Comments on: Apple iPhone 4 is the new Rolex Submariner.

By: Bob Page

Bob Page — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:53:04 +0000

HTC released photographs of a prototype “HTC 1″ phone, with similarities to watch design.

http://designfabulous.blogspot.com/

By: Bob Page

Bob Page — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:37:55 +0000

At $5,000, TAG Heuer’s latest Meridiist GMT entry in the smartphone space makes the company seem almost as clueless as Ulysse Nardin.

http://meridiist.tagheuer.com/EUR/index_main.php

By: Bob Page

Bob Page — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:26:28 +0000

Lukas,
Thank you for thinking about this, and I enjoy your blog ‘Ignore the Code’ very much. My point is that if people carry a combination pocketwatch/phone/point-and-shoot camera/miniature laptop computer/Internet access portal, the companies making the other devices need to think about how to keep their device relevant. Especially in the face of a company that steals attractive design features from the best of those devices.

By: Lukas Mathis

Lukas Mathis — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:53:23 +0000

I think comparing the iPhone to jewelry misses why the iPhone became popular. Companies like Nokia tried to turn phones into jewelry a decade before the iPhone was released; people didn’t particularly care. The iPhone became popular not because it was pretty or elegant, but because it offered a compelling user experience. It was a viral product; people became infected by using a friend’s iPhone, and realizing that they would be able to do things with this phone that they wanted to do, but couldn’t do with their current phone.

The other thing I would point out is that Switzerland is not a relevant force in the phone business, and cell phones are not a relevant part of Switzerland’s economy. So I don’t think Swiss companies will respond to mobile phones per se; cell phones are only a relevant market for certain Swiss component suppliers that sell high-tech components such as miniature gyroscopes. And these companies don’t really care which smartphone sells the most, as long as it’s one containing their components.

Lukas Mathis
Rueras, Switzerland

By: Bob Page

Bob Page — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:11:03 +0000

Richard, thank you. The Rolex British POW story during World War II is an amazing, almost mythic event, as was the Swiss watch industry recovery in the 1970s and 1980s. Chuck Yeager, collaboration with Pan Am on the GMT Master, astronaut space shots — all innovations in technology and marketing.

Gavin, agreed on Ulysse Nardin. Jewelry is the only way to sell $600 worth of technology for $50,000. To launch the iPhone marketing video posted on the Apple website, designer Jony Ive says “This is so much more than just another new product” with a completely straight face.

By: Richard Burger

Richard Burger — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:26:26 +0000

Excellent post, Bob. I learned a lot about watches.

By: Gavin O'Hara

Gavin O'Hara — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:32:25 +0000

Brilliant, Bob. You nailed it. Hilarious video too. The smirk on the woman’s face at the initial question (“Why would I ever need this?”) tells the whole story. By the time she snaps into sales mode (“It has Droid 2.0 etc etc.”), her cover is blown.