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Swatch Co-Inventor Predicts Apple Will Bring an 'Ice Age' To Swiss Watch Market
MojoKid writes It seems that these days everything Apple touches turns to gold, hence why the company was able to post an $18 billion profit for its fiscal first quarter of 2015. Be that as it may, can Apple popularize the smartwatch market as others have been unable to do so far? Not only is that the expectation, but according to Swatch watch co-inventor Elmar Mock, Apple is going to bring about an "Ice Age" to the Swiss watch market. Elmar noted that he expects the Apple Watch to quickly reach sales of 20 million to 30 million units per year. For the sake of comparison, Switzerland exported 28.6 million watches in 2014, none of them with smart capabilities. "Apple will succeed quickly. It will put a lot of pressure on the traditional watch industry and jobs in Switzerland...I do expect an Ice Age coming toward us," Elmar said. Analysts for Barclays noted to investors that the Apple Watch launch could result in a 6 percent annual decline in Swatch Group AG's revenue. To keep up with the times and fend off Apple, there are at least three Swiss watch companies planning to make smartwatches, including Swatch Group, which will unveil a smart model sometime this year.
First of all, it needs an iPhone. Don't have one, don't want one. Although I use a MacBook pro for my daily hardware needs, I abhor the Apple ecosystem. Don't use any of the iCloud stuff. Don't like it, don't want it. I predict it will be a flop. The minions may snap em' up at first, but it will fade quickly. Then again, I said the same thing about the iPod. I was like, "Yea, it's just another mp3 player, big deal." That was until I got one as a gift. It was absolutely brilliant, light years beyond anything else. So I was wrong there, might be again. But I think it's going to be a flop in the longrun. Maybe if it had all the function of an iPhone, but it doesn't. I just don't see the longterm space for the watch, yet.