Swatch wants Apple to ditch iWatch name
iWatch is the name Apple is expected to use for its still unconfirmed smartwatch device. The company has registered the name in several countries, although it hasn't officially said the device is coming or what it will be called.
Simply registering the name was enough to get the attention of Swatch, according to Bloomberg. The company decided to take action, but doesn't see what it has done as an agressive move. Company CEO Nick Hayek said, “This is the normal procedure to protect your own brand name. We react like this for all other brand names that we have protected.”
Presumably what Swatch wants is for Apple to use a different name for its smartwatch.
Apple hasn't announced a product yet, but is widely assumed to be well on its way to releasing something. The company has been hiring medical sensor experts, fitness tracking design experts, and fashion pros, which helps back up the notion that a Fitbit and Jawbone Up competitor is just around the corner.
Nike may have helped back up the fitness tracker idea, too, when it fired most of its Fuelband hardware team and announced it would focus on software for other companies. Nike CEO Mike Parker said his company's relationship with Apple is strong, adding, “We've been working with them for a long time, and we're excited about where that relationship will go forward.”
Swatch already uses the iSwatch name for in its product line, and doesn't want to see other companies releasing products that could confuse consumers and dilute its own brand. “If somebody wants to register a name that is too close to a name that we have protected, we fight against it,” Mr. Hayek said.
Apple hasn't commented, which isn't much of a surprise because doing so would most likely help confirm the company's smartwatch plans.