Ahead of Apple’s September 9th event that will include the introduction of Apple’s first wearable computer, along new, larger iPhones, The New York Times has profiled the existing wearable market. The juiciest bit from the story? A purported quote from Apple design chief Jony Ive, relayed by another Apple designer. Said Ive, referring to the existing watch market, “Switzerland is in trouble.”

Here’s the full section:

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.

So, it appears Jony did not actually say “trouble.” He said something “bolder.” Perhaps “screwed” ? :D

Apple’s watch, we first reported, will have a strong sense of fashion in addition to fitness. We’re expecting the device to have a fair-sized display along with wireless charging, a variant of iOS, integration with Apple’s new HealthKit and HomeKit services, the ability to make NFC-based mobile payments by touch, and of course, several medical-grade sensors for monitoring a user’s pulse, hydration, heart rate, and other fitness/health data points.

This also could explain Apple’s recent hire of a Switzerland-based watch company’s marketing head. It also turns out that, if the Ive quote is true, Swatch could have a lot more to worry about than just a trademark.

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