Samsung’s Rose Gold Plated Gear S2 Classic Smartwatch Makes Timely Global Debut With $500+ MSRP

These new smartwatches, which are labeled as Gear S2 Classic New Edition, feature plated finishes layered atop the Gear S2 Classic’s stainless steel housing. The 18K Rose Gold model comes with an ivory leather band, while the Platinum version is offset nicely with a black leather band. But that’s not all, Samsung has also thrown in some new watch faces that are exclusive to the Gear S2 Classic New Edition featuring artwork from Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. And in a nod to Apple, which added a foot-tappin’ Mickey Mouse as a watch face for its Apple Watch, Samsung has also dipped into the cartoon well with infinitely cooler Snoopy watch faces.

The Gear S2 Classic New Edition is launching worldwide today, but the folks in China will have the first shot at purchasing the new smartwatches. The rest of the world can expect to see the smartwatches in the coming weeks. Although we don’t have any official word yet on U.S. pricing, some sleuthing has uncovered that the Rose Gold and Platinum Gear S2 Classic New Edition are up for pre-order in Europe for €480 (around $520).

For comparison, the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition (solid gold, not plated) starts at $10,000. However, Apple also makes an anodized gold version of its aluminum-bodied Apple Watch Sport which is priced from $349.