The Price Of Apple's Solid Gold Watch Could Actually Buy You A Perodua MyVi
Would you spend RM63,000 on a watch?
By Darian Goh — 10 Mar 2015, 02:03 PM
Apple officially announced the Apple Watch yesterday, which is set to be available for pre-orders from 10 April 2015
The countdown is on for the Apple Watch release date, which has officially been set for April 24 with pre-orders beginning on April 10, timely details that the company announced at its event today.
techradar.com
The watch will come in two sizes and users can customise the watch faces, answer calls, and even get workout data
The home screen can be customised, even with Mickey Mouse. Phone calls can be answered on the watch, and notifications received. Digital Touch lets users share between Apple Watches things like finger drawings or their heartbeats, in real time. The watch will prompt users to move. It has a Workout app.
theguardian.com
The watch comes in two sizes (38mm and 42mm) and the aluminium Apple Watch Sport will be available in silver and space grey (the straps come in multiple colours) and it starts at $349.
theguardian.com
There are three versions of the watch catering to different groups of people: the Apple Watch Sport Edition, the Apple Watch, and the Apple Watch Edition
Apple Watch Sport Edition
- Anodized aluminum and not gold
- 60 percent stronger than standard alloy
- Colors: silver or space gray
- The cheapest model possible
Price: $350 (38mm), $400 (42mm)
Additional costs:
Only compatible with the Sport strap ($50) figured in the final cost.
gizmodo.com
Apple Watch
- Stainless steel and also not gold
- Sapphire glass Colors: polished silver and glossy space black
- All about the hard metal, 80 percent harder than normal stainless steel
- For the non-sporty and also the non-Millionaire
Price: $550-$1050 (38mm) and $600-$1100 (42mm)
Additional costs:
- Sport band: $50
- Leather loop: $150
- Classic buckle: $150
- Milanese loop: $150
- Modern buckle: $250
- Link Bracelet: $450
Apple Watch Edition
- Yes, this is the 18-karat gold one
- For the Mr./Mrs. Moneybags in your life
- Uses special Apple-created gold material
- Will be a limited edition and only in select countries
Price: $10,000-$17,000
But the main point that had everyone talking is the price of the Apple Watch Edition. It starts at a whopping USD10,000 (RM37,000) and can reach as high as USD17,000 (RM63,000).
The most striking thing about today's Apple event is the price of the luxury edition of the Apple Watch. While the low-end Apple Watch Sport starts at $349, the high-end version starts at an astronomical $10,000.
vox.com
Well, the secret is out. A top-of-the-line Apple Watch Edition will cost $17,000. Yes, that’s a 17 and then three zeroes. A $10,000 version of the 18-karat gold smartwatch is also available, presumably for aristocrats on a budget.
time.com
Why the crazy price? The watch is made out of "Apple Gold", a process that makes it stronger than a regular 18 karat gold.
Apple Gold is made using a special process that involves blending gold powder with ceramic powder, then heating and compressing it, to create a substance that's harder and more scratch resistant than regular gold.
Financial Times writer Nick Foulkes wrote that "the molecules in Apple Gold are closer together," which Ars Technica's Jonathan Gitlin dismissed (rightly) as absurd. But Apple gold is undeniably harder than regular 18 k gold. We looked at a patent application filed by Apple industrial designers last year for a "method and apparatus for forming a gold metal matrix composite." It describes several processes for making harder gold.
gizmodo.com
If that isn't enough, you can actually take things one step further by purchasing a 24-karat, diamond encrusted Apple Watch by Brikk for a price tag of "just" USD75,000 (RM277,000)
In case the $349 Apple Watch isn’t luxe enough, consumers can now purchase a 24-karat gold, diamond-encrusted version for a cool $75,000. Courtesy of Brikk (the same company that cashed in on the $8,000 24-karat gold iPhone 6), an “Omni” version of the yet-to-be-released Apple Watch is available for pre-order that features multiple rows of diamonds around the face, buttons and strap clasp, and is available in 24-karat yellow gold, 18-karat pink gold and 950 platinum. In all, the company will offer 30 elevated Lux Watch models.
forbes.comIf you're having trouble deciding whether or not to get an Apple Watch, this little chart should help
