Apple ‘will sell an 18-carat gold, sapphire and crystal watch for $10,000’

It is the first new innovation to come from Apple since Jobs died in 2011, and will be unveiled by chief executive Tim Cook on Monday.Analysts have branded the move a clear attempt to segway into Asia’s booming luxury goods market – and suggest it could be the start of an entirely new market.Scroll down […]

It is the first new innovation to come from Apple since Jobs died in 2011, and will be unveiled by chief executive Tim Cook on Monday.
Analysts have branded the move a clear attempt to segway into Asia’s booming luxury goods market – and suggest it could be the start of an entirely new market.
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“Apple is the only technology brand that has the potential to move from tech brand to luxury brand. This is unprecedented, ”Jan Dawson, chief technology analyst for Jackdaw Research, told DailyMail.com.
“I think this is Apple flexing its muscles, moving into a space that it potentially has all to itself.
“The question is: how big is that market? Is Apple eating into the market or making it bigger?
“I think they will make it grow.’
Cook is expected to explain in detail how customers will use the buttons on the side of the device to operate the apps on the screen like an iPhone.
At the other end of the spectrum, customers can opt for a midrange watch or an ‘entry-level’ Watch Sport, starting at $349 – a fraction of most watch prices on the market.
Tag Heuer’s Monaco Men’s Watch will set shoppers back $72,000.
The Rolex GMT-Master II Mens Automatic Watch costs an eye-watering $373,720.
The move into this market comes months after Apple poached Burberry’s CEO Angela Ahrendts to be the new Senior Vice President of retail and sales – and lend a fashionable eye.
Alongside Yves Saint Laurent’s Paul Deneve, as a ‘special projects’ Vice President, and designer Marc Newson, as a part-time consultant, the team has masterminded the firm’s unprecedented move.
In October, a prototype of the Edition Watch even appeared at Paris Fashion Week. However, some have speculated that without a solid grounding in the high-end retail market, the Apple Edition Watch could suffer the same flaws as most iPhones, which cease to efficiently function after a few years.
But according to Thomaï Serdari, Luxury Brand Strategist and Lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York, the details of the Edition model that have been released look promising.
She told DailyMail.com: “Apple produces good design, and I hate to say it but good design is priceless.
“From what I have seen, the gold watch has a very elegant profile. The very slight curve shows that the design has been very well studied to fit on your wrist. I am curious to see how it actually feels.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if customers have the option of keeping the strap and the casing but updating the software, which would create loyalty and longevity.”