Apple hires sales director of Swiss watch maker TAG Heuer for anticipated 'iWatch' launch
The sales director of luxury watch maker TAG Heuer, which also owns the brands Hublot and Zenith, has reportedly left the company to assist Apple in the anticipated launch of its rumored "iWatch" this fall.
Patek Philippe's 5104, an ultra-rare "grand complication" watch that has sold for as much as $800,000
All three brands fall under the umbrella of LVMH, and Jean-Claude Biver, the head of the company's watch brands, revealed to CNBC that the head of the company's sales left last week for Apple. He claimed that Apple apparently plans on marketing its product as "Swiss made" to add an air of credibility when pitching it to consumers.
The name of the employee apparently hired by Apple was not revealed.
The report said that Apple has attempted to hire a number of employees from Swiss watch makers, but has had limited success. Biver said he would have been upset if the LVMH marketing chief had left for another watch maker, but he thinks Apple will provide "a great experience for him."
It was first claimed in March that Apple was reaching out to Swiss watch makers for partnerships. The Cupertino, Calif., company was said to be in contact with executives and craftsmen at Swiss watch brands in attempts to bring expertise in-house for its anticipated "iWatch."
Biver had said in March that Apple had attempted to recuirt horologists from LVMH, but none at the time chose to leave the company.
Expert watch makers were said to be skeptical of partnering with Apple because they have little faith in the potential of smartwatches. In particular, Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek suggested that technical constraints would doom the nascent product category.
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said.
Patek Philippe's 5104, an ultra-rare "grand complication" watch that has sold for as much as $800,000
All three brands fall under the umbrella of LVMH, and Jean-Claude Biver, the head of the company's watch brands, revealed to CNBC that the head of the company's sales left last week for Apple. He claimed that Apple apparently plans on marketing its product as "Swiss made" to add an air of credibility when pitching it to consumers.
The name of the employee apparently hired by Apple was not revealed.
The report said that Apple has attempted to hire a number of employees from Swiss watch makers, but has had limited success. Biver said he would have been upset if the LVMH marketing chief had left for another watch maker, but he thinks Apple will provide "a great experience for him."
It was first claimed in March that Apple was reaching out to Swiss watch makers for partnerships. The Cupertino, Calif., company was said to be in contact with executives and craftsmen at Swiss watch brands in attempts to bring expertise in-house for its anticipated "iWatch."
Biver had said in March that Apple had attempted to recuirt horologists from LVMH, but none at the time chose to leave the company.
Expert watch makers were said to be skeptical of partnering with Apple because they have little faith in the potential of smartwatches. In particular, Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek suggested that technical constraints would doom the nascent product category.
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said.
Comments
Surely if the release is this fall then the launch plans/details must be already in place? Seems a bit late to hire an expert unless the release date is further away than expected?
Even IF it was a terrible idea, one does not simply pass up an offer from a company like this.
@shewu19: insider sources tell me that the iWatch design will be a collaboration between Jony Ive and Panerai...stay tuned
Looks like they hired someone from sales/marketing, not engineering.
iWatch will be yet another Designed in California revolutionary product changing the watch landscape and making many of the Swatch watches (not the luxury range which has primarily a status symbol function) feel like Kodak cameras of yesteryear. A big wake-up call in the watch industry is about to happen.
On another note. From the associated March 28th article...
[I][B]It is "conceivable that they [Apple] would be interested in developing a type of hybrid with some type of mechanical aspects...the Swiss watch industry is very adept at metallurgy," said Patek Philippe president Larry Pettinelli.[/B][/I]
Liquid Metal anyone? Liquid Metal?
Honestly I don't see Apple doing anything like the Moto 360. As I've said elsewhere the Moto 360 reminds me of those home make over TV shows where a designer is given $1000 to redesign the house and they try to make something look expensive on the cheap. I've seen the kind of watches Jony Ive wears. You can't make a $199 or $299 version of those.
Earlier this year Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that there would be different types of "iWatch" and one could be $1000 or more. I still find that hard to believe, but then I see this story and the rumor that Ive is working with Panerai and it makes me wonder just what is Apple planning here? You don't hire a sales exec from Tag Heuer to market and sell a fitness band. And really the same could be said of Angela Ahrendts and Paul Deneve. They both came from luxury fashion companies. What if Apple is working on multiple products that would include a fitness type device and a more luxury style watch? This fall is going to be very interesting,
The existing paridigm of luxury watches invoking bygone days of aviators and naval frogmen will be seem quaint and outdated the moment Apple introduces its wearable. As previous generations were fond of exclaiming, "You can set your watch by that!"
Apple would never promote its products as Swiss made. Swiss products envoke quality and tradition, while California's products are high-tech, cool and revolutionary.
iWatch will be yet another Designed in California revolutionary product changing the watch landscape and making many of the Swatch watches (not the luxury range which has primarily a status symbol function) feel like Kodak cameras of yesteryear. A big wake-up call in the watch industry is about to happen.
I can see merit to both sides perspectives having credibility in this. Apple would want the iWatch to be 'Swiss Made' because that evokes quality and craftsmanship. Buying an iWatch means Apple has to get buyers to give up their 'bodily retail space' (aka wrist) and trade out their watches for it. Since Apple generally likes the more affluent crowd it has to get them to give up their elegant high quality watches in favor of the iPhone. 'Made by Foxconn' in China is a hurdle many of those wouldn't view as a 'plus' when giving up their wrist space. The iWatch may have enough merit on its own to overcome that, but I believe it raises the bar substantially.
From the Swiss manufacturers turning down Apple is almost a no-brainer. Apple is the big dog and likes to be in control of any relationships it enters. None of them want to be the 'Foxconn of Switzerland' and being viewed as a trite manufacturer for Apple would irreperably damage their brand.
They are just not a good match for each other.
So get ready, everyone, for Apple to set the Swiss watch industry on its ear, just like it set the mobile phone industry on its ear.
I haven't worn a watch for a good while now since I've had my iPhone with me all the time. But it's admittedly a little awkward to have to haul my iPhone out of my pocket and press the button to see the time.
I also still have a bit of a yearning to have a classy-looking timepiece on my wrist for myself and others to admire. But whenever I look at a Rolex, Movado, TAG/Heuer, etc. it's making less and less sense to drop that kind of coin on a timepiece that still has to be wound/worn/calibrated in order to show anywhere near the accuracy of time that my iPhone displays for free.
I think Apple has the right idea to create a wrist-worn device that displays not only accurate time, but most likely a lot of other information with the uniquely ready-access that such a form factor affords—and in a form that Sir Jonny has had a hand in designing.
Pretty exciting!
I have no clue as to how Apple intends to differentiate itself from Android Wear and the Moto 360 for example, outside of the use of sensors.
Is the iWatch truly going to be way ahead of the competition this time?
Will many people buy it?
One thing I'm confident about is the design. I'm sure it'll immediately look a lot better than any other smartwatch to date.
Can't wait.
The design is Apple's biggest opportunity. Up till now all of the Android watches are too big and don't look like they'd be comfortable long term on the wrist.
If Apple can get the design and ergonomics down then they will already be ahead of the Android watch makers.
Add in excellent battery life and fitness sensors it'll be unique enough at launch where they wont have to worry about the posers that have been pushing products out quickly just in order to "beat" Apple to it.
Apple probably had prototype watches a decade ago. Wasn't their original patent for the wrap around continuous screen wrist band from 2008? I'm sure Steve had some input in the design and Apple has been waiting for technology to catch up with their vision.
Even so I don't think anyone has an idea what the iWatch may be. It could be a futuristic wrist band with a screen that wraps around the whole wrist or if could be a simple round watch face. Even if it is a round watch face I'm sure it won't be as bloated and comical looking as the Moto360.
With that said, I can't wait to see wait to see what the iWatch brings to the table. I don't wear my current watch often, but I could be persuaded to wear a smartwatch daily if it actually provides a notable increase in efficiency to my everyday work flow (and looked good doing it).