9to5Mac has the transcript of Apple internal video that implies that the Apple Watch won’t ship until “the spring” of 2015. The company’s been saying publicly only that watch would be available in “early 2015.”
Retail SVP Angela Ahrendts, recruited from Burberry to run the stores, told staffers that the watch would come out after Chinese New Year, which in 2015 is on February 19 — after Valentine’s Day, which would have been another logical target for a luxury gift item. But it seems to us that the intersection of the sets “early 2015” and “Spring 2015” is late March; Spring starts on March 20, and the 2nd quarter starts on April 1 — after which, 2015 isn’t “early” anymore.
9to5Mac also mentions off-handedly that hardware work continues on the Watch, and that Apple has reached its goal of all-day battery life and all-night charging. It also says that stores are being prepared to provide a jewelry store-type environment for the watches, with customers able to try on the goods before buying.