The bracelet itself, no watch (link bracelet) is $449 which is a lot more than you typically would pay for a TAG Heuer bracelet, not sure how this is all going to work out for them but I'll probably be buying a steel one on link bracelet just because I'm a bit of a tosser.

 

I'm not a big fan of the Apple Watch, but maybe not for the reasons you'd expect- in short, I am a big believer in the concept, but I think the Apple Watch is poorly executed.

For me the major usability issues are the fact that it needs to be tethered to a phone for many of its features and the battery issues. The battery on the watch lasts for 18 hours- and who knows how much it will drain from your phone as you enjoy these 18 hours. I can't get through a day at the moment with my iPhone 6...this will almost certainly make things worse.

Stand by for a brace of smart watches at Basel next week- people I spoke to in Switzerland last week expect around 20 brands to have some sort of smart watch offer. Some won't have a screen (maybe Swatch), some will be a strap (like the Montblanc) and some will be full-blown smart watch like the Apple. Let's see who can produce the most compelling format.

For me, I would like either a. a full blown independent Apple Watch with at least 4 days battery or b. a watch strap/ buckle/ other that captures information while I am wearing a mechanical watch and then transmits that back to a phone.

...anyway, I've gone off topic! You'll be able to buy a bracelet for less than Apple are charging, especially if you are happy to raid eBay!