Apple Watch claims 2015 Red Dot 'Best of the Best' award for product design
Apple Watch this week picked up one of Red Dot's 2015 Best of the Best awards for product design, entering into a newly-created "Watches" category even though the device is only shipping to the public on April 24.
The only other watch to claim a Best of the Best title was the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate, a strictly time-telling piece that displays its inner workings in five separate domes rather than under one unified glass element. Only 50 units are being made, at a cost of $230,000 each.
Red Dot's criteria judges products according to qualities like functionality, ergonomics, durability, "ecological compatibility," and "symbolic and emotional content." In all 81 Best of the Best winners were announced this week, though a gala ceremony is only taking place June 29 at the Aalto-Theater in Essen, Germany.
For Apple the title may be useful in marketing, since Red Dot holders are allowed to place a logo on packages and in advertising material. Winners also get their products displayed in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen for a year.
Apple products have won Red Dot awards in the past. Last year the company took home an award for the current-generation Mac Pro, which was actually released in December 2013.
Marketing for the Apple Watch has heavily emphasized its design. The campaign has included things like promotional diary by model Christy Turlington Burns, and a continuing series of spreads in fashion magazines. Apple has also relied on more familiar strategy of offering up designers and executives for media interviews.
The only other watch to claim a Best of the Best title was the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate, a strictly time-telling piece that displays its inner workings in five separate domes rather than under one unified glass element. Only 50 units are being made, at a cost of $230,000 each.
Red Dot's criteria judges products according to qualities like functionality, ergonomics, durability, "ecological compatibility," and "symbolic and emotional content." In all 81 Best of the Best winners were announced this week, though a gala ceremony is only taking place June 29 at the Aalto-Theater in Essen, Germany.
For Apple the title may be useful in marketing, since Red Dot holders are allowed to place a logo on packages and in advertising material. Winners also get their products displayed in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen for a year.
Apple products have won Red Dot awards in the past. Last year the company took home an award for the current-generation Mac Pro, which was actually released in December 2013.
Marketing for the Apple Watch has heavily emphasized its design. The campaign has included things like promotional diary by model Christy Turlington Burns, and a continuing series of spreads in fashion magazines. Apple has also relied on more familiar strategy of offering up designers and executives for media interviews.
Comments
Design-wise, this is a product for the future. Elegant, solid, timeless. Even the Sport is nice.
The Apple Watch will be a huge product for Apple and the world.
I plan to preorder this baby:
42mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band
The Apple Watch will be a huge product for Apple and the world.
I plan to preorder this baby:
42mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band
Classy. I like steel cased watches with plastic bands, more practical. I had a leather band watch and I always had to worry about getting it wet/dirty.
I was just thinking, I bet there will be an after-market gold plating service for the steel versions advertised anytime now. I'm sure the same technique used to do all those Lexus handles and badges that was all the rage back in the boom years could re-emerge. Entrepreneurs were going door to door in our neighborhood with the kits to do it back then.
I was just thinking, I bet there will be an after-market gold plating service for the steel versions advertised anytime now. I'm sure the same technique used to do all those Lexus handles and badges that was all the rage back in the boom years could re-emerge. Entrepreneurs were going door to door in our neighborhood with the kits to do it back then.
You know, I hadn't thought of that. Assuming the finish on the stainless alloy can be bonded to. That's one way to solve an issue for some customers who simply won't wear silver jewelry or accessories. I imagine the same thing will happen for the water-resistance issue, just like there's an aftermarket company that "waterproofs" the shuffle. Of course we'll know more about what's possible on the aftermarket after people start getting the watches and dissecting them.
I had a leather band watch and I always had to worry about getting it wet/dirty.
Now you only have to worry about getting the watch wet/dirty. ;-)
Women and the Apple Watch...
Girl code taken to the next level...
Black and Gold? $10,000+ She must be an AAPL investor.
The Apple Watch will be a huge product for Apple and the world.
I plan to preorder this baby:
...
42mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band
I really wanted the Space Black model with a black Sport Band.
But no. Only comes with the $450 Link Bracelet.
So I'll settle for the Sport model in Space Gray with the black Sport Band.
(And yes, I'm keeping my Rolexes.)
I get the impression that Red Dot is one of those pay-for-award things like JD Power. Looking at their web page, you pay to enter, and if you win, you pay every time you use their logo (0.01-0.05 euro per unit, 1,100 euro per billboard, hundreds of euros to get into their museum, etc). They probably gave it to Apple to make their award seem prestigious.
http://red-dot.de/pd/participate/registration-fees/?lang=en
I really wanted the Space Black model with a black Sport Band.
But no. Only comes with the $450 Link Bracelet.
So I'll settle for the Sport model in Space Gray with the black Sport Band.
(And yes, I'm keeping my Rolexes.)
That Watch & bracelet combination is really unique because all the other bracelets that go well with the aluminum or steel watches don't go well with that darker watch because the small bracelet edge that snaps into the watch is a light color. It would look tacky on the dark watch.
Apple would have to build all the bracelets with a dark snap-in module to accommodate only the dark watch.
Apple chose not to but In a way that makes the dark steel watch special like the edition Apple Watch.
That Watch & bracelet combination is really unique because all the other bracelets that go well with the aluminum or steel watches don't go well with that darker watch because the small bracelet edge that snaps into the watch is a light color. It would look tacky on the dark watch.
Apple would have to build all the bracelets with a dark snap-in module to accommodate the only dark watch.
Apple chose not to but In a way that makes the dark steel watch special like the edition Apple Watch.
Agree. I like the idea of having a "special" color, and that dark Diamond-Like Coating does make the Space Black special.
But no, the manufacturing complexity of producing matching snap-in attachments (and buckle / post) wouldn't be worth it.
Right, and that's still the biggest problem here so I was right?
While I love the design and the expected functionality of the Watch (and will most certainly be getting one), I would find more credible awards that were actually authentic, in that it was based on at least released products, if not products in use.
Reminds me Obama's Nobel for Peace..... (Please know that I don't wish make the thread political! I am simply saying that it reflects poorly on the giver, than on the givee).
Design-wise, this is a product for the future. Elegant, solid, timeless. Even the Sport is nice.
Well, I don't know about that. There are quite a few prominent Swiss horologists who say AppleWatch is more of a toy than a real watch and that Apple can't just walk in a build a watch in a couple of years better than they've been doing it for a couple of centuries. AppleWatch has already been given a failing grade by the Swiss watch factions. Besides, the Swiss never cared much for battery-powered time-keeping devices. Something about if it can't be hand-wound then it's pretty much useless over the long-term.
/s
Well they are definitely not going to come out and say,
"The apple watch?? Oh $h!7....They nailed it!! That's it, we are packing up and going home....man and we were so close to perfecting it. Oh well back to knives guys."
But if they were honest...that's exactly what they would say...with a Swiss accent.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-watch-gilders-set-to-scoop-up-apple-s-profits
http://www.goldgenie.com/24k-gold-apple-watch.php
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/758219280/24k-gold-plated-apple-watch
There's a gallery here showing how they do the iPhone:
http://www.cnet.com/pictures/gold-plating-the-iphone-6/
Here's some pictures of gold-plated iPhones:
I can see a lot of scammers on eBay trying to sell discounted gold-plated ones as the real thing e.g buy a $499-549 model with sapphire display, gold plate it for under $2k and then sell it as an edition model for $7000-8000 on eBay. Just scam 5-10 people and it's a decent payout and the buyer can actually get a watch and might never be able to tell it's not real gold.
Apple can engrave each unit with a code inside the strap connector, which can have an online checker and this would be a bit harder to fake. Even if scammers manage to find a legit code, they won't find many and they'd see multiple sellers using the same codes. I reckon Apple won't make over 100,000 gold models.
As for the award, this is the Space Pirate watch that also won ($230k each):
"I was just thinking, I bet there will be an after-market gold plating service for the steel versions advertised anytime now. I'm sure the same technique used to do all those Lexus handles and badges that was all the rage back in the boom years could re-emerge. Entrepreneurs were going door to door in our neighborhood with the kits to do it back then."
how does one plate an electronic watch case? Plating a Lexus handle or badge is an easy thing to plate.
how do you only plate a watch case with gold (or any other coating) without taking the whole thing apart? Seriously, now is that does? I know the typical plating process and I have to assume plating the watch would require an entirely different approach.
Really, door-to-door entrepreneurs? Didn't knock on my door.