In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple design chief Jony Ive reveals that the company spoke to Hermès regarding a possible Apple Watch partnership before the product was announced to the public last fall. “It’s something highly unusual for Apple to do—to talk about an unannounced project,” he explained.
For those who missed the news on Wednesday, Apple unveiled an all new Hermès edition of the Apple Watch that starts at $1,100. The device features custom watch faces, and a Hermès leather band that’s available in multiple colors and three different styles: double tour, single tour and cuff.
The Hermès Apple Watch face features the Hermès logo just above the dial, and is customizable using one of three Hermès fonts. Ive says that allowing the Hermès brand to upstage Apple is a first. “I’ve been at Apple 23 years and this is conspicuous and singular. I’ve never known anything like this.”
Hermès, a highly regarded French manufacturer of luxury leather items, isn’t prone to partnerships like this either. But artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas said the Apple Watch gave the 178-year-old brand the chance to prove it can be contemporary. “We are a new tradition and an age-old tradition, and we meet at the center of the arch.”
The Apple Watch Hermès will be available at Apple and Hermès stores starting on October 5, with prices ranging from $1,100 to $1,500.
Source: The Wall Street Journal