An estimated 1 million Apple Watches sold in U.S. in first 24 hours

If researchers at Slice Intelligence are to be believed, the Apple Watch scored big when it became available for preorders last week.

How big? Try 957,000 people preordering in the U.S. on Friday alone — with the more-affordable Apple Watch Sport model racking up the biggest number of sales.

Check out more of the breakdown figures and interesting sales stats below.

Slice Intelligence compiled its data from around 2 million online shoppers. The researchers concluded that each Apple Watch buyer ordered an average of 1.3 watches, and spent $503.83 per watch. Those people ordering an Apple Watch Sport spent $382.83 per device, while those ordering the Apple Watch spent $707.04. No figures were made available on the $10,000-plus Apple Watch Edition.

62 percent of customers reportedly purchased the less-expensive Apple Watch Sport, and 71 percent opted for the larger 42mm case, which would seem to suggest a heavy leaning in favor of male purchasers, despite Apple’s focus on advertising in magazines, like Vogue, which have predominantly female readerships.

As most people could have predicted, the most popular case was the Space Gray aluminum one, which 40 percent of Apple Watch buyers gravitated toward. This was followed by stainless steel (34 percent), silver aluminum (23 percent) and Space Black stainless steel (3 percent.)

In terms of bands, the Black Sport Band was the most popular, but more detailed figures can be seen below.

Slice notes that the halo effect is strong with the Apple Watch, with 72 percent of customers having bought another Apple device in the past two years, while 21 percent preordered an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus late last year. Close to a third purchased two Apple products, while 11 percent bought three new devices, plus the Watch.

The report finally estimates that around 48,000 new MacBooks were sold, with Space Gray once again the most popular color, followed by gold. 43 percent of Macbook buyers also bought an Apple Watch.

Other analysts are chiming in on the success of the Apple Watch, too. In a note to clients, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster wrote that launch day supplies sold out within the first 10 minutes to half an hour depending on the model.

Cowen and Co. analyst Timothy Arcuri is meanwhile reported as claiming that in-store Apple Watch showings are translating into successful pre-orders 85-90 percent of the time.

That sound you hear in the distance is presumably champagne flutes clinking in Cupertino!

Source: Slice Intelligence

Luke Dormehl

Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.