Apple studied Nike sport watches in mid-2000s for materials and processes research
In a follow-up to Monday's report speculating that an "iWatch" could be more profitable than a dedicated television set, it was discovered that Apple ordered boxes of Nike watches nearly ten years ago to study the devices' materials and how they were were manufactured.
It was briefly mentioned in today's "iWatch" story that Apple SVP of Industrial Design Jony Ive ordered "boxes of a sports watch" made by Nike, though the exact purpose of the request was not revealed.
One of the Nike watch designs Apple's design team reportedly studied.
Scott Wilson, the former Nike creative director who sent Ive the watches, told Business Insider in an email that he thought the order was for personal use by Apple employees.
"We just gave them to them as designer bro deals," Wilson said. "He and others in the design group just requested them and we sent them a ton of Nike Presto Digital Bracelets and the aluminum Oregon Series Alti-Compass watches."
The Nike watches in question were models from the company's 2002-2004 lineup.
It was only until one of Apple's design team members reached out with questions about the watch materials and processes that Wilson realized the company was in fact conducting research.
"This meshes up with their research in watch manufacturing during that timeframe which has been documented in previous stories," Wilson said. "They definitely drew upon watch industry techniques and manufacturing in their products since the first iPhone. Interesting that it may come full circle to an actual iWatch at some point."
The fact that the Cupertino company was conducting an investigation into watch design is intriguing, though the research doesn't necessarily signal a planned move into the sector. Designers often study designs from one industry and apply their findings to products in a totally different market.
The news comes as rumors heat up regarding a so-called "iWatch" accessory that could materialize as soon as this year.
It was briefly mentioned in today's "iWatch" story that Apple SVP of Industrial Design Jony Ive ordered "boxes of a sports watch" made by Nike, though the exact purpose of the request was not revealed.
One of the Nike watch designs Apple's design team reportedly studied.
Scott Wilson, the former Nike creative director who sent Ive the watches, told Business Insider in an email that he thought the order was for personal use by Apple employees.
"We just gave them to them as designer bro deals," Wilson said. "He and others in the design group just requested them and we sent them a ton of Nike Presto Digital Bracelets and the aluminum Oregon Series Alti-Compass watches."
The Nike watches in question were models from the company's 2002-2004 lineup.
It was only until one of Apple's design team members reached out with questions about the watch materials and processes that Wilson realized the company was in fact conducting research.
"This meshes up with their research in watch manufacturing during that timeframe which has been documented in previous stories," Wilson said. "They definitely drew upon watch industry techniques and manufacturing in their products since the first iPhone. Interesting that it may come full circle to an actual iWatch at some point."
The fact that the Cupertino company was conducting an investigation into watch design is intriguing, though the research doesn't necessarily signal a planned move into the sector. Designers often study designs from one industry and apply their findings to products in a totally different market.
The news comes as rumors heat up regarding a so-called "iWatch" accessory that could materialize as soon as this year.
Comments
Or he started to work out, not in.
Crapple are such copycats. Companies that copy deserve to die. I hope Nike sues them into oblivion.
/s
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
Jony intends to copy them! /s
Sad thing is there's enough stupid people that will believe this.
Apple is becoming very less secretive, now a days. The thrill is going off, on products launch.
Perhaps they will; looks like they have something on them.
Health tip: Espresso should not be consumed intravenously.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
This is shaping up to be a lot like a lot of their product releases. Historically I say there are too many rumours flying around for this not to be happening this year.
Queue up all the Dick Tracy watch patent trolls. I already saw one surprisingly Apple-like on TV the other day.
http://www.imsmart.com/en/store/buy-i-m-watch/color-buy
LOL. Gives new meaning to "double shot of espresso."
That's actually kind of cool, assuming it's color eInk.
iwatch will be just an iphone accessory. The iPhone was the pinnacle of Steve Jobs original vision, the true ubiquitous (self contained) computer for everyone and that was helped by it's initial price being kept low because of telecom subsidies. The iwatch will be just one small sliver in the billions of 'internet of things' that will come from everywhere and nearly everyone.
Originally Posted by RichL
Crapple…
Haven't heard that in a while. Almost missed it!
Almost.
Originally Posted by Chandra69
Apple is becoming very less secretive, now a days. The thrill is going off, on products launch.
Prove this is happening. See, they're just as secretive as they've always been. The media just screams louder (and more ludicrously) these days.
Originally Posted by grkhetan
Did you forget that Apple has already made an attempt at a watch with the iPod Nano…
Ah, but that wasn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That's actually kind of cool, assuming it's color eInk.
I didn't think about that. You're right, it really needs to be bright for outdoor use. Perhaps that is where all the battery juice is going.
So ... one of the top design teams in the world need boxes of watches to figure out how they are made? One, two or three wouldn't quite do the job?
I like this design! I am in the market for an everyday watch, this would look cool!
I am just worried that something that took Apple this long to create will be copied in no time by you know who.
The tech will be Apple but if the market pitch is like Swatch, watch out! Designer tie-ins, limited model runs, ad placements in fashion mags, special one-off designs. If they do this right, you'll have people buying several of these, one for each day and mood. Swatch but with a higher price range and higher margins. Aside from the usual outlets, they'll be selling these in boutiques and the fashion counters of major department stores. That's another leg on the stool for you that extends Apple's presence into an arena where it has mostly been in the periphery.
Meanwhile Google's creepy stalker spectacles is going to bomb so fast and so bad, the social misfits who conceived of this misbegotten product won't know what hit them. I mean who wants to be around a person wearing those things?