Tag Heuer will unveil its Android-powered smartwatch Nov. 9 at the LVMH building in New York, CEO Jean-Claude Biver told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Tuesday.
The connected device will cost $1,800, he said.
Previous reports put the price at $1,400.
Tag Heuer, French luxury group LVMH (MC-FR)'s
biggest watchmaker, announced in March it would launch a smartwatch using
Google (GOOGL)'s Android operating system in a venture with Intel (INTC) to
compete head-on with the Apple (AAPL) Watch.
Apple has recently pushed further into the high-end
market, announcing at its product launch earlier this month it would team up
with luxury brand Hermes (RMS-FR) to offer bands to Apple Watch buyers.
Biver told CNBC earlier this year he believed the
Apple Watch would boost the timepiece industry by capturing the interest of young
consumers, among whom watches are not in fashion. On Tuesday, he said he loved
the Apple-Hermes deal because it shows that the smartwatch has cracked the
luxury market.
"We were a little bit concerned about the
price, because we're going to sell it at $1,800 ... and now we are quite
reassured because Apple is telling us we can sell at $1,500 or even more,"
he said. "I'm very, very pleased."
The midlevel Apple Watch tops out at $1,099. The
top-tier Apple Watch Edition runs as much as $15,000.
Biver said it would be "ridiculous" to
try to chase Apple, which launched its watch in April. However, he said it was
not possible to have better partners than Google and Intel.
Tag Heuer will also compete against Gucci (KER-FR),
which is developing a smartband with i.am+, the consumer product brand created
by musician will.i.am.
Biver is the
president of LVMH's watch division and is CEO of Tag Heuer and chairman of
Hublot.
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