Swatch CEO’s thoughts on the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch announced by Tim Cook on September 9, 2014.  Before the launch, Jony Ive, Apple’s design chief, reportedly told his team that the Apple Watch would be “trouble” for traditional watch makers in Europe, particularly Swithzerland. Now we have seen the Apple Watch. The first reviews are mostly positive. But what about those traditional watch makers? Do they feel threatened?

We wanted to get an answer from the Swiss watch industry. So we asked this question to Nick Hayek who is the CEO of the Swatch Group. He oversees luxury watch brands such as Breguet, Omega, Harry Winston and many more.

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek has said in an email:

I have only seen pictures so far from the Applewatch and my experience in the watch business tells me that you have to touch and put the watch on your wrist before you can give a valid judgement.

I can only compare with many other watches from the watch industry, from US, from India from China and Japan and of course from Switzerland…and many many Brands have done very beautiful, iconic watches that are collected, sold and bought in auctions for many millions, Swatchwatches included…and since Apple says its a watch I have to compare the aestetics with the industryleaders in watches.Here I think indeed it does not seem to be a milestone.

However if you compare the consumer electronics companies different, so-called smart watches, Apple has certainly created a very good design, but its within consumer electronics category and not watches…but as always aestetics in watches are very emotional and therefor very personal…so each one should decide for himself if he, she likes it or not.

We also asked about their smart watch plans. Previously it was reported that Swatch is planning to launch a smart watch:

We did in the past (Swatch Access/Paparazzi…) do today and will do in the future… However they will always be first beautiful watches…and no need to recharge everyday nor every month…. Said Hayek.

Related: Harvard professor says Apple Watch will fail

SK( Managing Editor )

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.