If you like the look of the high-end Apple Watch Edition, but the $10,000+ price point makes your heart and wallet hurt, a Swiss company might have a nice alternative for you.
Golden Dreams of Geneva specializes in classing up iPhones, cases, and bags, and it’s turned its monocle-rimmed gaze to Apple’s new smartwatch. The company can take a standard version of the wearable and make it fancy at a fraction of the cost of its more precious sibling.
The Apple Watch section of Golden Dreams’ website advertises “the latest technology fused with traditional Swiss watchmaking.” What this means is that the customizer will start with either the 38mm or 42mm stainless-steel version of the Apple Watch (which sells in the U.S. starting at $549 and $599, respectively) and plate it with either yellow, rose, or “understated” (read: as silver in color as the Watch itself) white gold and then offer a few other stylish options with it.
They can engrave it, for example, or hot stamp the band. And speaking of bands, the company boasts 160 different colors of watch straps made from alligator, ostrich, snake (including python), or shark. I’m not sure I was even aware that “ostrich leather” was a thing, but now that I’ve seen it, it’s not for me. Looks a little pimply.
As for price, the 38mm lists at 3,200 Swiss Francs (about $3,391 U.S.), and the 42mm face costs 3,400 Francs ($3,603). The actual order page has some different figures of $3,550
and $3,650, but that’s still way lower than one might expect. Golden Dreams says that supply issues are causing a 4-week waiting period, but that’s still better than the times people had to wait for the regular Apple Watches when they launched back in April.
Considering some of the drama and tension people have put on Switzerland since the announcement of the Apple Watch, like the possible effect on exports and some words of doom from Apple design guru Jony Ive, it’s interesting to see a Swiss company embracing the new tech and putting its own stamp on it. And while I still can’t afford one of these damned things, they are pretty gorgeous.
Evan Killham is a freelance writer who lives in Nebraska and isn’t interested in football, so he has plenty of time to play and think about video games. He has written for Bitmob and GamesBeat and sometimes, he even goes outside. But not too often because he’s heard there are bees out there. Occasionally, companies send free units for review. Evan subscribes to Cult of Mac’s Reviews Policy and also does not keep the items he receives for possible coverage.
2 responses to “Swiss custom Apple Watch offers Edition style at (relatively) low price”
is this the equivalent of a Rolls-Royce kit for your Chrysler?
My primary concern is that the stainless has a propensity to scratch and 18K gold is soft and scratches. Given the micro plating, will one wind up with a scratched up mess in a month?