Serious watch fans are willing to spend a lot of money on a quality timepiece, which is why some folks figure Apple’s decision to offer select Apple Watch models for $10,000 or more isn’t altogether unreasonable. But most smartwatches on the market today tend to be priced between $100 and $450, and most companies selling watches that use Google’s Android Wear software have chosen to stay within that range.
Then there’s TAG Heuer. Earlier this year the company said it would launch an Android Wear watch priced at $1,400. Now that the launch date is approaching, it looks like the company’s decided to raise the price tag a bit.
CNBC spoke with Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver recently, and learned that the company’s luxury smartwatch will launch November 9th and it will be priced at $1,800.
There are few details available about the design or specs for the upcoming watch. While it’ll be more expensive than most laptop computers, this isn’t a watch from a computer company. It’s a smart device with some computing features coming from a premium watch maker.
That said, I’m still a bit skeptical of the whole concept: while enthusiasts are willing to spend thousands of dollars on watches, most of those watches are designed to last for decades or longer which makes the money you spend feel kind of like an investment. Smartwatches, on the other hand (or wrist), have batteries which will degrade over time and processors, screens, and other tech that might feel dated and obsolete in just a few years.
What do you think? How much money would you be willing to spend on a wrist-worn device that provides smartphone notifications and runs some standalone apps? How much more would you pay for a model with elegant design and durable build quality?
The dashboard navigation in my car is an old piece of software, yet not as obsolete as a smartphone of the same age.
Early adopters know what they are paying for. As for the Apple Watch, all of the first run editions will be collectors items and so won’t lose their value over time. Sanity will start to set in with the second edition. As for me personally, I believe the Pebble Watch can’t be beat. I wouldn’t consider paying more than $150.00 for device that would only be, a smart phone accessory.
TAG overpricing basic technology and trying to sell it on marketing to a certain crowd isn’t really new. I could see them being successful with it to a degree. I mean they sell their other watches to somebody and mostly you could buy the same thing for a lot less money.
I guess I’m saying that I wouldn’t be surprised if TAG could locate enough buyers who had disposable incomes larger than their capacity to discern value beyond marketing hype.
And before I get bashed for saying TAG watches aren’t good please pay attention. I did not say that. I said they were over-priced for what they are.
I’d venture to assert that all high-end watches are vastly overpriced and designed as status symbols for those who don’t calculate bang-for-the-buck for such fashion statements. I’m not even sure why this is being reported on Liliputing when its audience is certainly much more interested in ‘Deals of the Day.’
It’s small tech, so it fits right in with the mission statement of the site. News like this allows readers to gawk and/or guffaw. No harm in that.