Wearable tech is as big as it has ever been just now from built for purpose pieces, to high fashion items on top runways. This week one of the top giants of technology joined this party in Apple with their take on the wrist watch and here at The Gentleman Selectwe couldn’t help but weigh in on the topic.
At first glance it is a quirky little time piece with simplistic shaping, basically a smaller iPod on a strap. However what we are most interested in is its functionality as a watch and for me it just seems a little gimmicky.
On sale the 24th of April, the entry price is justifiable at £299 however that is the bottom standard so in terms of a top seller in the mid range we would be starting around £949. I feel it is a steep price to ask of a watch which carries a charge of up to 72 hours, providing of course you aren’t scrolling through the developed apps of Facebook and Instagram on it. For me it just feels like a mini iPod/iPad with a magnified time function. The biggest worry for me would also be: is it justifiable price wise relative to the battery life such as our iPhones etc have?. Again even with a standard Quartz watch this is easily replaceable.
Don’t get me wrong I adore Apple as a company and its innovative products produced and I can truely see why this would appeal to technophobes and gadget lovers alike with its functions of opening compatible hotel and garage doors, but being traditionalists here at The Gentleman Select it just seems like a horological golum. The primary example would be a paltry £13,500 for the gold model, a figure which seems ludicrous considering you could buy a steel Patek Philippe, something with passion, history and hand-made craftsmanship. If you are after a gold time piece even a second hand Rolex Day-Date would be such a more sound investment than a £13,500 gadget.
This for me then is simply what the Apple Watch is. A gadget. I would buy it as a gadget, but not as a time piece.
Key Piece: Prices range from £299-£13,500
