Skip to content

March 13, 2015

How the Apple Watch is (probably) made

by John_A

During the Spring forward event, Apple showed three videos narrated by Jony Ive that highlighted the material and manufacturing processes behind the aluminum, stainless steel, and gold Apple Watch. Greg Koenig, co-founder of Luma Labs, studied the videos and, based on his industry experience, tried to describe just what exactly it is Apple’s doing to make their new watch in a highly detailed, step by step way. From Atomic Delights:

Jonny Ive often speaks of care. It is an odd word to use as it doesn’t imply the traditional notion of “craftsmanship” in the classic, handmade sense. Nor does it imply quality or precision in the way a Japanese car manufacturer or German machine tool maker would. “Care” implies a respect for the raw materials and end result, with little concern about what it takes to link those two ends of the production chain together, and we see that highlighted with the Watch. Apple could very easily have forgone forging to create stainless steel cases, just like everyone else. Hardening gold alloy with cold working could have been eliminated, putting them on par with the rest of the industry. Nobody will see or feel the inside pocket for the microphone on the Sport, yet it has been laser finished to perfection.

I see these videos and I see a process that could only have been created by a team looking to execute on a level far beyond what was necessary or what will be noticed. This isn’t a supply chain, it is a ritual Apple is performing to bring themselves up to the standards necessary to compete against companies with centuries of experience.

Don’t cheat yourself, read the whole thing.

<!–*/

<!–*/

<!–*/

.devicebox
background-color: #5CB8DB;
border: 1px solid #E2E9EB;
float: right;
display: block;
margin: 0 0px 10px 10px;
max-width: 350px;
overflow: hidden;
width: 50%;

.devicebox h3
background: #8D98BD;
color: #fff;
font-family: “camptonmedium”,sans-serif;
font-size: 20px;
margin-bottom: 0;
margin-top: 0;
padding: 0;
text-align: center;

.devicebox h3 a
display: block;
line-height: 30px;
padding: 0 10px;

.devicebox h3 a:hover
background: #7e88aa;
text-decoration: none;

.devicebox .video
margin: auto;
border: 0px;

.devicebox p,
.entry-content .devicebox p > img,
.devicebox img
margin: 0px;
max-width: 100%;
padding: 0px;

.devicebox,
.devicebox a,
.devicebox a:active,
.devicebox a:hover,
.devicebox a:link,
.devicebox a:visited,
.devicebox p,
.devicebox ul,
.devicebox ul li,
.devicebox li
color: #fff;

.devicebox a:hover
text-decoration: underline;

.devicebox p,
.devicebox ul,
.devicebox ul li,
.devicebox li
border-width: 0px;
font-family: “camptonlight”,sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
padding: initial;

.devicebox ul
margin: 0;
padding: 0.5em 1em 1em 30px;

.devicebox ul li
display: list-item;

.devicebox ul,
.devicebox ul li,
.devicebox li
line-height: 24px;
list-style: disc outside none;

.devicebox ul li:before
display: none;

.devicebox p ~ p
padding: 0px 15px 15px;
line-height: 1.25;

.devicebox p:first-of-type + p
padding: 15px;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox
float: none;
margin: 0 auto 30px;
max-width: 700px;
min-height: 225px;
position: relative;
width: 100%;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video
bottom: 0px;
left: 50%;
position: absolute;
right: 0px;
top: 30px;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe
height: 100%;
padding: 0px;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox p,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox p
width: 43%;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p
bottom: 0;
left: 50%;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
right: 0;
top: 30px;
width: 50%

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p img,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p img,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p img,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p img,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p img,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p img
float: right;
height: 100%;
width: auto;

@media all and (max-width: 500px)
.devicebox
float: none;
margin: 0;
max-width: 100%;
width: 100%;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video
left: 0;
position: relative;
top: 0;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox .video_iframe,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox .video_iframe
padding-bottom: 56.25%;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox h3 + p,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox h3 + p
left: 0;
position: relative;
top: 0;

.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ul,
.field-items p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul,
.slide p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul,
.article-body-wrap p:last-of-type + .devicebox ~ .devicebox ul
width: auto;

/*–>*/

/*–>*/

/*–>*/

Read more from News

Leave a comment

Note: HTML is allowed. Your email address will never be published.

Subscribe to comments