After Apple’s recent hire of Patrick Pruniaux, it seems all but certain that the tech giant is getting ready to release their own version of the smart watch. Pruniaux, sales director for watch manufacturer TAG Heuer, has reportedly joined the apple team to help promote the upcoming release of the iWatch. According to CNBC, Jean-Claude Biver, head of watchmaking LVMH, reported last week that Pruniaux left “to take a contract with Apple.” Apple has yet to make a comment.
“If it had been a direct competitor, I would have felt a bit betrayed, but if he goes to Apple, I think it is a great experience for him,” Biver said. According to some analysts, Apple had been trying to poach employees from many of the Swiss-watchmakers recently. It seems they have had some success.
In addition to Pruniaux, Apple has recently acquired former Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts to head its online and retail stores. Both hires hint at Apple’s serious interest in wearable technology as the next frontier in their technology development. The watch will run on the iOS platform. It will also have a multitude of sensors that will not only monitor physical activity, but also is expected to track the wearer’s heart rate and blood pressure.
For the most part, high-end watch makers have had very little interest in working with Apple. Senior luxury goods analyst Mario Ortelli explained, as reported by CNBC, “For sure they are trying to approach the Swiss manufacturers, but the Swiss have got no great interest in working with Apple—if you are a luxury producer and you cooperate with Apple, you have got a dilution.” It is the lower-end watchmakers who should really be fearing a watch from Apple.
The high-end watchmakers may even be looking forward to Apple’s newest product. Some believe an initial iWatch purchase could be the gateway for many young consumers to be introduced to the watch industry on a serious level.
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