Monday, March 31, 2014

Apple reportedly tried poaching Swiss talent to aid iWatch development



A new report claims Apple went after employees of major Swiss watchmakers, but it looks like they weren’t interested.





Switzerland is the leader in the global watchmaking market and they are known the world over for the fine and luxurious watches that they create. It isn’t totally impossible to comprehend why Apple might be going after Swiss talent for its much rumored iWatch.

A new report by the Financial Times claims that Apple has gone after employees for Swiss watchmakers. Apparently the company has even tried forging partnerships with watchmakers, but they don’t seem to be willing to play ball. Apple is said to have reached out to several such companies, and most of them are believed to be not interested by its advances.

Nick Hayek, Swatch CEO, confirmed that the watchmaker has had talks with several companies about wearable devices, adding that they’re not interesting in forging a partnership.*Hayek also says that Swatch never initiated discussions, and it sees no reason to enter into a partnership. His reluctance to go down this road is primarily to protect Swatch’s advancements in longevity, battery life and ergonomic design.

Luxury group LVMH’s president of Watches and Jewelry Jean-Claude Biver has claimed that Apple tried poaching employees from the group’s Hublot brand. Apple is said to have gone after employees of manufacturers who make precision parts for these luxury watches. Biver told a Swiss publication that Apple contacted employees and that he has seen the emails personally. He also claimed that all those who were contacted by Apple refused to jump ship.

There have been countless rumors about the iWatch but so far nothing concrete has materialized. Apple itself hasn’t said anything about its wearable device plans as yet, though CEO Tim Cook did say earlier this year that the company has plans to enter into new product categories.

Source: Financial Times



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