Tim Cook's “2017 version” back-to-school Keynote was more than expected. Indeed, for several months the most persistent rumors all announced the release of a new iPhone. At the beginning of September, the aficionados of the Apple brand were able to rejoice, the CEO of Apple finally confirmed the rumors by unveiling the new model, the now famous iPhone X. If this announcement made the headlines of all the media, during his intervention, Tim Cooke slipped another astonishing information , the Apple Watch would have become the watch n ° 1 in the world. Connected watches are said to have become more popular than luxury watches. Is it possible? We will try to answer them.
The luxury watch symbol
"If at 50 you don't have a Rolex, it's because you've missed out on your life", this clumsy outing, passed down to posterity, by Jacques Seguela testifies to the symbol that the luxury watch represents in our society. The luxury watch only indicates the time, but specialists will say that their complexity brings unparalleled precision, of course. For the general public, the luxury watch fulfills its primary function but also has an aura, much more than a simple fashion accessory .
The luxury watch is a myth and without really knowing the models, everyone can identify the most prestigious brands: Rolex , Audemars Piguet, Breitling ... When you see a model in the window, you scrutinize it like a sports car that you look at. would admire in the street. We are ecstatic in front of a symbol, that of an inaccessible elite which lets us glimpse its world for a few seconds.
The connected watches boom
While so-called “connected” watches have been around for many years, the 2010s marked a real turning point. Connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone, these watches make it possible, in addition to giving the time, to use various applications allowing a watch to become a real technological object. The Apple Watch, released in 2015, will become the spearhead of this new trend. The watch no longer becomes a symbol of wealth here, but a symbol of technology. Owning a connected watch is showing that you are at the forefront of what is being done today, that you have mastered its codes. These brands are aimed primarily at the new generation, the famous generation Y as well as millienials.
Swiss watchmakers want to seduce the new generation
It is unclear whether Tim Cook's announcement is accurate as Apple is not providing specific numbers regarding its smartwatch. It is in any case certain that connected watches have gained ground in the world of watchmaking and the great Swiss houses have understood this well. Several luxury brands have released connected models so as to merge the symbols conveyed by these two worlds: elitism and technological advances. Tag Heuer released its “Connected Modular 45” model when Bulgari launched its “Magnesium” model from the Diagono collection as Chrono24 recalls on its website. It is a challenge in the form of “rejuvenation” that awaits Swiss watchmaking, how to convince a new generation which seems to have adopted codes that are not its own.
Are smartwatches more popular than luxury watches? Without concrete figures, difficult to answer. What is certain is that two visions clash, on the one hand luxury, the elite and on the other technology. If luxury watches have been a dream for decades, it is not certain that this is the case for the new generation who will prefer the practical side. Swiss watchmakers have made the decision to gradually embrace smartwatches as well, certainly a sign that they are becoming more popular.
