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Why the Apple Watch will succeed even if it's no good

By Kenny Yeo - on 07 Mar 2015, 8:00pm

We will know more the Apple Watch's capabilities and price in the next few days.

In a few days time, Apple is expected to reveal more details about its Apple Watch as well as officially announce its release dates and pricing details.

Regardless of what Apple will reveal about its first smartwatch on 9 March, they will very likely sell millions of it. The reason I say so is because a watch is not for telling time, neither is it a gadget that can receive notifications from your phone, and it is most definitely not an activity-tracking device. The watch is, first and foremost, a fashion accessory. That might sound superficial, but it is very true. If you wear a watch, ask yourself if you chose it solely because of its features or timekeeping abilities. People buy and wear watches because of the way it looks and the way it makes them feel.

How else can you explain folks who splash serious money on luxury timepieces? A $20,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver is a great diving watch, but a $200 G-Shock or Seiko can do the same job. The Rolex GMT-Master II is widely regarded as a top travelers’ watch because its jump-hour hand enables wearers to adjust time easily to new timezones, but go anywhere with odd half or 3/4 hour timezones and it will choke. Much easier then to just rely on your smartphone’s world-time function.

Do you really need a $20,000 watch to go diving? Probably not.

Function is clearly not one of the things that concerns most watch buyers. Someone might buy an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver because the brand is widely regarded as one of the big three in Swiss horology, or perhaps it is because they find the grande tapisserie dial beautiful, or they simply want a big chunky watch. Likewise, someone might buy a Rolex GMT Master II because of the watch's history and pedigree, or for the simple fact that Rolex, for better or worse, is regarded as a symbol of success.

Therefore, the Apple Watch will sell like hotcakes even if it proves to be no more functional or effective than its rivals. Looks are of course highly subjective, but Apple products are generally incredibly polished and well-made. They look and feel like premium items. And this is extremely important for a watch to succeed. And for watch journalists who have handled the Apple Watch, the consensus is that it exudes a very high level of build quality. Noted watch journalist Benjamin Clymer had this to say about the Apple Watch after spending some time with it at last year’s launch event: “The overall level of design in the Apple Watch simply blows away anything – digital or analog – in the watch space at $350. There is nothing that comes close to the fluidity, attention to detail, or simple build quality found on the Apple Watch in this price bracket.” Not only should Apple’s traditional rivals be anxious, watch companies operating in this price bracket should take heed and be worried as well.

Aesthetics and build quality aside, how consumers feel towards a brand plays an important role in the decision-making process. And Apple is very strong in this aspect. Not only does it consistently rank amongst the world’s most recognized and respected brands, it is also one of the top tech brands in the world when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Expect a mad scramble for the Apple Watch when it finally goes on sale next month. I would be very surprised if there wasn't.

Kenny Yeo

Kenny Yeo / Associate Editor

Specifications are not everything. It's what you do with what you have that matters.

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