Apple will no longer fix the gold Apple Watch which sells for $17,000. The original watch models of Apple which is inclusive of the ridiculously expensive Edition versions are now ‘obsolete, and this is something that does not often happen to real luxury watches.
Apple Gold Watch
It was never really clear who the $10,000 to $17,000 18-karat gold Apple Watch was made for, beyond celebrities and the ultrarich, but I really hope that whoever bought one way back in 2015 expected Apple to stop supporting them at some point in time. Well, that day has come. Apple has now internally listed all first-gen Apple Watch models, which is inclusive of the solid-gold Edition, as “obsolete,” MacRumors reports.
The obsolete label of Apple doesn’t just mean the end of software support. That ship in question has sailed as the original Apple Watches (which were widely referred to as Series 0) never updated beyond watchOS 4.3.2 in 2018. It simply means the end of hardware support as the company in question will no longer provide parts, repairs, or even replacement services.
What the Solid-Gold Apple Watch Edition Means To Former Lead Designer at Apple
The solid-gold Apple Watch Edition as you should know was something of a passion project for the former lead designer at Apple, Jony Ive. When it launched at the time, it was seen on the wrists of influential celebrities, and this is including German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who, just like Beyoncé, wore it with a gold link bracelet that was reportedly never available to the public.
The Edition in question was the first attempt of Apple at competing with the luxury watch market, and the solid-gold version at the time only lasted a year before Apple at the time dropped it in favor of much cheaper (but really not cheap!) ceramic and, later, titanium Editions. Many people don’t have the money of Beyoncé or Lagerfeld. Even people who do drop five figures on watches do tend to want something that will still tell time (and get to hold its value) in a couple of decades.
How Users Would React To the New Development
You could get to spend $10,000 to $30,000 on a Cartier Tank, still get a square watch, and not even worry about whether it is that you could get it serviced eight (or 80) years later. As long as luxury watch manufacturers such as Cartier exist (or Patek Philippe, Rolex, etc.), you can get access to first-party repair services.
If it is that your $17,000 Apple Watch needs to be repaired, then you can try your luck with a third-party repair shop, DIY a battery replacement, or, even if it is that you have the necessary panache, just wear it anyway. Karl Lagerfeld didn’t even get to set his up!
MORE RELATED POSTS
