TAG Heuer To Take On Apple Watch
For a smartwatch, “we can’t produce the engine, the chips, the applications, the hardware — nobody can produce it in Switzerland,” [TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude] Biver said. “The hardware and the software will come from Silicon Valley. But the watch case, the dial, the design, the idea, the crown, that part of the watch will, of course, be Swiss.”
It’s an oldie but a goodie, and Biver’s various quotes — like this one where he wrote Apple Watch off on aesthetic terms at its unveiling last year — will be even more memorable in a few years’ time.
But on a deeper level, that paragraph right there is exactly what makes Apple so special, and it’s why I think nobody, including TAG Heuer (or the comically misguided Swatch), will be able to touch Apple Watch.
On some level, these Swiss makers know that. Remember, they’ve got premium brands where “100% in-house” means everything. They know, like Tim Cook knows, that focused, on-site collaboration of hardware, software, and services is critical to the success of really well-engineered, desirable devices.
Biver is willing to give up direct oversight of interface design and his brand’s coveted “Swiss Made” label to lessen his luxury clout by wasting time and money in an industry segment he really doesn’t need (and which he can’t have anyway).
The bottom segment and bottom dollar of the luxury watch industry may be in for a world of hurt, but it’s only going to arrive sooner and hurt more if this is the best they can do.