Apple tried to hire Swiss watch-making experts to work on the iWatch

According to a Financial Times report,Apple tried to bring Swiss watch-making expertise to its fablediWatch project. In its perfectionist pursuits, the company reachedout to talent from esteemed brands to work on what could be asmart-watch with a traditional mechanism. But, so far, Apple'sefforts have failed. Apparently, the company tried to hirewatch-making experts from LVMH Hublot, Swatch, and "severalSwiss parts manufacturers", but none of Hublot's workersaccepted, and, most likely, neither did others from the industry.

As a whole, Switzerland's watch-makingelite remains skeptical of wearable technology. It has proudly ruledthe watch industry for decades, while selling watches that aresometimes worth hundreds of thousands dollars. It's not unrealisticto assume that it views current smart-watches as a fad of poorlydesigned, cheaply made accessories which rely on the popularity ofsmartphones to steal customer attention from their finely craftedproducts.

Vendors like Apple and Motorola lookingafter fusing the exquisiteness of traditional watches with theexciting possibilities of today's technology, but it would take morethan impressive concepts, it seems, to convince Switzerland'sold-timers to get with the times. "We have been indiscussions - not ever initiated by us - with practically all playersin smart wearables up until today," said Swatch CEO NickHayek, adding that "we see no reason why we should enter intoany partnership agreement."

It would take more than impressive concepts to convince Switzerland's old-timers to get with the times

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iWatch concept by Martin Hajek

The Moto 360, a great surpriseintroduced alongside Android Wear, impressed technology fans from theget-go. Meanwhile, Apple analysts are becoming impatient, evendisillusioned with the iWatch. The device is expected to appear laterthis year, but most reports and rumors suggest that it's still in aprototype stage and being experimented upon. Extreme ambition andtaking time has been Apple's way of doing business since itsinception, but in this day and age, the market's moving very fast,while customers, analysts, and investors foster unrealistically highexpectations from leaked information.

If Apple postpones the iWatch for toolong, it risks the product turning into a letdown on release. Thenagain, the majority of Cupertino's clientèle is perfectly happy withwhatever the company throws at them, so maybe the biggest pressure is stemming from its own high standards.

via AppleInsider