The Editions: Part II

*There and Back Again; the ceramic Apple Watch Edition has popped in and out of Apple’s lineup in three of the last 5 years.*

Our story left off with Apple having discontinued the 18k Gold Apple Watch Edition, a watch aimed at the luxury watch market and priced very much accordingly. In the second half of this retrospective, we turn our attention to the next generation of the Edition lineup: ceramic.

The Editions Series:

The Editions: Part I - September 23, 2020
The Editions: Part II - October 14, 2020

Introducing: Ceramic

Series 2

The Ceramic Apple Watch was first introduced back on September 07, 2016, as the new Edition tier alongside the aluminum & stainless steel Series 2. Compared to the previous year's Edition line, the ceramic Apple Watch came in at a more modest $1,249 for the 38mm & $1,299 for the 42mm. The Series 2 Edition shipped with a new magnetic charging dock, an extra USB/lightning cable, a booklet outlining its manufacturing process, and an exclusive "Cloud" Sport Band (a light grey) with a ceramic pin.

One thing Apple highlighted about the ceramic Apple Watch was its manufacturing process. Made out of a zirconia, yttrium oxide, and alumina powder power, the ceramic powder is first placed into a mould and sintered (that means to coalesce a powder into a solid by applying heat - I had to look that up) for 35 hours at 1500ºC. After the case is removed from the mould, the watch is diamond cut and polished - a process Apple described as taking up to eight hours - to produce its signature pearlescent shine. This complex manufacturing process undoubtably added to the watches p’’s prestige and overall price point.

*The ceramic manufacturing process, from powder to polished casing.*

But apart from merely being a swanky material, the ceramic apple used was 4x harder than stainless steel, making the finish highly resistant to nicks or scratches. However, the downside of a material like ceramic is that unlike metal, ceramic could shatter or chip if it sustained a hard enough hit.

In the court of public opinion, the reception of the ceramic Apple Watch was mixed. Given how much growing up WatchOS still had to do back in 2016, the Edition was still a lot of cash to drop on a very niche and developing market. Additionally, for those who knew next to nothing regarding watch design (I place myself in this camp), it was hard to recognize the value in a material like ceramic. Unlike gold, which most of us have at least have a cursory understanding that "yeah that's expensive", the first image that came to my mind when I think of ceramic was of the cups and plates tucked away in my cabinet. This left me wondering for whom was the Edition geared towards? And because I imagined the overlap between watch enthusiasts, Apple enthusiasts, people with $1,300 cash, and those who wanted their fancy watch to be an Apple Watch to be relatively thin, I questioned whether the ceramic was a one-hit-wonder or something it would persist in Apple's lineup?

Series 3

But there must've been a market for the ceramic Series 2, because when it came time to announce the Series 3, Apple unveiled not one, but two different ceramic finishes. In addition to carrying over the white ceramic, Apple also announced a grey ceramic Apple Watch Edition Series 3. Each came with their own signature sports band (Soft White/Pebble for the white Edition, Gray/Black for the grey Edition) and included the same accessories that came bundled with the Series 2 Edition (dock, extra cable, blah blah…).

Series 4

The Series 4 released in 2018 marked the first time Apple dramatically redesigned the Apple Watch since introducing the product in 2015. The cases became larger and thinner, and displays were rounded and grew by 30%. The Series 4 hardware was a quantum leap for the Apple Watch, But one thing missing was an Edition tier, which completely disappeared in 2018. Apple continued to release new models as part of its collaboration with Hermès but got rid of having a ceramic or any other Edition product in their lineup.

Series 5

I never read or heard a reason to explain the Edition's absence from the Series 4 lineup, so I can only speculate why the Edition was excluded from the Series 4 lineup. But when Apple announced the Series 5 in late 2019, it reintroduced the Edition line, bringing back the classic white ceramic (so long grey ceramic) and introducing a new titanium edition (in both a raw and Space Black titanium finish) to the lineup.

*The Space Black Titanium with Dark Grey Sport Band, and Titanium with Light Grey Sport Band.*

Like all the previous Edition models, these two new Edition finishes had full software parity with the other Series 5 Apple Watches available and feature parity (e.g., sapphire display, ceramic back) stainless steel Apple Watches. The 40mm titanium cost $799 and $849 for the 44mm ($100 more than their stainless steel counterparts), while the 40mm ceramic cost $1,299 & $1,349 for the 44mm. Both the titanium and ceramic models also included an exclusive colour-matched Sport Band, in addition to the band you paired with the watch at checkout. When you factored in the $49 price tag for an additional Sport Band, the titanium Edition became only $50 more expensive than the stainless steel model.

With the Series 5 Edition retaining the new form factor introduced in Series 4, I'll argue that the Series 5 ceramic became the most striking Apple Watch available. From the rounded display to the sleek pearlescent case, the Series 5 ceramic is and looks every bit the highly polished and refined product that it is. Since its introduction, Apple has continued to add features to the watch's design, including waterproofing, cellular, Haptic Touch, louder speakers, faster processors, and a new rounded, always-on display. Simultaneously, Apple has matured WatchOS with new features, performance enhancements, and health sensors that have helped make it the best selling watch on the market. Unlike the first gold Edition models, the Series 5 ceramic featured beautiful materials & design paired with years of polish, all built around a matured software platform.

Series 6

Only a year after it reappeared, the ceramic Apple once again vanished from Apple's lineup when Apple introduced the Series 6. Unlike the year Apple introduced the Series 4, Apple kept the Edition tier with the two titanium finishes they introduced last year.

So what's an Edition now? Previously, it was the Apple Watch, the one that aficionados who knew a thing or two about the Apple Watch would spot in a crowd. The Apple Watch meets conspicuous consumption. But now the gap between the Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Edition has all but vanished. With Series 6, the Edition is now just $50 more expensive than the stainless steel. Indeed a premium material, but now with a lot less distinction than ever before. I'm left wondering if Apple decides to do away with the Edition tier when it comes time to announce the Series 7, or if the Edition name continues to hold a valuable cacher to help justify the exclusiveness and indulgence of Apple's most expensive Apple Watches. I hope Apple keeps the Edition around as it continues to be a place where Apple can experiment & introduce new materials and manufacturing processes for the future.