“Nothing gold can stay.” Robert Frost may have said it best, but Apple is reportedly giving the poet a run for his money.
Eight years after Apple released its $17,000 luxury gold edition of the original Apple Watch, MacRumors is reporting that it’s being marked as obsolete. According to an internal memo obtained by the outlet, the initial run of Apple Watches, which launched in 2015, was added to Apple’s list of obsolete products on September 30. That includes all of the base first-edition models, but also the ultra-luxury 18-karat gold editions that became a fad for celebrities and the super-wealthy to flaunt. The list at the time included the artist then known as Kanye West, Drake, Beyoncé, and Karl Lagerfield. An obsolete product can no longer be repaired at Apple Stores or authorized repair centers.
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Apple has a policy of making products it stopped selling more than 7 years ago obsolete. The first-generation gold watches were discontinued in 2016, replaced by more affordable ceramic models. At the time of writing, Apple has not updated its page listing obsolete products to include watches, which are currently listed as “vintage.”
An obvious point to make here is that non-smart-watches do not become obsolete, and in many cases can be repaired and continue ticking for years as they become more valuable over time. Despite its luxury trappings, it looks like the gold Apple Watch can’t hold a candle to a Rolex in this regard.
“It’s ludicrous,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, told Motherboard in an email. “High end watches are heirlooms. You can, and should, pass them down to your kids. Technology the way Apple builds it is a flash in the pan. Civilizations thousands of years from now will laugh at how short-sighted we are. Batteries that wear out in two years? Service networks that shut down after seven? That’s not how you build a society that values craftsmanship.”
Apple has a spotty track record when it comes to repair, and has long been a prime target for right-to-repair advocates due to the company locking down its repair ecosystem and making it extremely difficult for people to fix their own devices. That’s changed a bit in recent years; for example, the company started selling repair manuals and parts to the public, but there’s still a long way to go. iFixit took a look at the new iPhone 15 and concluded that it’s a bit of a repair nightmare.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We’’ll update this post if we hear back.
Update: This post was updated with comment from iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens.
