“When the prices of the steel and (especially) gold Apple Watches are announced, I expect the tech press to have the biggest collective shit-fit in the history of Apple-versus-the-standard-tech-industry shit-fits.”
So wrote Daring Fireball’s John Gruber last fall. The only thing he would change today, he says, is that he now thinks it’s the price of the steel Watch — the one so many have set their hearts on — that’s going to cause the massive collective shit-fit.
In Saturday’s Apple Watch Prelude Gruber predicts that the steel model could cost, depending on the band, anywhere from $849 to $1,999.
Below: His final price list for the two form factors, 38mm and 42mm.
- Apple Watch Sport (all colors): $349/399
- Apple Watch, steel, Sport Band: $749/799
- Apple Watch, steel, Classic Buckle: $849/899
- Apple Watch, steel, Milanese Loop: $949/999
- Apple Watch, steel, Modern Buckle (38mm only): $1199
- Apple Watch, steel, Leather Loop (42mm only): $1299
- Apple Watch, steel, Link Bracelet: $1499/1599
- Apple Watch, space black steel, Link Bracelet: $1899/1999
- Apple Watch Edition, Sport Band: $7499/7999
- Apple Watch Edition, Modern Buckle (38mm only): $9999
- Apple Watch Edition, Classic Buckle (42mm only): $10,999
- Apple Watch Edition, Gold Milanese Loop: $14,999/$16,999
- Apple Watch Edition, Gold Link Bracelet: $17,999/$19,999
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It’s a well-reasoned piece by a seasoned Apple watcher with good sources in the company’s marketing department. Highly recommended, even if it will be moot by Monday afternoon.
See also: Apple Watch rumor round-up
Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter at @philiped. Read his Apple (AAPL) coverage at fortune.com/ped or subscribe via his RSS feed.
