HEART MONITOR
How Apple is set to take a bite out of Swiss watch market
The tech giant has rapidly gained share in the watch market and in 2018 will come close to matching worldwide sales of Swiss-made watches, says CCS Insight
Zurich — The Swiss watch industry faces an increased threat from a new Apple Watch able to detect heart problems, which is likely to appeal to older shoppers, industry experts said on Thursday. Apple presented the new Apple Watch Series 4, which is able to take an electrocardiogram to detect an irregular heartbeat and start an emergency call automatically if it detects a user falling down. "Far from just being an evolution, the new Apple Watch 4 is probably a revolution because it does not only target the wrists of geeks but also of people over 45 who care about their health," said industry expert Gregory Pons on his website. Apple has rapidly gained share in the watch market, with connected technology research firm CCS Insight estimating that the tech giant will in 2018 come close to matching worldwide sales of Swiss-made watches, which had shipments of 24-million units in 2017. Exports of Swiss watches in the entry-price segment — of up to $500 — have steadily declined over the pa...
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