Apple declares its first-generation 18-Karat Gold watch obsolete

Apple has added its first-generation Apple Watches, also known as the ‘Series Zero,’ to the company’s list of obsolete products. This means that the watches, including the $17,000 gold Apple Watch, will no longer be supported for repairs. The watch was made from 18-karat gold and was discontinued in 2016 after its original release in 2014.  

Furthermore, software support for these watches was also discontinued in 2018, with WatchOS 5 being the last supported version. 

The report further states that other variants of the Apple Watch Series Zero, including the 38mm and 42mm aluminum and stainless-steel versions, as well as the Hermès variants, are also now classified as obsolete. 

Once a product gets past its life cycle, Apple classifies a product in two categories: Obsolete or Vintage. Products become ‘Obsolete’ when “Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago," and thus, “Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products," and service providers can’t order parts for repairs. 

Considering it has been more than 7 years since the original watches were released to the public, it makes sense for Apple to finally discontinue them.  

A customer can still attempt to have these obsolete products repaired at third-party outlets and service centers, but whether one will be able to get repairs done solely depends on the availability of parts and trained labor.