Keeping in mind that AP is a company in strong development, i would rate this watch has a real marketing tour de force....
To sale such watch that "everybody" hates for +5m usd is showing how strong the AP brand is positioned at the moment ...
PS: while the photo shown here is crap, the watch is incredibly detailed and refined when shown in high res photo...
It is just a marketing ploy yes, and one to create hype. It is successful in getting people to talk incessantly about it and I guess they got what they want.
Everyone neglects to mention that it is a 1 of 1 limited edition, and for good reason too. It does not compromise their brand position to produce a one off frivolous novelty watch.
If the watch gets negative attention they can always say that its a collaboration with Marvel for charity and that it is a"1 off" watch.
If everyone loves the watch, they can consider a tweaked version down the line.
Either way, its a win-win situation for AP. Yes the watch may not be to anyone's liking and is ridiculed to no end but if you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, you will see clearly what this is all about, and how the brand cannot lose from this. There is no such thing as bad press with this release, especially for an established brand like AP.
