Recommended Reading: A Former Apple Executive Warns Swatch Against Making Its Own OS

March 20, 2017

Im calling it now. 2017 will be the year of the smartwatch. I expect well see a lot of smartwatches later this week when Baselworld kicks off, though it may be a few years still before traditional watch brands introduce smartwatches broad enough in appeal to challenge Apple, Samsung, and the like C if they ever do. Apart from the Frederique Constant Group/MMT partnership, the reaction several traditional watch brands?to giant tech companies developing products that sit on our wrists has been to partner with other giant tech companies and using operating systems developed by them. After dabbling timidly with smart technology, LVMH and Richemont have put their full weight behind wearables with the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 and the Montblanc Summit, both of which use Googles latest OS, Android Wear 2.0. Both are really big watches, but they're so far the closest the Swiss have come to really challenging the Apple Watch (and in any case, actually challenging Apple may not be what they really have in mind anyway). However, theres one watch conglomerate that hasnt introduced a smartwatch (yet). We are still waiting for the Swatch Group to respond and when it does, it will be doing it without any help from the outside (of Swiss borders, at least). Nick Hayek, the Groups CEO, recently announced that Swatch would partner with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) to write its own OS, and one that will not need regular updates.?Thats a terrible idea, according to Jean-Louis Gasse. The former Apple executive knowns a thing or two about developing tech products the public wants, and warns Hayek and Swatch that competing with established smartwatch players will be much harder than competing with Japanese quartz.?In an open letter, Gasse reveals his admiration for Swatch's strategy in the 1980s, recalls the Groups uneasy relationship with low tech wristwatches and the short-lived SPOT-powered Swatches in the noughties, and finally, plays angels advocate (his words, not mine), and tries to offer some advice. Its a very informative and entertaining read to kick off what I am sure will be a an interesting week for wearables in Basel.You can read "SwatchOS: Not A Smart Decision"?on Monday Note, right?here.