Swatch Denies Apple Partnership

In a statement sent to Reuters, Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group today officially denied media reports that they are collaborating with Apple on the rumoured iWatch. VentureBeat was first to report the collaboration, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

Iwatch c concept1

Today a Swatch Group spokeswoman emphasized the report was “unfounded”. She said the only business relationship the watchmaker had with mobile phone makers was as a supplier of integrated circuits and other electronic components.

Swatch Group chief executive Nick Hayek repeated to Reuters what we’ve heard all along from multiple Swiss watch manufacturers: they are not interested in teaming up with a tech company to develop a smartwatch.

VentureBeat’s source claimed Swatch and (possibly) Timex had inked a deal with Apple to build one or more smart watches. What’s interesting in the report published yesterday is that Apple wants to reach millions of wrists by teaming up with these Swiss watch manufacturers and will share the “branding glory”.

The VentureBeat report goes against Apple’s hiring effort and previous claims of the company working on a smartwatch on its own. Fact is, Apple was said to be shopping around in Switzerland, but this was reportedly for talent, since watch manufacturers weren’t interested in a partnership with the tech firm.

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