Yesterday’s Apple Keynote event was a live streamed moment that caused quite a bit of ruckus online.
As the Internet was going nuts over the latest cash grab items from the house that Steve Jobs built, the company announced a clever partnership with Parisian fashion house Hermès. Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple have all been pushing hard to get into the fashion crowd with the Apple Watch, yet so far, not too many people have fully bought in.
That is, until Wednesday’s product event in San Francisco.
Gigantic tech conglomerate, Apple, debuted its partnership with Hermès at its wildly criticized annual keynote address. After showcasing its luxe design, we call foul on the Tim Cook-led company for doing too much to make money.
Three different bands, handmade by Hermès in France, will be available in the label’s high-end leather when the watches start appearing in select stores on October 5. “Apple and Hermès make very different products, but they reflect the deep appreciation of quality design,” Apple’s chief design offer Jonathan Ive said in a press release. “Both companies are motivated by a sincere pursuit of excellence and the desire to create something that is not compromised. Apple Watch Hermès is a true testament to that belief.”
How strong is a belief that parodies itself?
We must ask since the Hermès label commands quite a hefty penny. By partnering up with Apple and the Apple Watch, it could be feasible that this is a luxe item that is washed by industry standards. Despite the move by Apple being the company’s first luxury-brand partnership, Quartz, a digitally native news outlet, pointed out that the Apple Watch looks incredibly a lot like the Hermès Cape Cod. That watch, which has been on the market since 2009, incidentally, retails for $2,900.
So, how much would you pay for the Hermès Apple Watch?
Photo: AppleThe 38mm 18-karat yellow gold case with the bright red buckle will run you a cool $17,000, if you got it like that. If you believe that the Hermès Apple Watch is genuinely attractive enough to shell out the do-re-mi, at least judging by the images, then you should be happy to learn that the product is reasonably priced for ballers and well-to-good folks. After the conclusion of the Apple Keynote event, the company released pricing, here’s the full list:
- $1,100 for the 38mm case with the single band—or the Single Tour, in Hermès official brand terminology.
- $1,150 for the 42mm case with the single band.
- $1,250 for the 38mm case with the Double Tour band, which is an Hermès signature and sure to be a fan favorite.
- $1,500 for the 42mm case with the cuff.
Apple debuts this news shortly after LVMH, another luxury group, had enlisted Tag Heuer to create an Apple Watch competitor. That product, which will go on sale this November, will cost you $1,400. Keep in mind, this is only the start as soon other companies will pounce on the criticisms that the Apple Watch (“unappealing and boring looks”) has endured and make something beautifully functional. While the technology of the Apple Watch matched with the luxe life aesthetic of Hermès is a smart move and pretty impressive, many consumers on the outside watching are still on the fence when it comes to sacrificing functionality for style.
Would you pay those prices for the Apple Watch Hermès? Let us know as the watches will roll out in select stores starting Oct. 5.
[via Quartz]
The post Excess At Peak: Hermès Apple Watch Is Doing Too Much appeared first on StyleBlazer.
