Karl Lagerfeld’s Custom Gold Apple Watch Actually Hid A Bizarre Secret

Most of us know that Lagerfeld was a huge name in the fashion industry. The German icon sadly passed away in February 2019, though he left behind a legacy in both his professional and personal life. Lagerfeld was creative director for both Fendi and Chanel. But that’s not all. 

Lagerfeld was a style icon in his own right and had a signature look. He was renowned for rocking a black jacket and dark sunglasses, which starkly contrasted with his white ponytail. And the designer’s established status in the fashion industry guaranteed people would notice his unique Apple Watch. 

It was a smart move, then, for Apple to gift Lagerfeld one of its new watches prior to the item’s official 2015 launch. Several other famous names reportedly also received one – including Beyoncé. So, Apple cleverly pushed to get its product in the public eye from the get-go. 

The icing on the proverbial cake was just how exclusive these forerunner watches were. According to Business Insider, Apple made them out of 18-karat yellow-gold with matching link bracelets. And the German designer’s assistant Sebastien Jondeau remarked in 2015 that Lagerfeld’s was the “first Apple Watch specially made for [him].” But aside from his status, why choose this man in particular? 

Actually, Lagerfeld broke the stereotype of an older person’s aversion to technology. Just as he was with fashion, the designer liked to be on the cutting edge when it came to utilizing new devices. Most of all, though, Lagerfeld seemingly had a passion for Apple’s products.

The Daily Telegraph noted in 2015 that Lagerfeld had a grand total of 300 iPods! Apparently, his favorite colors were metallic blue and pink, although he liked white ones, too. The German talent also had around 20 iPads and four iPhones. Clearly, a golden Apple Watch was a welcome addition to the collection. 

If you think owning that many devices borders on the eccentric, you’d be right. And it’s not the only peculiarity attributed to Lagerfeld. The late designer became quite famous for his quirky streak and unusual daily routines. For example, he didn’t have to work regular 9-to-5 hours, so his lifestyle was adjusted accordingly. 

Lagerfeld told Fashionista in 2012,” I don’t get dressed and take a bath until lunchtime because I am doing a dirty job – painting with colors. So, I wear my long nightshirt; it becomes kind of like a painter’s smock, then it goes to the laundry. I have everything – sheets and nightshirt and robes – changed every day. I like everything to be washable, myself included.”

But Lagerfeld’s dietary habits are one of the eccentricities he’s most known for. In 2000 he designed an eating regime that reportedly saw him drop 92 pounds in 13 months. How on earth did he manage this, you might wonder? Well, the fashionista and his doctor Jean-Claude Houdret revealed their secrets in the 2005 book The Karl Lagerfeld Diet. 

In the book, Lagerfeld describes an eating regime called the “Spoonlight Program.” It directs dieters to restrict themselves to low-fat and low-calorie food only – and Diet Coke, because... reasons. Carbs are avoided in favor of meals made of fruit, vegetables, lean meat and fish. So far it seems pretty normal, right?

The strangest thing about the diet is perhaps the psychology behind it. Lagerfeld apparently felt fashion should be the primary motivator for weight loss – even above health and well-being. He writes in the book, “There is nothing worse than looking longingly at clothes that you would like to wear but that are definitely too tight for you.” 

As you can see, Lagerfeld had a streak of eccentricity. It’s only to be expected, then, that his so-called Apple Watch Edition would be different to everyone else’s. Yet there’s something else to ponder: just how much did this flashy item actually cost?

Well, it turns out that Lagerfeld’s custom watch was far from cheap. In 2015 MacRumors did the math and estimated what the value of it might be. The article said, “Just the gold used in the Modern Buckle band raises the price of the Apple Watch Edition from $10,000 – with Sport band – to $17,000.” Ouch. 

MacRumors continued, “So, the price of a pure gold Link Bracelet would likely be upwards of $25,000. The Link Bracelet for the standard Apple Watch is priced at $449 and is Apple’s most expensive band.” That’s a fascinating fact, though it’s not the strangest thing about Lagerfeld’s exclusive watch!

The website Daring Fireball noticed something strange about the designer’s customized wrist accessory. It wrote, “Lagerfeld hasn’t even set this one up yet – the screen that’s shown here is the setup screen for pairing with your iPhone. You point your iPhone’s camera at your watch on this screen and it figures out which way it’s oriented, and boom, they’re paired.” 

You’d think that someone as tech-savvy as Lagerfeld would have known how to set up his customized Apple Watch, right? Yet several reports compared him to Andy Warhol – suggesting that he preferred to use it simply as a piece of jewelry. But even this fashion choice ended up leading to a legacy of sorts!

The Verge website began referring to the act of wearing an inactive Apple Watch as “Lagerfelding.” Rumors abound as to why the designer didn’t pair the device up, but there’s actually quite a simple explanation. And he explained as much at the 2015 Condé Nast International Luxury Conference following the watch’s debut.

When Lagerfeld’s host asked him about his acceptance of technology, he said, “How digital am I? I have the first [Apple Watch] with Beyoncé.” The fashion icon followed this statement by revealing that he had “no time to fix it for features.” Perhaps Lagerfeld really did just like the design?

Clearly, the late Lagerfeld made a lasting impression on both the fashion and technological world. No doubt the Apple company owes some of its renown to the late designer, too. Sure, his watch may have been purely aesthetic, but we all know that Lagerfeld liked to do things his own way.