Horological Meandering

What impresses at first sight is its totally un-geeky design, well rounded, (to me) beautifully sculptured out of finely finished metal:


(iii) Comparisons & Inspirations:

Let's stick with the 'Digital Crown': The concept itself it not new, Ventura had it already ten years ago on their digital watches:

But then, the Ventura is not a smart watch but a digital watch with a proprietary - yet analogue-inspired - control device. The 'Digital Crown hover is a deeply integrated feature, an essential component of Watch OS which will see novel ways of interacting with a wide array of Watch OS specific apps. 

In fact, I see this more as an extension of and improvement over the click-wheel which set new grounds when Apple presented the iPod:

Another example of taking a n exiting concept and traversing it into new modes of operation is the way users can select apps. All apps are circularly arranged around a small time window, thus when choosing an app the time is always visible. Apps are selected by simply turing the crown and locating the desired app at the 12 o'clock position.

There is a very close mechanical ancestor to that, the De Grisogono Otturatore - even here the time is always visible regardless of function selected (it is a much simpler concept, though, with a movable aperture covering/releasing function displays):

Speaking about time display, this is an obvious one - Gerald Genta's Mickey Mouse has made its way to the ?WATCH display. There are numerous other watches offering similar comic icons, but Genta's solution is more original than others (jumping minute hand), and Apple's version has its unique charm as well...

Apple even paid 'homage' to the highest end of watchmaking art, cloisonne enamelling - here Vacheron Constantin:

But the closest resemblance I guess comes from Marc Newson's Ikepod watches. Almost from any angle the ?WATCH appears as a close sibling to the square Manatee watch. It is only consequent that Newson very recently joined Apple officially. As he has cooperated with Apple's design wizard Jony Ive in the past, I just start to wonder whether the ?WATCH is the first llegitimate child of this collaboration?

(iv) So, is Switzerland really in danger (Jony Ive)?

Jony Ive's rather boastful announcement that the 'entire Swiss watch industry is in danger'  deserves a replique now that the ?WATCH is out. And a comment on this not an easy black/white affair, in fact it warrants some more thoughts.

What strikes me first is how excellently the 'jewellery and watchmaking details' have bend solved by Apple, an electronics brand with no prior experience in this area. The proprietary way how all the external elements of a watch, the case, the sapphire glass, the lugs, straps and buckles are devised is amazing. And all this starting at a mere U$ 350.

Now compare this to what the watchmaking industry is offering at price ranges up to 1000 U$ - see the problem?

There is very little that can match the level of detail and the quality of execution (if I can trust the reports of those who have handled the ?WATCH). Here I think the watch industry just got their wake-up call.

The second observation comes along if we extend our analysis with the inclusion of the app ecosystem. Right from the start, Apple's watch is said to include a range of useful apps like health monitors, a pass book (for boarding passes, theatre tickets etc.), navigation and a new payment system which already has major retails and chains on board.

Now I guess the scenarios is such that, provided all works as expected and garners a high coverage of market player joining the Watch OS system (which one can takes as a given considering Apple's pulling power), the ?WATCH will offer a tremendous tool which does not immediately scream 'geek' once you look at it.

Travelling - check, your multi-timezone watch, your boarding posses, your room key, your wallet and your maps are with you

Sports - you have your fitness monitor and workout apps there

Health - its all there, whether you simply want to monitor your health status of whether your have to control your blood glucose levels (diabetes), blood pressure etc.

... and much more.

All this for the price of a hand-made strap for your high-end timepiece.

I guess this is the last important factor. So what would you buy? The new Tissot T-touch or the ?WATCH for the same price?

Thus, I think the situation is as such: The ?WATCH will bite quite deeply into the sub-1000 U$ watch market. It will be a main competitor there, and this explains why particularly Swatch Group tries feverishly to convince the public that this is exactly not the case: Longines, Tissot and probably Mido at Swatch Group are vulnerable, but probably also the entry level TAG Heuer at LVMH. And many more outside these two groups.

For the higher end market sectors the situation is different. Price wise it does not compete, and buyer of haute horlogerie pieces are not confronted with an 'this or that?' decision. So it well can be both! Consequently, this is exactly mirrored by the reactions of luxury brands, who see Apple's new toy rather as an extension to the market, not a threat.

Regardless of market sector, one can say this for sure: The watch industry will have to rethink how they can differentiate themselves just from the quality of the ?WATCH's exterior.

A few caveats though: There are still a lot of unknowns, such as the battery autonomy or the dependance on a tethered iPhone. The battery problem is common so far to all smart watches, and I guess neither Apple nor anybody else has a magic bullet yet. The question whether the ?WATCH needs to be connected to an iPhone to be operational, and how basic functionality looks like without cannot be answered at this point. However, I guess the attraction of the piece suffers tremendously if the watch is simply a display strapped on the wrist. Judging from how Apple delivered in the past, I would be surprised if it is.

Lastly, there is the controversial design. The rounded square is not to everyone's taste, but a necessity in view of the smart watch functionality. But I think the ?WATCH is in good company of luxury timepieces that feature outstanding execution coupled with a love or hate design: I consider this piece the smart watch equivalent to the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse and the Kari Voutilainen Chronometre 27: both are highly contested design, the one however at least stood the test of time marvellously. The other will, for sure!

... And I am taking bets that we soon will see ?WATCH-inspired mechanical timepieces!

Let's let one of the most eminent figures in finest watchmaking art speak: