>cuff links, boned corsets, pocket watches, cravats, wigs >They will disappear, except for hipsters and old people, within a generation. The items you mentione

>cuff links, boned corsets, pocket watches, cravats, wigs >They will disappear, except for hipsters and old people, within a generation. The items you mentioned fell out of fashion, so I believe his point still stands. It seems to me, watch makers aren't concerned about smart watches from a utilitarian point of view, but from a fashion point of view (After all most people stopped wearing watches once you could get the time on your phone). Likewise, if it was just the case that watches simply had to have more functions to upend the market, smartphones would have eradicated traditional watches by now. Whether or not they are underestimating Apple's ability to create a fashionable digital time piece is one thing, but it looks like watch makers understand that their customers aren't buying their products in order to measure their heart rate (or even check the time).