Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days hasn't even started, and the best Apple Watch discount already belongs to a competitor.
Target is selling the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $349.99, down $50 from its $399.99 list price, ahead of Amazon's two-day sale on Oct. 6 and 7. Right now it's the only real Apple Watch deal out there. A previously tracked discount on the Apple Watch SE 3 has already lapsed - that watch is back up to $298, a dollar over its own list price. The Series 11 brings a bright display, solid battery life, ECG readings, sleep scores, hypertension alerts, and crash and fall detection, all wired into the usual iOS integration.
This is the awkward middle stretch before a sales event: retailers float early markdowns to grab shoppers before Amazon's splashier numbers land, but the inventory worth discounting is thin. A dollar-over-list "deal" on the SE 3 is a reminder that not every sale badge survives contact with the actual price history.
For comparison, the broader wearables market is already discounting harder - Garmin's Instinct Crossover Solar is down $190 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra is off $170 - which makes Apple's $50 trim look more like a toe in the water than a Prime Day opening shot.