On Apple Watch pricing (redux)

[Here’s a second take at my Apple Watch pricing post, this time, hopefully, with the case description/pricing right.]

The long wait is over. The prices have been established.

We now know that the low end entry point for the Apple Watch Sport (the one with the aluminum case) is $349 for the 38mm model and $399 for the 42mm model. This model comes with the sport band in your choice of white, blue, pink, green or black.

The mid-point model is the stainless steel Apple Watch. With that same sport band, the stainless steel Apple Watch is priced at $549/$599 for the 38mm/42mm.

Want a nicer band to go with that? The stainless steel Apple Watch with the Milanese Loop is $649/$699. The 38mm model offers a leather strap with what’s called a Modern Buckle in black, midnight blue, soft pink, or light brown for $749. The 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch offers a Leather Loop in black, bright blue, stone or brown for $699. Finally, the stainless steel Apple Watch can be purchased with a stainless steel link bracelet for $949/$999 or a black stainless steel link bracelet for $1049/$1099.

I know what you’re thinking. Show me the high end. The creme de la creme. The one that Jim Dalrymple (shown here with what looks like the stainless steel Apple Watch) will no doubt gift me the second it’s available.

Here’s the scoop. The Apple Watch Edition comes in 8 models. The 38mm case is $10,000 in 18-Karat Yellow Gold with a custom version of the sport band in either white or black or $17,000 in 18-Karat Rose Gold with a custom modern buckle band in rose gray or bright red. The 42mm case is $12,000 in 18-Karat Rose Gold with a custom white or black sport band, $15,000 in 18-Karat Yellow Gold with the Black Classic or Midnight Blue Buckle band.

The thing is, every case and every band is a showpiece of modern design with incredible attention paid to every fine-tuned detail. The functionality is well thought out, especially for a brand new product, functionality you know will only get better with time.

My 2 cents? Apple will sell every case and every band they can make. Got some money to spend? Go here (at least in the US) and price out your own Apple Watch.

As to the impact on Apple’s bottom line? I’ve read a lot of analysis on this topic. To me, this is focus on the wrong thing. The Apple Watch is not a revenue driver. It is part of the ecosystem. Apple Watch exists to help add value to the brand, to bring new customers into the fold and keep existing customers happy, even delighted. Though the Apple Watch will drive some amount of revenue, it’s more important job is to sell more iPhones, to keep the ecosystem humming.