Elmar Mock (of Swatch) predicts Apple will cause an ice-age for Swiss watches

[M. Montaigne]

Swatch Co-Inventor: Apple Will Succeed and an Ice Age Is Coming for Swiss Watches

“Anything in the price range of 500 francs to 1,000 francs is really in danger,” said Mock, speaking by phone from Biel, Switzerland. “I do expect an Ice Age coming toward us.”

[iyonk]

I personally think that iWatch is just a gadget straps on the wrist... those who like the art of watches and use them actually for timekeeping might still prefer the traditional way..
they might also buy iWatch, but i dont think they would let go their watches collection

there have been plenty of technological advancement in watches like GPS, censors, solars (after kinetic) etc.. but still many people like the tried, true and legendary watches...

quite surprising to see the prediction from Mock... I guess the old Quartz crisis really traumatic for the swiss watch industry..

[whatmeworry]

Hmm, the article doesn't really say why though.
I think for me maybe this is around functionality. A smartwatch does way more than a mechanical watch. So does a digital watch, though, and that meant that analogue watches have died out.

[whatmeworry]

Also, I can imagine how the initial engagement for that interview went...
"I'll give you a juicy soundbite if you promise to mention that we're launching our own smartwatch soon. "

[I-B]

I see a lot of non-WIS wearing smartwatches these day's. I wonder why Swatch don't bring out a Smartwatch? In the past they made watches with ski-passes in them, and also a jurrasic form of smartwatch was made bij them. It was Swatch who saved the Swiss watch industry from the "quartz-crisis", so why not do it again? They allready make a digital watch, so...

[whatmeworry]

I see a lot of non-WIS wearing smartwatches these day's. I wonder why Swatch don't bring out a Smartwatch? In the past they made watches with ski-passes in them, and also a jurrasic form of smartwatch was made bij them. It was Swatch who saved the Swiss watch industry from the "quartz-crisis", so why not do it again? They allready make a digital watch, so...

They are! Reference is made to it in the article

[I-B]

They are! Reference is made to it in the article

woops, i missed that, i go back to read the article again

[whatmeworry]

woops, i missed that, i go back to read the article again

There's not a great deal there other than that.

[I-B]

There's not a great deal there other than that.

yeah, i read it again, not much info about it...some about TAG but that's it..

[geoffbot]

I don't tend to read articles - they're always so verbose! Just say briefly why you think it'll happen, then I'll disagree (in this case, anyway). If people bought watches for functionality then we'd all be wearing g shocks, but that ain't the case.