
Tag Heuer unveils smartwatch venture with Intel, Google - noso
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/tag-heuer-unveils-smartwatch-venture-intel-google-133915177--finance.html
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kaolinite
Hodinkee has quite a bit more information on this:
[http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/Jean-Claude-Biver-Talks-
About-S...](http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/Jean-Claude-Biver-Talks-About-
SmartWatch)

Most importantly, the Hodinkee piece mentions pricing - somewhere in the
region of $1000, i.e. more expensive than the typical wearable but more
affordable than a regular Tag Heuer.

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coldcode
This post is rather pointless "declined to give any details about pricing,
functionality or design".

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branchless
I can help with one: it's going to be expensive ;-)

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ChuckMcM
I suppose it is a natural extension that technology eventually becomes a
fashion statement but for some reason the whole idea of they 4 and 5 figure
sums for a 'designer' widget really rubs me the wrong way. What's next the
$7,500 Ives St Laurent calculator?

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from_elsewhere
It's very easy to criticize other people for having a different priority, such
as aesthetics over price/value, from yourself. After all, particular interests
often sound ridiculous if you don't share them. This is in everything from
having a favorite precious metal to a favorite web development framework.

However, if you're set on making such a criticism here, the least you can do
is spell Yves Saint Laurent's name correctly.

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sho_hn
I suppose it does seem rather easy to criticize people who make that priority
unnecessarily expensive watches, though. I can appreciate the craftsmanship
that goes into them and will agree it makes for a better watch, but
nonetheless one far past the cut-off for diminishing returns.

Honestly, I feel like much of the attention paid to premium smartwatches is
rooted in insecurity. Many a blog post about one is a fashion item as much as
the watch is; it's meant to communicate that the author can appreciate fine
things and is definitely not one of those pragmatic-boring "well actually"
types that might write something like the first paragraph. Food for thought,
if you found yourself thinking as much while reading it.

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adamkochanowicz
"Tag Heuer Chief Executive Jean-Claude Biver declined to give any details
about pricing, functionality or design."

"unveils"

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coderdude
To the title's credit, it does say that the venture was unveiled, not the
watch itself.

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kwarwick
It feels like there's an impending crunch in the luxury dumb watch industry.
When there is productivity to be had by buying a smart watch, how can
expensive dumb watches compete?

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robotresearcher
Expensive watches are not about productivity or any technical functionality.
They are a signal of wealth to others. A $30 Casio keeps better time than a
handmade mechanical watch at 1,000 times the price.

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count
They're no different than earrings or bracelets for women (generally).

I keep time accurately with my GPS time synchronized cell phone. The watch is
for show, literally. Some of them are amazing.

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marincounty
This article didn't give much. I'll pass this along. I bought my first nice
watch from a overpriced jewelry store in San Francisco. It was a glowing dial
Tag F1. I didn't realize at the time, but it was considered a unisex size. I
didn't care, I had small wrists. I bought it for $139.00. Jump ahead years
later, and the company realized they could add $1000-2000 to that price and
still sell watches? Yes, the watches are bigger with a bit more bling, but
they still use ETA quartz movements. ETA movements are great, but not worth
what Tag is selling them for; I guess you could say that for most luxury watch
brands.

That said, all I want on my wrist is something that can tell me the
time(analog) time, and maybe the date. I am already a nervous wreck--I
couldn't imagine anything yelling/blinking on my wrist. If anyone get's into
horology, you might see the value of a mechanical watch? A watch that will
last a lifetime. Some of you will even be able to service the watch
yourself.(A basic watch--nothing chronograph--books(DeCarle/Fried), tools, a
lot of study through Internet videos, practice on cheap watches, etc.). If you
do buy a mechanical watch, I can pass this along. You don't need to service it
yearly. Service it when the time is off, or it stops. Change the gaskets every
two years(if you go in the water). I guarantee most of you can change the back
gasket and crown gasket without much study.

(Tag does use some ETA 2824-2 movements. I thought they were all quartz.)

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DiabloD3
I just have one question to the entire smartwatch industry: why in holy hell
do none of you make an IPX8 rated watch?

All I want is a watch that can survive on my wrist >48 hours without
recharging (even if that means an e-ink color screen), various sensors for
heart rate and such, and can survive people's daily lives.

Hell, even if it was a damned Pebble that pulled it off, I'd buy one.

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brorfred
Apple Watch is at least rated to IPX7.

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threeseed
Will be interesting to see if Microsoft or Blackberry set up their own
partnerships with Swiss watchmakers. Arguably their target audiences are far
more interesting to the higher end watchmakers than Android or even Apple.

Smart move by Tag Heuer to get in first and position themselves as as the only
serious Apple Watch equivalent on the Android side.

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joezydeco
How can it be called "serious" when there's nothing to look at?

 _We 'll bring you more information about this TAG Heuer, Google, Intel
collaboration in October, when the triumvirate releases more details about the
product._

Yawn. A lot can happen in 6 months. Get back to us then. All you're telling us
at this point is that nobody has even put a pencil to paper yet.

I'm not trying to fanboi this thread but this is the kind of bullshit
Microsoft used to pull off when they sensed a threat to any of their markets.

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threeseed
There is nothing serious now, so what's a few months ?

Nobody is going to buy a $1000 watch from LG, Samsung, ASUS, Google etc given
that the brands are associated with either being: cheap or geeky (and not in a
good way). Tag Heuer is a highly respected, fashionable brand that people
aren't going to be embarrassed about wearing on their wrist. A lot can happen
in 6 months sure but if it's an exclusive relationship then it's the only
product that is likely to matter.

I am talking specifically about the middle price point which is the most
important to everyone.

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joezydeco
_There is nothing serious now, so what 's a few months ?_

I wonder if this is what the conversations were like at TAG Heuer back in
September after the Apple announcement.

So, the question is: _what changed_ in the last 6 months that TAG Heuer felt
compelled to announce a competing product? It's an innocent question.

Because coming out and saying "yeah, we're starting to work on, um,
_something_ " seems really unlike something a highly respected fashionable
European brand would normally do. Unless I'm wrong about TAG Heuer.

And you have to announce an alliance with Google/Intel? What message does that
convey? Hey, we're great at making awesome highly respected fashionable
watches but we don't know fuckall about computer hardware and software?

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threeseed
Actually it's quite smart. Look at their price point: $1000 (much cheaper than
their other models). Which means this product is a "gateway drug" for young
Android guys to get a taste of what a Tag Heuer looks and feels like on their
wrist. Once they learn more about what they are wearing the theory is they
will be sucked into the watch community and buy a more expensive model.

This watch is Tag Heuer's Mac Mini.

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peteretep
$1,000 is too expensive for someone who wants to pretend to be rich (Burberry
scarf) and too cheap for someone who would wear conspicuous consumption watch

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ElectricFeel
Arnie sells watches, Apple sells watches, now Tag Heuer.. EVERYONE IS SELLING
watches!!! Jeez talk about a bunch of sheeple! Maybe I should start selling
watches.

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jedmeyers
Now movie The Internship is starting to make more sense. I was always
wondering why would Google accept watch salesmen as interns.

