TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver plans to own one

Jan 21, 2015 13:38 GMT  ·  By

After stating that the Apple Watch was “too feminine” to gain widespread appeal, TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver is backpedaling on his statements, admitting that Apple’s upcoming wearable has his full attention.

Even before it’s released, the Apple Watch has sent shockwaves throughout the watch industry. One person who has been often quoted on the topic is Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer, a Swiss manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and markets watches and fashion accessories.

Our smartwatch won’t be “Swiss Made”

Biver has been quoted as saying negative things about the watch, but he’s had a change of heart since. “It’s a fantastic product, an incredible achievement,” he said, suggesting that he’ll probably go out and buy one. More interestingly, Biver said that because of the Apple Watch threat, he has assembled teams to work on a smartwatch that will give Apple a run for its money.

The problem is that this device will not receive the Swiss Made moniker because it will have too many parts made by outside partners. Biver explains:

“...we can’t produce the engine, the chips, the applications, the hardware -- nobody can produce it in Switzerland. The hardware and the software will come from Silicon Valley. But the watch case, the dial, the design, the idea, the crown, that part of the watch will, of course, be Swiss,” he said, according to Bloomberg.

To be “Swiss Made,” at least 50 percent of the parts need to be produced in the country. Biver also admitted that the Apple Watch is the biggest threat for watches priced under $2,000 (€1726).

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