Another Swiss watchmaker is about to jump into the smartwatch market. Swatch Group AG CEO Nick Hayek told Bloomberg that the company will launch its first Swatch smartwatch within the next three months.
Hayek revealed little about the upcoming smartwatch but indicated that it would be compatible with both Android and Windows. There was no mention of compatibility with iOS though.
The Swatch smartwatch will also have the ability to make mobile payments. It will use NFC to do so. It will also not need to be recharged, suggesting that it will incorporate an automatic or self-winding mechanism as many traditional watches offer today. This would be a strong advantage over devices offered by competitors which often require daily charging. Even the Apple Watch which is expected to launch around the same time is expected to require frequent charging.
Swatch also has another advantage that will likely work in its favour. Decades-long expertise in watches could allow it to offer bendable and long-lasting batteries. It also holds patents on a range of technologies including batteries based on new materials that can double performance.
Swatch also owns the Tissot watch brand which already offers a range of watches with touchscreen displays and a range of sensors. There is no question that it could use that know-how in its less expensive Swatch line as well.
Only two years ago, Hayek dismissed smartwatches as something that would not be a “revolution” for the industry. It appears that recent advances have made him reconsider that statement.
Swatch joins a growing number of traditional watch makers jumping into the smartwatch market. Others include Tag Heuer, Hoptroff with the Hotblack Stockmarket and Montblanc with its Timewalker Urban Speed e-Strap.
Source : Bloomberg