When you think of a ‘vintage’ watch, the all-conquering Apple Watch, or any other timepiece with a touchscreen, probably won’t come to mind.
However, the original Apple Watch (often called Series 0) is now considered to be a vintage piece of technology according to Apple itself.
The company has added the first Apple Watch, released in 2015, to its list of vintage products. The Apple Watch 38mm and Apple Watch 42mm watches were added to the list on September 30.
In a post on the Apple support site, the company writes: “Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.”
In a couple of years, those watches will become obsolete, meaning “Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago.” The difference between the two is quite significant. Vintage products will still be serviced by Apple, obsolete ones will not.
That means owners of the O.G. Apple Watch now have a couple of years to get their device fixed if something goes wrong.
“Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, with the sole exception of Mac notebooks that are eligible for an additional battery-only repair period. Service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products,” the company says.
You might like…
If you’re considering buying an original Apple Watch for some proactive retro cool, this is definitely something to consider too. It doesn’t have any software updates beyond watchOS 4.0, but does offer access to Apple Pay and some more limited fitness tracking. However, there’s no water resistance or cellular connectivity available.
The original Apple Watch was launched in 2015, but quickly replaced by what’s known as the true Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2, which arrived in 2016.
Of course, the range is still going strong with the Apple Watch Series 7, with a larger display, going on sale later this autumn.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
