel or Titanium finish or would buy an Apple Watch Hermès only to replace it every year unless they did not care about the price and the depreciation meant nothing to them.

Both of my Apple Watches had the Stainless Steel finish and I kept both for four generations (S0-S4 and S4-S8) to maximize the value I received from spending the extra for said finish.

 

[b11051973]

I'm going to be annoyed if this Pro watch has a bigger screen. I always buy the "cheap" aluminum watch. I'm not paying 2-3 times as much just to get the biggest screen, and I want the biggest screen.

 

[MallardDuck]

Larger? At what point do we just strap an iphone to our wrist?

 

[Nosmo King]

The issue I always had with titanium it shows scratches so bad compared to stainless steel

There is a trick to cleaning out scratches with the Ti model, I had an annoying longish scratch easy to see. Used a green scotch pad (separated it from the yellow bit) and used that, sliding gently left and right. Amazingly it worked really well! There is also a YouTube vid that shows you how. Top Tip!

 

[MallardDuck]

Here comes the problem: If I would buy e.g. a Panerai Luminor Marina, I have something that has a real value. Maybe it is worth more money the next year and it won‘t be outdated, for sure.

If I buy an Apple Watch, it's bound to be worth less, weedy and obsolete next year. So it is a waste of money to buy a titanium case.

This ^^^. Residual value on watches isn't anywhere near what it is on other devices. If I'm spending thousands on a watch I'd buy a Breitling.

But then again, I wouldn't spend thousands on a watch in the first place, so definitely not the target market for this one

 

[no_idea]

At what point will apple build at watch that moves beyond the “all day” battery life and gives us a min of 7 days on a single charge?
Garmin can do it, so can others

 

[Manatee]

If there’s a version that has substantially better battery life, that will win me over - whatever the case is made of.

 

[IIGS User]

$17K for an Apple Watch.

Should come with a crack vial band. Because if you're paying $17K for an Apple watch, you MUST be hittin' the rock....

 

[PrecisionGem]

I would like to see a thinner watch. I find the current watch too thick.

 

[_Spinn_]

Hopefully this larger redesign is still compatible with existing watch bands.

 

[alpi123]

Hope the thing about the new design exclusive to the 'Pro' is not true... that would mean the others need to wait a year or so for it to "come down the chain".........

Wanted to replace my S4 this year, but not for a crazy price.

If you look at other products that have non-Pro and Pro models... you'll see why the new design totally makes sense to arrive only for a Pro model.

 

[wonderings]

I don't get it, not one bit. I have an Apple Watch series 3. It is nice for what it is, but as others have mentioned it is an investment in technology that will go obsolete. These are not watches you will hand down to your kids or grandkids, they will end up in landfills as worthless junk. They do some neat things and Apple knows how to sell, the fact that people pay the crazy prices for Hermes or Edition versions, plus the watch bands just shows how strong Apple's marketing is. The materials the watches are made of don't matter, you won't have the watch for long before you need to upgrade to get the latest releases that let you know how many hair follicles you have left. Mine was a gift, if I was to spend this kind of money on a watch it would be an actual watch that will never get software updates or be obsolete.

 

[tgwaste]

Can't wait to see how Apple somehow penalizes me for not buying the "Pro".

 

[Mymychickenpie]

Here comes the problem: If I would buy e.g. a Panerai Luminor Marina, I have something that has a real value. Maybe it is worth more money the next year and it won‘t be outdated, for sure.

If I buy an Apple Watch, it's bound to be worth less, weedy and obsolete next year. So it is a waste of money to buy a titanium case.

I didn’t realise a Panerai Luminor Marina had all the features an Apple Watch had?

Thought it just told the time?