The new York Times:
For one week in March, this glittering watch and jewelry show (which ran March 19 to 26), attracts 150,000 industry insiders, collectors and fans, emerging from the digital mists of the 21st century like Brigadoon. It is a village unto itself with its own language, values and celebrities.
And a curious village it is. In an iPhone-toting era, where millions go out in public every day flaunting naked wrists, this is one corner of the globe where the wristwatch — that centuries-old feat of micro-engineering once considered as obsolete as the rotary phone — is the only personal productivity device, status symbol and idea on earth that seems to matter.
Interesting how an article about watches can be written this day without ever mentioning the Apple Watch by name. The reporter must have had to twist himself into knots to not get a single relevant quote from any of the assembled “150,000 industry insiders”.
Might that have been a condition for covering the event?
As far as I know, the NYT does not allow reporting on stories contingent on conditions. I can’t imagine them agreeing to be muzzled on such a minor story like this one.
More likely, simply bad reporting – which is certainly more believable and typical.
180 degree contrast with CES in January 2007, when biggest news at CES was about something that wasn’t even happening there, as Apple announced the iPhone over at Macworld Expo in San Francisco!
Well, yeah. If 111 years counts as “centures.” The Times exaggerates again.
Basel is THE watch show for sure. My fiancé as been to that show. It’s so crowded that they bring in boats and rent them out as hotel rooms during the event. I really want to go next year.
It wasn’t ‘an article about watches,’ it was an article about Baselworld, an event. Apple Watch was hardly mentioned because it wasn’t there. Of course, it don’t need to be. Apple’s watch event got much more coverage.
It was an article about the most important luxury watch expo. Apple has entered the luxury watch market. I can guarantee you there was plenty of conversation about the Apple Watch Edition at the event.
I don’t know, I feel like Apple entered the smart watch market and snuck in the back door of the luxury watch market.
Not really Shawn, the whole article indirectly references and acknowledges the Apple Watch. It’s a feature and not news and what makes the article of any interest is that implicit understanding that the Apple Watch is looming. Sure, the author gets cute by mentioning “the laptop maker in Cupertino”.
However, you see in the title the word “still”. This is to say that despite the smart watch scene (read: the impending Apple Watch release) there is still big business in Switzerland with non-computational watches.
Perhaps but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the New York Times managed to write a story about the biggest event in the luxury watch market without getting quotes from attendees about what is seen by many as a big threat to those attendees.
“And, as you may have heard, a certain maker of laptops in Cupertino, Calif., has decided to enter the business, posing the biggest potential disruption since the advent of quartz in the 1970s and ’80s.
But Baselworld hums to its own rhythms. Nothing, not even Apple, the mostly highly valued company on earth, was going to spoil this party.”
Shawn, they know it’s coming. They are just enjoying the moment. I’m sure they are quite aware of what’s right there in front of them.
I know that. But that wasn’t the point of my comment.
It might just be a case of people (NYT and Baselworld attendees) getting tired of saying “We’ll see.” about the Apple Watch until it’s here and on people’s wrists. Everyday it feels more like Apple announced too early.
Not surprising. It seems the New York Times can’t say much good about Apple since that pathological liar Daisey did that hit piece on Apple and the Times got criticized for running it.
Kind of like when I was in India and mentioned a co-worker who is Pakistani, just as a border war was heating up? I realized I needed to not mention a subject that was touchy for the incumbents. 🙂
Yup, that would be my guess too.
Oh I know, i wasn’t implying that you were not aware. I was just pointing out the obvious denial going on. Ignorance is bliss and they don’t have much time left to enjoy!