The Swiss watchmakers, who Apple believes it will put out of business, have mocked Jobs’ Mob’s poor design efforts.
Luxury giant LVMH’s watch guru and industry legend Jean-Claude Biver told AFP that he expected a bit more from Apple and he was a bit disappointed.
Biver said the gadget, which will be released early next year, is not the “revolutionary product” it claims to be.
The timepiece, with its square touch-screen face and curved edges, lacks “sex appeal” and is too feminine, he said.
But Biver went a bit further and rubbished the abilities of Apple’s hallowed design team, saying it looked like it was done by students in their first semester.
With pricing set to start at $349, Apple’s watch will not be playing in the same league as the Swiss watchmakers who dominate the luxury end of the market.
Jerome Bloch, who heads the men’s fashion unit at Parisian style agency Nelly Rodi, said Swiss luxury watchmakers had nothing to fear and comparing Apple’s new device to many Swiss watch offerings was like comparing a Mini Cooper with an Aston Martin.
Biver added that luxury was eternal, it is perennial and not something that becomes worthless after five years. Apple watches were “doomed to become obsolete”.
