After issuing a call for Apple Watch evangelists, Apple is looking beyond those who can preach the technical wonders wrapped inside of the upcoming wrist-worn computer and searching out those who can tout the smart watch's luxurious side.
News of Apple's search for Apple Watch fashionistas emerged on 9t05Mac, which sources an alleged memo circulating within the ranks of the Cuptertino tech company.
Apple is said to be calling on applicants with a background in luxury goods or fashion, according to the report. Beyond that, nothing else is known about what the position will involve or what clever job title it will include.
Though Apple has revealed its smart watch will start at a price point of $349, there have been reports asserting some models will creep into the low-end of the price range dominated by luxury Swiss timepieces. The gold Apple Watches are expected to be priced somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000.
To further its ambition of building the perception of the Apple Watch as a luxury timepiece, Apple took the smart watch to Paris and showed it off at Colette's luxury watch store before an audience of fashion editors. While the Apple Watch's technical side awed the audience, some attendees felt the watch was a bit out of its element in the store, according to a report on the event.
"I think they should stick with what they know and do well -- not fashion," said an American woman shopping in the store during the event. "I don't think people who are fashionable are particularly techie -- they're fashion-forward. I just think this is a nuisance."
If the shopper's feedback is indicative of the rest of the market for the Apple Watch's most luxurious variants, Apple will have to lean a bit more on its technology evangelists to drive adoption. To do so, It has been recruiting bards to sing the songs of taptic input and Watch app Glances, scannable summaries of the information users frequently glance at, such as weather, location, and the time. Its Taptic Engine uses differing levels of touch for what Apple calls a nuanced experience, a "tactile sensation that's recognizably different for each kind of interaction."
Back in late October 2014, Apple posted a job opening for an Apple Watch Evangelist. The position entails a 40-hour work week and requires at least five years of experience in programming, a portfolio proving iOS experience, a credible demeanor and a track record of delivering compelling speeches.
"[As a part of the Apple's Technology Evangelism team] you'll work closely with Apple's engineering and marketing organizations on new technologies and frameworks, and enhancements to existing ones," states the job posting. "You'll help to define technical sessions for Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference as well as seasonal Tech Talks and other developer-facing workshops and events."
While Apple still hasn't committed to a release date for the Apple Watch, the smart watch is expected to launch somewhere around the end of the beginning of the second quarter of 2015.
