Mondaine, a Swiss watchmaker perhaps best known for its Mondaine/SBB Swiss Railways watch, today announced its first smartwatch. The Mondaine Helvetica No 1 Smart is billed as a “watch that proudly references its past, while simultaneously taking a bold step into its future” as well as being the first Swiss-made smartwatch. Unlike most smartwatches currently available it focuses solely on activity and sleep tracking.
At first glance its dial bears little resemblance to the blinking LED screens of its competitors of smartwatches; it just looks like a regular Mondaine Helvetica Bold. The clue lies in the sub dial at six o’clock. This isn’t a small-seconds or an annual calendar, but an analogue representation of the smart technology that is at the heart of this unique timepiece.
At the heart of the Mondaine Helvetica No 1 Smart is Manufacture Modules Technologies’ (MMT) Horological Smartwatch Open Platform, a joint venture between between Silicon Valley’s Fullpower Technologies and Swiss company Union Horlogère. It incorporates MotionX activity tracking and Sleeptracker sleep monitoring technologies.
In terms of functionality, the Mondaine Helvetica No 1 Smart offers very similar functionality to that of the Whithings Acitivité and Activité Pop. The dial simply provides analogue progress updates with the matching app providing the specific details.
“This is a beautiful Swiss watch that is also connected and smart,” said Andre Bernheim, CEO of Mondaine. “Don’t forget Mondaine, founded by our father in 1951, introduced one of the world’s first LCD and LED watches and now we are doing something which is the next step in today’s watch industry. This is the first-ever Swiss-made horological smartwatch. It is a world first and Mondaine is proud to be at the forefront of this new technology, thanks to a collaboration with MMT.”
The Mondaine Helvetica No 1 Smart will be offered in a classic brushed matte steel case, white dial, sapphire crystal and a leather strap.
The Mondaine Helvetica No 1 Smart will be formally presented at Baselworld which starts on March 19. It is expected to go on sale this fall for about CHF850 (about CA$1120).
Source : Mondaine