One of the biggest questions leading up to Apple’s event today was how much would the various models of Apple Watch cost beyond the device’s $349 starting price.
Pricing is a little more complex than Apple’s iPhones or iPads, with pricing for the three collections— Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and the gold Apple Watch Edition— all including various tiers depending on strap and case size combinations. Look at the entire lineup, all three collections range from the starting price of $349 for the Sport model to as much as $17,000 for the 18k gold Apple Watch Edition model.
Head below for all the specifics on Apple Watch pricing from today’s event:
Apple Watch Sport:
- $349 (38mm)/$399 (42mm)
Apple Watch:
The various models in the Apple Watch collection (pictured above) will be priced depending on the band and finish you choose. Pricing below is for the 38mm and 42mm models for each unless otherwise noted:
- Sport band $549/$599
- Classic Buckle $649/$699
- Milanese Loop $649/$699
- Modern Buckle $749 (38mm only)
- Leather Loop $699 (42mm only)
- Stainless steel link bracelet $949/$999
- Space Black stainless steel link $1049/$1099
Apple Watch Edition:
Apple noted that the 18k gold Apple Watch Edition models will be available in limited quantities through select retail stores:
- 38mm 18k rose gold w/ black white band $10,000
- 42mm 18k rose gold w/ black white band $12,000
- 38mm 18k yellow gold w/ black sport band $10,000
- 42mm 18k yellow gold w/ black sport band $12,000
- 38mm 18k rose gold w/ rose gray modern buckle $17,000
- 42mm 18k yellow gold w/ black classic buckle $15,000
- 38mm 18k yellow gold w/ bright red modern buckle $17,000
- 42mm 18k yellow gold w/ midnight blue classic buckle $15,000
Get all the details on Apple Watch availability with preorders starting April 10th in 9 countries.
You can follow along with our live news hub tracking all the announcements from today’s event.
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Umm…. thanks but no thanks…. I think I’ll buy a car instead
The Edition is not for somebody who buys a car instead, but somebody who doesn’t think about spending the 10k! Those people love that the watch is going to be obsolete in one year, it is not an argument against, but FOR buying it with that price tag. IMO
Really…. thanks for your infinite wisdom and clearing that up!
Thanks for the display of deep-rooted agression against those who can afford such a thing when we all now know you drive a cheap car.
The problem with is that yes, the Edition is priced similarly to other 18k watches. The problem is 1.) the “other” watches are handcrafted pieces 2.) they won’t be “out of date” after 2 years 3.) increase in value as time goes by. The Edition is none of those things.
These are starting prices for years to come. Retailers will discount these $50-$100 just like iPads. Next year these will go down $50 with the newer faster longer lasting watches starting at $349. This is just the beginning.
@SonsofAres – Are you talking to me…. cause you don’t a damn thing about me.
We know enough. You made a stupid wise ass comment about the price, clearly showing your total ignorance on watch and jewelry price in general.
You probably thought the gold model would be $999.
One can buy a car for $349 ¿
A basic insult to the consumer….
To you, maybe, but certainly not to “the consumer” (which comprises quite a large range of different people…)
Indeed. If I’d have been there I would have thrown my sneaker at the stage.
And they’d throw you out the door just as fast. You guys sound like kids that have virtually no concept of high priced watches.
No Rich – with all respect it seems you have no concept of what constitutes a high priced watch :)
10K is too much, heck $1000 is too much for steel…
You haven’t looked at what Rolex charges for their watches, OBVIOUSLY. Here’s a link to the 2012 Rolex price list, and after you look at THEIR prices, Apple’s prices look like a steal.. http://www.minus4plus6.com/pdf/Rolex_Price_List_June-1-2012.pdf
I think you are coming from the Nike Fuel Band, Casio Calculator watch perspective, Apple’s coming from a different perspective. The cost of making these products is a LOT more than what you are used to, hence the price. $10K for solid 18K gold watch isn’t that ridiculous when you factor in the fact that they will be made in a limited qty, Gold is $900 an ounce for raw metal and Apple doesn’t price their products to lose money or break even.
What the price is for is the steel watch band. Go see what Rolex charges for their stainless steel watchband or Milanese watch bands, Rolex’s are WAY more expensive than Apple’s prices.
Apple’s charging $549 and $600 for the Stainless Steel model with the cheaper bands, it’s just with the more expensive bands is why it get to about $1000. That Link Bracelet band takes over 9 hours to make the damn thing. Do you have any concept of how much it costs just to run a high precision machine to mill this thing out for 9 hours? A LOT OF FREAKING MONEY, even by Chinese standards. Maybe you should spend some time in mfg of this type of product to comprehend the cost to mfg first.
Rolex are lifetime pieces with lifetime warranties. This watch will be out of date within 2 years, new OS updates not supported by old hardware. You can’t compare rolex to this…
Here’s the problem with your argument. 1.) Other 18K watches are not mass produced out of China but are handcrafted. 2.) They won’t go “out of date” in 2 years. 3.) As time goes on the “other” 18K watches *increase* in value.
None of these things are what Edition are. That’s the problem.
Are you kidding you can’t compare an apple watch to a Rolex it’s like comparing a camry to a Rolls Royce.
Is it possible that the watches will be modular and that updated electronics could be installed in your 1st gen watch? I would think that Apple could hit a home run with a design like that.
Apples watches may have finery outside,,,,but they will never have finery inside,,that’s electronic,,and will be out of date,,,,collect able maybe,,not wearable tho,,,,,,and defo not a wholistic Rolex finery from top to bottom,,,,u Aving a larf,,,lol
Even if you don’t get a fancy bracelet and go with the default, $550 for a steel watch with a cheap rubber strap is not exactly a “deal.”
Stainless steel that they are using isn’t cheap to fabricate. Plus it has a sapphire crystal instead of just glass, so it’s partly the stainless steel case and the sapphire crystal. And extra $200 is about right. I don’t have a problem that that pricing. it’s meant more for people that want a really nice looking watch to wear. Kids don’t care about esthetics because they can’t afford to be. The Aluminum model is for the masses, the SS is more for more fashion conscious people (business people, people that tend to spend money on nice clothes) and the Gold model is for the super rich where price is not a factor, but exclusivity, Gold is more of a factor.
I’m sure the Gold model will probably be sold to a bunch of rappers that wear gold chains as a gold watch would be more fashionable.
Never been to a jewelry store have you? This what you get when little children are allowed to post on the Web unsupervised.
I don’t know why people are upset with the prices, Apple already told you the base version was going to be $349 6 months ago. As for the other versions, do some research on premium watches and see what they charge. Apple considers itself a premium brand so I don’t know why people think/thought they weren’t going to charge a premium price.
None of these are for me but the pricing doesn’t surprise me.
But they didn’t say a watch band would cost $500!!!!
Again that goes back to understanding watches, look at what Mercier, Cartier, Rolex, etc.. charges for a stainless steel band. Why would you think Apple wouldn’t target the luxury market when all of their other products carry luxury prices in their segment?.
think about it …. what else would raise the price of an apple watch from 600 to 1200???? the only thing u an change is the band!!! i think apple has lost their mind
So you think Apple competes with the experienced brands you just mentioned….. That is a freaking joke!!! Look they are open to try… but instantly putting them in the same category as companies that have been around over a 100 years, is laughable at best!
I think this is an especially bad move for them, because of two things:
1) the steel expansion bracelet is arguably the most popular one that most people would get.
2) it costs far far more than any other steel expansion bracelet made.
The mistake is in not seeing that the consumers that want the steel bracelet, just wanted a “regular” steel bracelet and aren’t interested in paying an Apple premium for a slightly better one.
I know I would have been perfectly happy with a steel bracelet about the same quality as the Pebble steel or the Commodore watch from the 1980’s. It’s just steel, however long Jonny Ive and Tim Cook salivate over it and stroke it.
@Gazoo Bee – We don’t yet know if they will have a steel version that is cheaper, it won’t be stainless but they still may have a still version.
@Jerjuan – They have done this with Mac, Phone and Tablets. I’m not saying I agree with it but I fully expected it.
JustNeeItForDev:
The $10,000 Edition has EXACTLY the same innards as the $350 Sport Version. Apple like to make a good margin, so chances are the insides of the watch cost $150. So charging $10,000 for a watch with innards worth $150 is good value how exactly?
Apple are a great company but one thing they aren’t is exclusive. Every man and his dog owns an Apple product. Owning an iPhone/iMac etc isn’t a status symbol.
I personally think the sport is good value and will be ordering one. But let’s not pretend a $10,000 Apple watch is even in the same league as those other brands. It’s not.
@jamesjones_det I don’t see how you compare a watch to their computer lines…. Apple helped / created a segment (personal computer) where one didn’t exist. This might be an overstatement, but they perfected it even, yet they still don’t ask 6x times what others in the market are offering.
Yeah, they did. The stainless steel model base unit costs $549 and $599, and goes up to $1000+. What’s the difference in these models? The strap. Look at the price of a stainless steel link or milanese bracelet from someone like Rolex, $500 for Apple’s metal straps is CHEAP by comparison.
@AuntyTroll – Gold is $1200 an ounce, 18k gold contains 75% pure gold at a minimum. Simple math says that for every ounce of 18k gold they use in this watch it will cost a minimum of $900 an ounce. If I had to take a guess this watch probably has close to 3 ounces of gold in it that puts you at a base cost of $2700 just for the gold. Add the straps and all of that other jazz and you are probably north of 5k in material costs.
Again I don’t profess to agree that Apple is a premium brand in the watch space but they charge premium prices for all their other products so Apple must believe they are on the same level as those other brands.
@AuntyTroll – I miss understood what you were saying.
I agree 10k for a watch that shares the same inner workings as a $350 watch is nuts.
Don’t get me wrong Just Need It For Dev – the $10,000 is good value. If your name begins with Sheik :)
Tim Cook should be ashamed of himself!
And why exactly?
So you ask me why…. but make a comment about a watch costing $10K and being able to be updated in 4 yrs….. Really?
excuse me…. I meant not being able to be….
Let’s compare his portfolio with yours….
How about I compare mine with yours, then lets talk.
Don’t buy the Edition. It’s limited and for ultra rich folks. It shouldn’t even be mentioned on stage, it’s a joke. But this isn’t a problem, just don’t buy the Edition. Not sure why everyone is getting so worked up about that.
Grow up moron.
I know this post is a bit old but I’d like to elaborate. The reason I said what I did is because I believe highly in Apple, the Apple Watch is a fantastic device, it’s the pricing I take issue with. To me the greatest announcement of the day wasn’t the Apple Watch or Macbook, it was ResearchKit! I realize that Apple Watch will grow over the future, but when you account for how valuable ResearchKit can be to the world and think about how the Apple Watch could play a much larger role in ResearchKits value at a lower price point. I think Mr. Cook / Apple did themselves and the world a disservice. Perhaps, it was in the presentation of the Watch, but the value of the Watch to me is it’s ability to make people take a more active role in managing their own health, and for that reason alone is why I made the comments I made.
I believe like myself, many were put off by the pricing, given the feature set while considering Apple’s typical pattern for product upgrade / obsolescence. At some point people need to be less about what’s cool and what’s chic, but more about what right and what works. ResearchKit / Apple Watch are in a fantastic position to be THE platform that JUST WORKS. But not without the right exposure and for me Apple missed the mark a bit.
I like the gold edition can’t wait! :-)
Neat product but I think I have to pass.
10K, are you serious? No way, they are going to scrap that or it would be only for Celebs!!! Apple, are you nuts, at 10K I definitely would go for a much bigger thing than a watch which could be outdated in 6 months.
It’s a limited edition 18K Gold watch, what do you expect? It’s going to be sold to rich people that don’t mind spending that kind of money.
The ONLY thing which is limited edition is the case. The innards are EXACTLY the same as the $350, which in itself probably cost about $150 to make.
So your talking about $9650 for a gold watch CASE with no history & no provenance.
And again, you’re not getting it. The DIFFERENCE is:
1.) Other 18K watches are handcrafted and *not* mass produced out of China. 2.) Other 18K watches aren’t going to go “out of date” in 2 years. 3.) These “other” 18K watches will *INCREASE* in value as time goes by.
NONE of these things are true for Edition. THAT’S The PROBLEM.
Hey I would be better off buying a 1OZ gold bar which costs me @$1250 24Karat@99.999% purity and save it for my future, instead of some 18K gold watch that too after couple of o/s updates will slow down.
Even then if you sell it to a jewellery maker, you might get a meager $200.
But saying so, all other Apple Watches would be sold like hot cakes.
I assume they will have a trade for newer Editions for older ones with a cut of the 60% since the material will remain its value. Liking the gadget a lot by the way!
Everyone who thinks they’re nuts has a lot of learning about the world outside their bubble to do.
We’ll let the public decide on pricing. Great gift potential – remember that they’re not competing with android smart watches. Their marketing is designed to go head-to-head with high-end watches. Although I would never pay 10k for an apple watch, I’d also never pay 10k for any watch. Some people will though. Curious to see this unfold…
The only thing the Edition competes with other high end watches is the price. It has exactly the same innards as a $350 Sport but in a $9650 shell.
Rich people WILL buy this – rich people with a more discerning taste won’t.
I’ll stick to the Sport – that is a good price.
Ah, I see I miss understood your replay above.
I agree with you 100% either way. 10k for a watch that shares parts with a $350 watch is nuts but I’m sure someone will buy it.
I’m shocked that they are charging more for the larger sized one. It’s generally considered an awful thing to do in retail to charge for larger sizes when you don’t have to, and Apple quite clearly doesn’t have to.
They just did it to make the prices appear lower than they actually are or to squeeze out those extra pennies. How crude. I guess shoes will all be priced by size now? And shirts, pants, etc.?
Charging people extra money for something that they have no control over (their size) is just really LOW if you ask me.
I’ll second that
Edit: Okay I guess they have the prices up on their site. Interestingly the Milanese Loop is gone though. Hmmm …
So the basic Apple Watch with steel link bracelet (the most popular model), is (after taxes) roughly $1,400 or …
SIX TIMES THE COST OF THE AVERAGE SMARTWATCH ALREADY IN THE MARKET.
Yikes!
The average smartwatch on the market doesn’t have a band like that, not even close in terms of machining and precision. A watch band like that for my Swiss made automatic watch would cost over $500 by itself and not be even as nice (no hidden butterfly clasp). I’m not comparing the Apple Watch to Swiss made mechanical timepieces, but just the stainless steel bands.
So please calm down, you’re comparing Apple and Oranges.
I don’t know about pants or shoes, but I worked for a wholesale clothing distributor for many years and for shirts, sizes above XL do cost extra. Darker colors did too. A black XXL was more than twice as much as a white XL, for example.
Yes, but that’s different. “Sizes above XL” are really f*cking big and outside of the normal sizing standards. This is not that. This is a watch that’s 4mm larger than another watch. That contains probably less than a gram of extra material. Cheap material.
They charge more for the iPhone 6 Plus over the iPhone for the same internals. Why is that okay?
You’re talking crazy… you can have a longer band, just because you have a bigger wrist doesn’t mean you have to have a bigger screen! The size of the watch is complete a choice, the band is what you need based on your size, smaller or larger.
$10000 for a watch that will stop taking software updates in 4 years? Really?
I assume they will have a trade for newer Editions for older ones with a cut of the 60% since the material will remain its value. Liking the gadget a lot by the way!
I can promise you that this won’t happen.
Price is a way off..I think this product wont be needed as much. They shouldve brought the price point down for consumers. $549, hell thats almost the price of an Iphone 6 plus unlocked ($649)
Not clear on if people would be able to switch bands with the sport version, for example putting a band belonging to other collections on the sport collection
i believe u can switch the bands on all the versions… the runner they had on stage mentioned she had the rubber band and switched to blue leather for today
At the end of the day these watches look and work 10x better than most watches that have been launched so far!
Any chance you could point me in the direction of where you have seen and used one?
You can switch the bands except for a few that only come in one size of another. You can only get the leather loop on the large Watch for example.
Judging by these prices, there will be an absolutely BOOMING market in second party watch straps. There are many attractive options that could be made and sold for far less than the ones Apple is pushing.
I’m hoping an alternative metal link bracelet emerges before opening day. I don’t feel comfortable paying the price Apple wants for theirs. I might anyway if there is no option, but I don’t like dealing with companies that try to cheat you and this feels like that.
The $10K watch is a big mistake. Apple make premium products but they’ve always been affordable enough to be egalitarian. It just seems wrong for them to be operating in this space.
The $1000 watch should have been the high end. Forget about catering for the super rich!
They obviously don’t care to sell many of those and it’s just a silly idea for a limited edition that they probably won’t even make after a year. Why is everyone so worked up about it? The watch is $349 or $549 + size choice and band choice. Forget the Edition, it’s absurd and only for absurd people who light their cigars with hundred dollar bills.
So can you not use the nice bands on the sports model?
They will fit, it’s just a matter of whether Apple will sell them separately.
i was actually interested in the apple watch until i saw the price
Too high end for a “non-necessity”…everyone these days has a good cell phone–that gets a pass but $549 for a watch…that pushing it! How will I explain this to my wife….Well honey i bought this to tell me what my phone already does…
I honestly don’t agree with the price strategy for the sport watch, I think 50 extra dollars for the bigger version is too much, of course it makes sense for them, the profit margin grows a lot, but at the same time I see this as a product that men will be more inclined to want, maybe a 7(men)/3(women) ratio, most men will probably like the bigger version, so for a lot of people it starts at 400 dollars which is a lot of money for a product like this, despite the iPhone costing 650 dollars, for most people it starts at 200, so this it is double the up front cost of an iPhone.
I don’t have a problem with how the Edition version was priced, of course it is just a way for extremely rich people to show they own something that isn’t available to most people, it is a limited edition.
My only complaint is that the Apple Watch in space grey steel only comes with the most expensive band. I’d drop $600 for the black and worry about getting a nice band later, but I’ll have to go with the sport to get the color I want.
Who buys a $10,000 Edition with the $49 sport strap?
Gadget Apple Watch $349/99, competes with every high end smart watch out there. Buying a nice brand watch non gold/platinum/etc is other price, at least since i checked last time in the freeduty on my last trip. So Apple Watch watch with serious stripes $500 to $1000. Luxury watches are other known type, the basic non gold watch from rolex is +$6500, so Apple Watch luxury watch +$10000. I assume they will have a trade of newer Editions for older ones with a cut of the 60% since the material will remain its value. If you look what you get comparing with each competitor i think that Apple is in the right price strategy. I believe is harder for tech people to get the watch idea than to fashion people get the smart concept.
Wow, all this bib-dribbling and spoon-clanging. Lots of formerly pent-up aggression over a watch. Devilishly clever mindshare, I’d say.
spend $10000 for a Rolex watch, I can transfer it to my grandson and it still work perfect and its value increased
spend $10000 for a apple golden watch, after maybe 3 years, it is already old-fashioned, for example, the latest one may have much more better battery which can last 1 month, the cpu is more faster……
Something tells me switzerland is far from worried.
Yup.
Hey guys… I’m an Apple Nut… I don’t like to speak ill of Apple because I worship at the shrine… but… My heart is broken. I didn’t think the steel watch with even a “cheaper” band would be over $1k. I would rather the new macbook, an iMac, a iPhone 6 plus, or a retina pro, than a watch that needs my phone for most of its coolness, and on its own will require nightly charging with my phone and laptop and iPad and bluetooth etc.
My watch needs to work when I wake up in someone else’s bed. My watch needs to work when I am traveling, it needs to work always. I feel like for this kind of money, it should be either an investment (which as others have brilliantly pointed out, it’s not. It looses value out of the box) or capable of doing most anything i throw at it (within reason) like water, battery, and stand alone function.
I wanted this watch so badly. So badly. But unlike phones, theres no subsidy, I need $1200 Cash money. Damn I’m sad. Really Sad. My only hope is the sport can take other bands but even then… $750…
Im so devastated and DESPITE the people on this blog who comment with 100% defense of ANYTHING Apple related… i know they agree with me. I know that the reason there was no standing ovation or EVEN an applause during cooks Watch talk and price intro is because the world has a broken heart. This is something that requires our friends and significant others to own in order to use its full potential. We can’t poke each other, send heart beats and messages, fitness challenges etc, without our friends and family owning them and with this pricing… we can be certain it will be few and far between when it comes to sharing the Apple Watch experience.
So sad guys. Really. Super super sad. I WISH this was a small amount of money to me. I wish I could do this. I wish I was going to be one of you. I wish my family was in a better position. heart broken that $1000 is where it starts for anything truly of my taste.
Its okay to defend apple. I do. I know they put the best in what they do. they can justify price on almost anything. But Please, be honest, if this made you feel the despair of “out of reach” admit it. We want the world to give it’s honest reaction and maybe things will change.
To be completely honest i had so much to say on this issue and a lot of other stuff but my comment didnt post. I tink it was for the best because i love apple as well, but i am extremely dissapointed. Every one is saying Apple is a luxury brand what can you expect, but Apple is a “luxury” which people can afford. Most people dont even buy their phones all cash so it’s ridiculous to think that people are going to spend it on a watch which is not even1/3 as important as a iphone. I have no idea what to say. I want to say so much but ill limit myself cause people are defending Apple blindly.
Don’t worry, it’s like when the first iPhone came out… it was very expensive and everyone went crazy about it either loving it or bashing it, controversy, etc…. and look now. They will come down in price over the next couple years and be better at the same time.
Exactly i feel the same exact way the best thing about Apple is that they always improve tremendously in the following generations. To be completely honest, they are off to great start design and software design wise. I just feel they need more features to justify the price and give the watch better functionality
IF i decide to get one, it’ll be a 42 mm non space grey sport edition w white strap, even better if u can buy just the brain and get a 3rd party strap and charger
After the sport version price announcement, Tim lost the entire room. If the silence in the room was any indication… this product is in trouble. The apps are horrible unless you travel alot, wanna hail a cab, or wanna open your hotel room. I don’t mind taking out my iphone over and over. This needs a massive overhaul.
You’ve heard of the “Top 1%”, right? Those folks are the about 1.4 million people earning enough money for whom Edition is an easy purchase choice. There are another couple of hundred thousand who have millions stashed away. Do the math: If only 1% of the 1% buy Edition, well let’s see…….that adds $300 million *extra* dollars !! to Apple’s already rather large cash horde. Another brilliant move by Apple!
As much as I love Apple products and I deeply respect Apple’s engineering prowess, I think Tim and the team are way over their heads on this one.
Here’s why: people who can afford five (or even four) figures on a luxury item are (mostly) very well acquainted with the idea of VALUE DEPRECIATION. You buy something and it starts losing value as soon as it’s out of the box. This fails to apply only to certain types of items, that can be deemed collectible: jewellery, bottled spirits, vehicles… you get the idea. And what makes items collectible is if they come from a big-name brand, with decades -if not centuries- of experience behind them.
Electronics, especially mass-marketed, will NEVER be in that category.
So, the basic difference is…
– you spend 5 figures on a watch from a big-name traditional watch maker, it GAINS value every year. Or at least it loses it much more slowly. It’s very likely to become a collectible item at some point and everybody oohs and aahs even after 20 and 30 years. Money very well enjoyed and very well spent, even for just (be)holding such a marvel of engineering and old-school elegance.
– Apple Watch: you start losing value the moment it’s out of the box. In 4-5 years, it’s gonna be a very nice paper-weight (btw, I wonder how the battery life will be faring by then and how much will Apple charge you for a fresh one… OUCH!!! )
2 years ago I bought the first gen Pebble watch for $199. The Apple Watch starts just $150 more for a lot more functionality. The price is not ridiculous, sure if we all had it our way it would be a lot cheaper. After I used my Pebble for a year or so I realized having a smart watch is very nice. Even with the limited functionality of the Pebble I found myself not being able to live without it. Having notification on your wrist is awesome and viewing information without having to get out your phone comes in really handy. Also, since using the pebble watch I have always wanted to use something with even more functionality. Apple doesn’t do things wrong, and rarely makes mistakes, the pricing while high is around what it should be. This product is a premium product and will be worth the amount of money needed to buy one. I see no problem with spending $700 for the Apple Watch with a leather band, because I know that the materials are worth it and so is the functionality. On a side note I felt that what Apple is doing with research kit is remarkable.
Brilliant! The Edition makes the other modles looke like a bargain… $749 for a decent looking watch with a leather band is a freakin ripoff!! 15k for the edition (rubber band with a gold face is like cloth seats on a Mercedes) is a joke, its a gadet that will be outdated in no time, battery will loose juice withen a year, the same way you precive the iphone 3gs today you will look at the watch in a few years…
Btw there is under two oz of gold in the gadget which has a retali value of 2.5k
All of you comparing it to a rolex, keep in mind a 50 year old rolex will still work and be worth multipale times its orginal cost vs this wont work in less then 15 yrs! Plus a rolex has an actual watch movement this has a logic board… Which cost $8 to manufacture
$17,000 LOL. Put that towards a Patek Philippe, people. It’ll last a lifetime and it’s far more classy.
Is it possible that the watches will be modular and that updated electronics could be installed in your 1st gen watch? I would think that Apple could hit a home run with a design like that.
LOL! Just have to love the internet.
Here is a quick clue to all of you complaining about the price of the Edition. It isn’t aimed at anyone who is coming to this site. It isn’t aimed at anyone who even thinks of coming to this site. It isn’t even aimed at anyone in the remote social class of anyone coming to this site.
It also isn’t aimed at anyone looking to buy a luxury watch like a Rolex.
Who it is aimed at is the category to which I place actors and athletes. The people who buy a new $100K car each and every year without blinking simply because it is cool to own this year’s model and last year’s model would make them look poor.
It is aimed at the people who spend $100K, $200K, $500K every single year to have the most up-to-date fashion and image.
Will this end up being a mistake for Apple? I don’t really know. I am reminded of the anecdote that I heard years ago about the man who started a business selling yachts because he found a new way to make a better yacht for less money. After a few years he was nearly broke because nobody was buying his yachts. Finally, a friend told him the problem was that people who could afford to buy yachts didn’t want cheap, cheap didn’t portray the status symbol that they were looking for. So, the guy jacked his prices way up and the yachts started selling like hotcakes. I honestly think that this is the approach that Apple is taking. If they had went with cheap for a gold watch who would buy it? The average Joe still isn’t going to buy a $4K-$5K watch for many reasons that Abraham Song has outlined. However, if the very act of spending $10-17K on a watch that everyone knows is likely to be obsolete in a few years shows off just how prosperous you are then all the better.
Go big or get out. Apple went big. Time will tell if it was the right move.
How does it feel to have a watch let you know your not in the 1% or even the 10% money earning brackets. I think the whole campaign is b.s. If people think about it, you really don’t need a watch.