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Nico Gerard’s new Swiss Made watches come with an Apple Watch built into the band

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First announced back in November of last year, accessory maker Nico Gerard is now accepting preorders for its Pinnacle Collection dual-watch bands for Apple Watch. The accessory, which is similar to a product from watchmakers Original Grain that we reviewed earlier this year, offers a traditional style watch on one side with the ability to attach an Apple Watch face to the strap on the opposite side of your wrist. The idea is to get the best of both worlds: The look and feel of a traditional watch, but without sacrificing all of the functionality of your Apple Watch in the process.

Unlike the $269 product from Original Grain we reviewed earlier this year, Nico Gerard’s swiss-made take on the dual-watchband is clearly aiming at a more luxury watch market. Prices range from around $9,300.00 for the stainless steel Nico Gerard Pinnacle and Skyview Pinnacle models (pictured above, left and top right), to $112,000.00 for the Sunrise Pinnacle model in 18 Karat gold (pictured above, lower right). Those prices, however, will include a 38mm stainless steel or gold Apple Watch already attached. All three watches come with a Swiss-certified NG2824A movement rated for 100-meter depths for pressure.

I had quite a positive experience with a similar product from Original Grain when I reviewed it a couple months back, although I haven’t made it my daily driver. In fact, I’ve stopped wearing the Apple Watch entirely for the most part and most of the time opt for favorite traditional watches on any given day.  And on that note, I’m not as confident that there will be as much of an audience for this type of accessory on the luxury end of the watch market.

Opinion: Does the Apple Watch Edition signal future luxury-model iPhones, iPads and Macs?

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Back in April of last year, when a luxury model of the Apple Watch was still a vague rumor, I wrote an opinion piece in which I expressed the view that Apple could indeed pull this off. I went further, and suggested that it could even create an entire range of luxury versions of its existing products, from iPhones to Macs.

Ten months on, with the Apple Watch Edition now real, and the general expectation that it’s going to cost several thousand dollars at least, I thought it was time to revisit that idea. Is a luxury model of the Apple Watch a one-off, or does Apple see this as the first step toward Edition models of its complete product range … ? 
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Apple now leads the luxury gift market in China, taking the #1 slot from Hermès

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Apple is on rather a roll at the moment. A new world record for quarterly profitsBest-selling smartphone maker in China. Joint leader of the global smartphone market. Record-breaking app store earnings. Now Reuters reports that it’s picked up a new accolade, leading the luxury goods market in China.

Apple Inc has taken the number one luxury gifting spot in China from designer goods maker Hermès International SCA, according to a Hurun luxury report on Thursday, reflecting the iPhone maker’s recent hot streak in the country.

Hermès is a French maker of designer clothing and accessories, known for its scarves and handmade leather luggage … 
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One luxury watchmaker is already planning to bling out your Apple Watch

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If the current design options for the Apple Watch don’t quite satisfy your fashion desires, Swiss watch designer Yvan Arpa may have a pricey solution for you. A Blog to Watch wrote today about Arpa’s plans to offer luxury customization options that some Apple Watch wearers will inevitably need before sporting Apple’s new wearable. The concepts below assume it will be possible to re-case the technology inside the Apple Watch – we’ll find out after it’s released in early 2015 – with one concept holding an estimated value of over $60,000…


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