Last Tuesday, Tim Cook stood before a packed crowd at the Flint Center in Cupertino, CA and unveiled the “next chapter in Apple’s history.” Following an intro video, Cook returned to the stage with fists pumping into the air and the all-new Apple Watch strapped to his wrist; the crowd erupted in applause. It was a big moment for Cook and Apple alike. The Apple Watch announcement marked the first entry into a new product category since Cook took the reins from Steve Jobs at Apple.

Of course, Apple owned the headlines following Tuesday’s big announcement. Blog posts, twitter feeds, and newspaper headlines finally put the rumors to rest, and rightly so. The mysterious iWatch, iTime, or now as we know it, Apple Watch, fused technology and fashion together like never before—a feat that, perhaps, only a company like Apple could pull off in such a remarkable way. More than just a watch, Apple entirely rethought the ubiquitous watch crown, created an entirely new OS experience, and wrapped cutting-edge technology in a truly elegant design.

Uncharted Territory

With the new product reveal, Apple enters uncharted territory. It is yet to be determined if the new Apple Watch is a cash cow like the iPhone and iPad. It’s an unproven product in an unproven category. A risky move. Or is it? As my eyes were glued to the keynote, I could’t help but consider Apple’s revolutionary new product. This bold, new move had already been validated. And validated in a way that has transformed how products can be brought to market.

During the Charlie Rose interview on Friday, Tim Cook said, “An intense team was working on this [Apple Watch] for three years.” Additionally, in an ABC interview Cook told David Muir, “We started working on it after his [Steve Jobs] passing.” In other words, the decision was made to create the watch very shortly after Steve Jobs passed away. When that was exactly, we will probably never know for sure.