#Trending
APPLEHASALWAYS
BEENSECRETIVE
WHENITCOMES
TOTHENUMBER
OFAPPLEWATCHES
SOLD AROUNDTHEWORLD.Infact,
it doesn’t releaseanyofficialstatistics.
You can second-guessastowhythisis,
but pinpointingjusthowsuccessfulits
smartwatchishasalwaysbeenleftinthe
hands of analystfirms.Asfarbackas
2017, TimCooktoldusthatbysurpassing
watchmakergiantRolex,AppleWatchhad
become theworld’sbest-sellingwatch.But
he didn’t backthatupwithanyfigures.
Now it’sbeenwidelyreportedthat
Apple soldasmanyAppleWatchesas
Swiss watchmakersdidcombined.So
that’s hugehouseholdnameslikeSwatch,
Louis Vuitton,Rolex,TissotandTAG
Heuer. AnalyticfirmStrategyAnalytics
reports thatApplesold30.7millionApple
Watch unitsworldwidein2019,which
was 10 millionmorethanallSwisswatch
brands shipped.
The newsisn’tagreatshocktothose
with insideknowledgeofthewatch
industry. Forecastshaven’tbeenpositive
for some time;infact,justlastyearThe
FederationoftheSwissWatchIndustry
reported a 13 percentdeclineinexport
volumes comparedtothepreviousyear.
Their reportwentontosaythat:“The
downwardtrendseenformanyyears
worsenedduringthesummerof 2018
and had amarkedimpactoneverymonth
in 2019, withoutexception.Switzerland
shipped 20.6millionwatchestoother
countries,3.1millionfewerthaninthe
previous year.Thishistoricallylow
level, beloweventhecrisisof2009,is
comparabletothevolumeexportedduring
the dip intheearly1980s.”Thesearenot
good timesfortraditionaltimepieces.
And whiletheydidn’tnameAppleas
a major influenceontheirdecliningsales
Apple Watch: the
world best-seller
Apple’s digital timepiece is wiping the floor with traditional watchmakers
Neil Mawston, executive director at
Strategy Analytics, echoes his colleague’s
comment about the difference in age
ranges. “Analog wristwatches remain
popular among older consumers, but
younger buyers are tipping toward
smartwatches and computerised
wristwear,” he says. And that’s definitely
true. While Apple Watch does attract
older users – and let’s not forget that one
of Apple’s big sponsored posts on social
media currently focuses on an older lady
being inspired to get active with the help
of her Apple Watch – youngsters are
Apple Watch’s key market. What’s the
bet that those early adopters in 2015 are
already on their second Apple Watch. It’s
true of this writer.
It’s very easy to pass over the success
of the Apple Watch. The headlines are
always dominated by the latest iPhones
and Macs, but the Apple Watch turns- focusing instead on troubled markets
in the Far East, Brexit and the upcoming
American presidential election – it doesn’t
take a genius to work out that there’s a
new player in town who offers a service
that traditional watches don’t.
Steven Waltzer, a senior analyst at
Strategy Analytics says: “Traditional Swiss
watch makers, like Swatch and Tissot, are
losing the smartwatch wars. Apple Watch
is delivering a better product through
deeper retail channels and appealing to
younger consumers who increasingly
want digital wrist wear. The window for
Swiss watch brands to make an impact
in smartwatches is closing. Time may
be running out for Swatch, Tissot, TAG
Heuer, and others. A blend of attractive
design, user-friendly tech and sticky
apps makes the Apple Watch wildly
popular in North America, Western
Europe and Asia.”
Apple Watch Series 5 comes in a new case material made of titanium