Industry Analyst Claims Apple's 'Edition' Version Watch Could Cost as much as $5,000 USD

[dgstorm]

So, based upon Apple's own reveal, we know that some version of the Apple Watch will start out at $349 in pricing, but Apple has yet to reveal any specific pricing for any of the devices. Some speculate that the Sport version of the Apple Watch will be the one that starts with the $349 price, while the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition will command a higher premium.

Apple did reveal some of the materials the devices will be made of, however, which lead analyst John Gruber to predict what he believes the prices of these devices might be. His analysis is probably quite shocking if true.
According to Gruber, the following pricing model is very realistic based upon the materials the devices will be made of:

• Apple Watch Sport with aluminum/glass: $349
• Apple Watch with stainless steel/sapphire: $999
• Apple Watch Edition with 18-karat gold/sapphire: $4,999

Yes... you read that number correctly, the gold version of the Edition watch could be as much as $5,000 USD! Gruber points out that this is because the watch will not be "gold-colored" or gold plated, but will actually be 18-carat solid gold. Based upon the price of gold and the weight of the watch case, Gruber estimates that the bare minimum price we will see for this version of the watch will be $2,000, and could get as high as $10,000.

He points out that an 18-karat gold Rolex Submariner Date costs around $34,250, (or $8,550 for the stainless steel version), so when you put it in that perspective, the price isn't too crazy. Still, if true, it means Apple really does intend to compete more in the watch industry, rather than the smartwatch industry.

What do you think of Apple's chances in this arena?

Source: DaringFireball.net