Most Popular
-
1
Dongduk Women’s University halts coeducation talks
-
2
Defense ministry denies special treatment for BTS’ V amid phone use allegations
-
3
Russia sent 'anti-air' missiles to Pyongyang, Yoon's aide says
-
4
OpenAI in talks with Samsung to power AI features, report says
-
5
Two jailed for forcing disabled teens into prostitution
-
6
South Korean military plans to launch new division for future warfare
-
7
Gold bars and cash bundles; authorities confiscate millions from tax dodgers
-
8
Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser
-
9
Kia EV9 GT marks world debut at LA Motor Show
-
10
Teen smoking, drinking decline, while mental health, dietary habits worsen
ZURICH (AFP) ― Apple may be known for revolutionizing the world of music and mobile phones, but Switzerland’s centuries-old luxury watchmakers are unimpressed with the U.S. tech giant’s latest foray into their world.
“I was expecting more. I’m a bit disappointed,” luxury giant LVMH’s watch guru and industry legend Jean-Claude Biver told AFP.
The Apple Watch, unveiled last week after months of anticipation, combines the personalized functionality that made the brand famous into a wearable computer that can also connect to iPhones.
Chief Tim Cook said the smart watch, Apple’s first new product category launch since visionary co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011, was “the next chapter in Apple’s story.”
But Biver said the gadget, which will be released early next year, is not the “revolutionary product” it claims to be.
The timepiece, with its square touch-screen face and curved edges, lacks “sex appeal” and is too feminine, he said.
In fact, Biver told German media last week: “It looks like it was designed by a student in their first semester.”
The company has meanwhile been treading on the toes of some top luxury brands, plucking the sales director from Tag Heuer, a Swiss brand in the LVMH stable, in addition to former heads of Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent.
Tag Heuer chief Stephane Linder said he was surprised at Apple’s heavy focus on sport and health monitoring functions, which aren’t even new to the market.
Equipped with pulse sensors, the smart watch can monitor heart rates and chart activity levels along with the number of calories burned in a day.
“I thought they would go in a less specialized direction,” Linder told AFP, though he added that he would “pay more attention” when new applications for the device begin surfacing.
With pricing set to start at $349, Apple’s watch will not be playing in the same league as the Swiss watchmakers who dominate the luxury end of the market.
The sweet spot for a top-end timepiece from Tag Heuer is in the 1,000-7,000 Swiss franc ($1,070-$7,500) range, with some models costing as much as 200,000 francs.
Other Swiss luxury brands offer pieces priced well into the millions.
Jerome Bloch, who heads the men’s fashion unit at Parisian style agency Nelly Rodi, said Swiss luxury watchmakers had nothing to fear.
“They don’t have the same target,” he told AFP, insisting that comparing Apple’s new device to many Swiss watch offerings was like comparing a Mini Cooper with an Aston Martin.
Biver agreed, insisting Apple would have no impact on the high-end.
“I was expecting more. I’m a bit disappointed,” luxury giant LVMH’s watch guru and industry legend Jean-Claude Biver told AFP.
The Apple Watch, unveiled last week after months of anticipation, combines the personalized functionality that made the brand famous into a wearable computer that can also connect to iPhones.
Chief Tim Cook said the smart watch, Apple’s first new product category launch since visionary co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011, was “the next chapter in Apple’s story.”
But Biver said the gadget, which will be released early next year, is not the “revolutionary product” it claims to be.
The timepiece, with its square touch-screen face and curved edges, lacks “sex appeal” and is too feminine, he said.
In fact, Biver told German media last week: “It looks like it was designed by a student in their first semester.”
The company has meanwhile been treading on the toes of some top luxury brands, plucking the sales director from Tag Heuer, a Swiss brand in the LVMH stable, in addition to former heads of Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent.
Tag Heuer chief Stephane Linder said he was surprised at Apple’s heavy focus on sport and health monitoring functions, which aren’t even new to the market.
Equipped with pulse sensors, the smart watch can monitor heart rates and chart activity levels along with the number of calories burned in a day.
“I thought they would go in a less specialized direction,” Linder told AFP, though he added that he would “pay more attention” when new applications for the device begin surfacing.
With pricing set to start at $349, Apple’s watch will not be playing in the same league as the Swiss watchmakers who dominate the luxury end of the market.
The sweet spot for a top-end timepiece from Tag Heuer is in the 1,000-7,000 Swiss franc ($1,070-$7,500) range, with some models costing as much as 200,000 francs.
Other Swiss luxury brands offer pieces priced well into the millions.
Jerome Bloch, who heads the men’s fashion unit at Parisian style agency Nelly Rodi, said Swiss luxury watchmakers had nothing to fear.
“They don’t have the same target,” he told AFP, insisting that comparing Apple’s new device to many Swiss watch offerings was like comparing a Mini Cooper with an Aston Martin.
Biver agreed, insisting Apple would have no impact on the high-end.
-
Articles by Korea Herald
