Apple Watch looks Like a Dismal Failure with Shipments Down 70%: I Think the Wrist Watch is Turning into the Pocket Watch

I guess people just don't want to be Dick Tracy anymore.

Eight-five percent of the wearable technology market is comprised of "basic" devices that don't run third-party apps, according to quarterly data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). Simple wearables saw double-digit growth during the third quarter, IDC said, but when smartwatches were added to the mix, the market grew only 3.1 percent from a year ago.

That was bad news for Apple, who saw wearable shipments fall 71 percent year-over-year in the quarter, to 1.1 million units. Apple does not break out its Apple Watch sales. 

I think they might just be falling due to the trend of people are just not wearing watches. Or they are simply wearing them as jewelry and not actually using them for anything other than telling time. I know luxury watch sales seem to be dipping as well.

Further proof that the high-end market is in decline is the fact that sales of watches valued at more than 3,000.- CHF (export price) have dropped by around 20%, in the same way as low-end watches. The medium range, i.e. watches between 500.- and 3,000.- CHF have been the most resilient, with a drop in value of “only” 7.1%.

I think the cell phone time display is turning the wrist watch into the pocket watch. It won't be long before the wrist watch will just be the province of older people and collectors.