We have heard countless times that Apple is going to launch a new smartwatch. In order to make it in this competitive market the company will no doubt need someone who is able to sell it to the masses. Swiss watchmakers have drawn people’s attention towards their products for decades so much so that the country itself has become synonymous with high-quality watches. What better pool to draw talent from? CNBC reports that Apple has hired TAG Heuer’s vice president of global sales.
For those who don’t know TAG Heuer, its a luxury brand owned by the LVMH group and it makes watches, high-end mobile phones and a host of other really expensive stuff. The group owns TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenit.
LVMH head of the watch brands Jean-Claude Biver tells CNBC that Apple has poached TAG Heuer’s VP of global sales. Apparently the company wants to use the iconic “Swiss made” label on its iWatch. The VP in question is said to have left for Apple last week.
This follows a recent report about how Swiss watchmakers were concerned about advances Apple was making towards their employees. Surely a job at Apple is enticing and it wouldn’t be a surprise if talent did jump ship.
However ultimately it will come down to the product. The wearable device market is already competitive as it is. Apple jumping in the fray would only increase competition and since the company is not exactly known for low-cost devices, it may have a hard time competing against cheaper smartwatches. Perhaps Apple aims to lean on its hundreds of millions of iOS users by pushing the iWatch as a must-have companion device for every iPhone owner.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Watch, Smartwatches and Wearable Tech.