Getting Swiss watches into trouble: Did Apple pick the wrong target?

As Apple's new product launch on September 9 approaches, whether Apple will release the rumored smart watch iWatch in addition to the iPhone 6 has also become a focus of attention in the industry. However, recently, Apple's chief designer Jony Ive said in a media interview about the current situation of the watch market that "Switzerland is in trouble", which not only confirmed the news that Apple will definitely release a smart watch, but also caused an uproar in the industry.

In fact, given that the smartwatch market is still in its infancy and the unsatisfactory performance of the smartwatches that have been launched in the past, the industry has placed more hope on Apple. After all, Apple created the current smartphone and tablet industries (at least it made them marketable and popular). So if Apple enters the smartphone market this time, will its power really be so great that it will cause trouble for Switzerland, which is known for its watch industry?

The industry knows that Apple's industrial design has always been one of its important killer features. This has been well reflected in the smartphone and tablet markets. When it comes to smart watches, if Apple regards relevant Swiss manufacturers as its competitors, due to the completely different usage methods and scenarios of watches from smartphones and tablets, Apple's industrial design capabilities in the watch field do not have an advantage over Swiss watch manufacturers in many aspects such as product design concepts and user aesthetics. This is also the main reason why Apple has repeatedly sought cooperation with Swiss watch manufacturers and even hopes to use "Swiss Made" to promote its smart watches. Of course, this also exposes that in the field of watches, Apple's brand influence in the smartphone and tablet industries is far less than that of Swiss watch brands.

In addition, from the perspective of product category, watches are more fashionable and personalized than smartphones and tablets. Not to mention the wide variety of economical Swiss watches, there are also many styles and categories of high-end and top-brand Swiss watches. The latest rumor says that Apple iWatch only has two sizes, 1.3 inches and 1.5 inches (of course, this is just based on size). Here we are not denying Apple's ability, but to say that if Apple wants to put Swiss watches in trouble as Jony Ive said, it will inevitably change the single-category product strategy of iPhone and iPad, which has been proven to be successful and suitable for Apple's pursuit of high-profit business model, that is, to have multiple varieties and designs. Putting aside the huge risks involved, the key is whether Apple will make changes for this?

Last but not least, the industry chain of watches is completely different from that of smartphones and tablets that Apple is familiar with and controls. Apple does not have an advantage or voice in the industry chain of watches, which means that even at the same price, Apple iWatch may not be able to obtain higher profits and sales than others, not to mention that the price of smart watches cannot be too high. An industry survey found that the acceptable price of Apple iWatch is around US$350. Even so, a considerable number of surveyed users still think the price is too high and will not buy it. This seems to reflect the completely different positioning of smart watches and watches, especially Swiss watches, in people's minds.

In summary, do we think Jony Ive made the wrong choice by choosing Swiss watch manufacturers as competitors for his iWatch? In fact, based on the advantages of Apple's ecosystem accumulated in the smartphone and tablet markets, if iWatch wants to succeed, it should try to downplay or even avoid the watch itself, especially the attributes of watches from Swiss watch manufacturers, and highlight intelligence. In fact, this point was confirmed when Swiss watch manufacturers criticized Apple iWatch for challenging themselves and emphasized that smart watches should first be watches. So-called strengths and weaknesses. So for Apple iWatch, intelligence is not the adjective of the watch, but the subject, at least a parallel relationship. Because only in this way can it play and expand its existing ecosystem advantages.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.