Apple’s latest hire is a sales director from watchmaker Tag Heuer, and his company reps say there’s only one logical reason:
“Our sales director left yesterday because he took a contract from Apple to launch the iWatch.” (Via CNBC)
His arrival marks something of a luxury trifecta for Apple. Late last year the company hired the CEO of Burberry. (Via NBC)
Which followed the earlier headhunting of the CEO of Saint Laurent Paris. (Via ZDNet)
Reports later identified the new hire as Patrick Pruniaux — not just a sales director, but Tag Heuer’s VP of sales and retail. (Via TechCrunch)
He’s expected to bring a lot to the table, including Tag Heuer’s knack for marketing to both higher- and lower-income demographics. A writer at Quartz thinks this is just what Apple needs to kickstart its new market.
“Tag Heuer is better known among people who aren’t luxury-watch buyers than many of its more expensive and more exclusive competitors.”
Which isn’t to say only Apple will benefit. 9to5Mac points to analysts who say a richer watch market will benefit all participants.
“While the iWatch poses a competitive threat to lower-end watch brands, it is likely to be an opportunity for high-end Swiss brands, introducing a new generation of people — most of whom do not currently wear watches — to the watch market.”
It’s worth pointing out Apple still hasn’t confirmed the existence of a watch — even as publication after publication has collected bits of corroborating evidence. Those reports point to a product announcement in October. (Via MacRumors, BGR, CNET, iMore, TechRadar, The Verge)
