Jony Ive On iWatch: Switzerland is in Trouble

jony_iveAhead of Apple's September 9 event, in which the company is expected to finally show off the much-rumored iWatch, an Apple designer told the New York Times (via 9to5Mac), in a larger piece about fashion and technology, that Jony Ive is bragging that the iWatch could endanger traditional watchmakers.

According to a designer who works at Apple, Jonathan Ive, Apple’s design chief, in bragging about how cool he thought the iWatch was shaping up to be, gleefully said Switzerland is in trouble — though he chose a much bolder term for “trouble” to express how he thought the watchmaking nation might be in a tough predicament when Apple’s watch comes out.

While part leaks for the device have been nonexistent and solid information about the device's capabilities have been hard to come by, rumors have indicated the wearable may have NFC capabilities, tight integration with iOS 8, features related to health and fitness and that it would serve as an accessory device to the iPhone.

Rumors have suggested the iWatch will be introduced at Apple's September 9 event and will likely launch in early 2015.

Popular Stories

Apple Creator Studio

Apple Introduces New 'Creator Studio' Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year

Tuesday January 13, 2026 6:11 am PST by
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad Pixelmator...
Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
iOS 26

Here's What's New in iOS 26.3 So Far

Monday January 12, 2026 1:15 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones. iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. Below,...
airpods pro 3 design

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update

Tuesday January 13, 2026 11:29 am PST by
Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30. Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements." No other AirPods models received firmware updates today. How to install AirPods Pro...

Top Rated Comments

mozumder Avatar
148 months ago
People that buy $10,000-$50,000 watches aren't going to not buy them because of Apple.

There was an interview with one of the luxury watch vendors CEO back when the first digital watches came out in the 70's. The interviewer asked about the threatening competition from digital watches, and the CEO gave back the answer "We're not in the watch business. We're in the Jewelry business."

The Swiss watchmakers have nothing to worry about.
Score: 112 Votes (Like | Disagree)
X-X Avatar
148 months ago
The world's first Swiss watch made in China.

Revolutionary.
Score: 93 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dukebound85 Avatar
148 months ago
kinda different markets

traditional watches are jewelry that can be handed down generations.

Any watch apple makes will be obsolete after the next revision, or within a couple years.
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mad3inch1na Avatar
148 months ago
It is unapologetically plastic.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krimsonmyst Avatar
148 months ago
This is a joke, right?

No-one is going to stop Swiss timepieces because of an Apple iWatch. These watchmakers are crafting timeless pieces of jewellery, not phone accompaniments.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PocketSand11 Avatar
148 months ago
People that buy $10,000-$50,000 watches aren't going to not buy them because of Apple.
Yeah, I think it was meant as a joke. He just means that Apple's iWatch is going to rival or surpass Swiss watches in terms of looks, not that people are going to stop buying Swiss watches.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)