New York Times:

What’s the deal with wearables and fashion? Five years on from the watch’s much-ballyhooed introduction, is the relationship over? Has technology found a new object for its affections?

And:

In advance of the watch’s introduction, Apple — which, after all, had been built on some of the principles dear to luxury, including the allure of tactile design, and planned obsolescence — began seducing glossy executives right and left to come work for the company.

Most notably there was Paul Deneve, the chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent; Patrick Pruniaux, of Tag Heuer; and Angela Ahrendts, the chief executive credited with using technology to transform Burberry, who arrived at Apple to run its retail and e-tail operations with a gilded halo still fresh on her head.

Many other examples follow. But:

But then Mr. Deneve left Apple. So did Mr. Pruniaux. And next month, Ms. Ahrendts departs. Intel “exited the end-product wearables area in 2017,” according to a company spokeswoman, and has pivoted to data analysis used to inform retailers and brands, among others.

Interesting. The Times definitely has their finger on something, just not sure it’s Apple capriciously abandoning fashion. Rather, I think Apple explored fashion as a way to help launch the Apple Watch, to add to other efforts to help legitimize the market.

As the market matured, that need has diminished. Apple has learned a lot and has new drivers, most notably health and the success of the ECG technology.

And I do think Apple Watches, and the wide marketplace of fashionable watch bands, shows that the fashion side of Apple Watch has become self sustaining.