“LVMH wants to sell smartwatches to well-off fashionistas, introducing a techy timepiece under its Louis Vuitton suitcase brand that opens a higher-end front in the luxury conglomerate’s fightback against Apple Inc.,” Corinne Gretler and Robert Williams report for Bloomberg. “Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Horizon starts at $2,450, about eight times the price of an entry-level Apple Watch and significantly more than many other connected devices from European watch and fashion brands, as well as more pedestrian gadgets from Samsung Electronics Co.”
“Within two years, Apple has become the world’s second-bestselling watch brand, outranked only by Rolex, disrupting sales of low-end makers and convincing LVMH that it needs to offer alternatives or risk falling behind,” Gretler and Williams report. “While low-end Swiss manufacturers such as Swatch Group AG’s namesake brand have introduced intelligent timepieces, exclusive makers like Rolex and Patek Philippe have largely steered clear for fear of sullying their image.”
“Louis Vuitton’s traditional watches are produced in Switzerland. The smartwatch’s case is assembled in that country and the watch uses technology developed in Silicon Valley, the company said in a statement that does not say where the inner workings are made,” Gretler and Williams report. “Louis Vuitton is relying on Android, as well as technology from Qualcomm Inc.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Floptastic.
Android and luxury go together like lamb and tuna fish.
SEE ALSO:
Thanks to Apple Watch, smartwatches are now more popular than Swiss watches – February 19, 2016
As Apple Watch sales ramp, Swiss watch makers suffer biggest slump in six years – November 19, 2015
TAG Heuer stupidwatch demonstrates how poorly it understands Apple Watch – November 10, 2015
TAG Heuer must think Android Wear users are stupid – November 9, 2015
Watch TAG Heuer announce their answer to Apple Watch – November 9, 2015
Swiss watch makers in deep shit, as Apple Watch designer Jony Ive predicted – October 23, 2015
Swiss watch exports post biggest quarterly export drop since 2009 – October 20, 2015
Apple’s Jony Ive: Switzerland is in deep shit – September 4, 2014
LVMH’s Jean-Claude Biver sees tougher 2016 for Swiss watch industry – September 29, 2015
Swiss watch exports decline most since 2009 – August 20, 2015
I own two $6,000 Swiss watches, but I wear my Apple Watch most of the time – August 14, 2015
Swiss watch exports hit worst slump in five years as Apple Watch debuts – June 19, 2015
As Swiss watchmakers dismiss Apple Watch, Swiss National Bank increases Apple holdings by 60% – May 10, 2015
Apple Watch Edition is poised to disrupt the classic Swiss watch – April 16, 2015
Jean-Claude Biver changes his tune, calls Apple Watch ‘a fantastic product, an incredible achievement’ – January 20, 2015
TAG Heuer plans smartwatch as honcho Jean-Claude Biver changes mind as Apple Watch looms – December 16, 2014
Apple Watch starts countdown on face off with Swiss industry – October 31, 2014
The fashion elite crowd around Apple Watch at Colette in Paris – September 30, 2014
Jean-Claude Biver: ‘The Apple Watch cannot compete at all with European watches’ – September 15, 2014
Jean-Claude Biver: Apple Watch ‘too feminine; looks like it was designed by a student in their first trimester’ – September 16, 2014
Barclays: Apple Watch could crush companies like Fossil – September 16, 2014
Jean-Claude Biver: ‘The Apple Watch cannot compete at all with European watches’ – September 15, 2014
Old school watch makers don’t get Apple Watch – September 12, 2014
Apple Watch, the world’s first real smartwatch, will be a massive hit – September 9, 2014
Apple iWatch designer Jony Ive: Switzerland is in deep shit – September 4, 2014
People that need to let other people know they have money will buy this.
Add it to their collection of expensive watches.
Not so sure, don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone decked out in Louis Vuitton use an android. There may be some people buying fake LV products that also buy fake iPhones but Apple owns the high end fashionistas.
Mutton dressed up as lamb!
Mutton dressed as Mutton wearing a gaudy 70s disco collar more like. That looks so very cheap and naff but then a lot of high end stuff does to my eye I guess. Its that area where pronouncing your wealth is all important, with little or nothing to do with actual taste.
Looks like a universal remote. A computer nerd’s idea of high fashion. Who would wear that ugly POS?
That was my first thought.
“Louis Vuitton is relying on Android, as well as technology from Qualcomm”
So much for using only the finest raw materials.
Y’all is laik mai cuzin Lerry. Alweiz faitin’ oer wooz got de classiest treiler. MAGA!
Most descriptive specs I could find so far for the watch. I wonder how long you can use it between charges.
https://www.cnet.com/uk/products/tambour-horizon-watch/preview/
This is a joke …right?