Tag Heuer announced at Baselworld 2015 that it would partner with Google and Intel for its first smartwatch. Company CEO Jean-Claude Biver yesterday told CNBC that the Tag Heuer Carrera Wearable 01 (based on the TAG Heuer Carrera – Heuer 01 pictured above) will be formally unveiled on November 9th in New York.
The success of the Apple Watch is already having an effect on Tag Heuer’s entry into the connected watch market but not in the way most will expect. While Biver teased back in March that the Tag Heuer Carrera Wearable 01 could sell for as low as US$1,000 as a way to introduce new customers to the brand, he revealed that it will in fact sell for almost double that. “We were a little bit concerned about the price, because we’re going to sell it at $1,800 … and now we are quite reassured because Apple is telling us we can sell at $1,500 or even more,” he said. “I’m very, very pleased.”
At USS$1,800, the Tag Heuer Carrera Wearable 01 will cost substantially more than other Android Wear smartwatches. It remains to be seen if the strength of the Tag Heuer brand name as well as a more luxurious build quality will be enough to sway consumers much as Apple has done with the Apple Watch Edition.
Tag Heuer does not plan to challenge Apple directly. “Chasing Apple would be ridiculous. We don’t even want to compete with them,” explained Biver. It will instead focus on its more traditional competitors as the Swiss watch industry adjusts to the growing popularity of smartwatches and wearables.
Biver added that Apple’s recent Apple Watch partnership with Hermès will be good for Tag Heuer as well as it gives credibility to offering a connected watch in the luxury timepiece space.
The official unveiling will take place at 1100 ET on November 9th at t the LVMH building in New York.
Source : CNBC