Vertu has been selling luxury smartphones since 2002, first as a Nokia brand and since 2012 as its own company. Vertu today unveiled its latest smartphone, the New Signature Touch (pictured below), which carries a selling price that starts at €8,400.00 (about US$9,400 or CA$12,500). In an interview that followed the unveiling, Vertu CEO Max Pogliani confirmed that the company is now also considering entering the wearables market with a luxury offering. “I think it is getting to a level of maturity which is worth having a look having a look for us,” he told CNET.
Pogliani did not reveal exactly what kind of wearables Vertu might offer. “How Vertu can fit in this space is what we are looking at at the moment,” he explained. “For us, it will not be just another product — it has to deliver the full DNA in terms of design, materials and functionality.” It might not be a smartwatch as Pogliani appears unimpressed. “For me, when I think wearables, I don’t think watch by definition. What I see today is ‘interesting’ — but is very, very gimmicky.”
If and when Vertu does get into wearables, we can expect it will use the same luxury materials such as alligator skin, titanium and sapphire crystal displays as it does for its smartphones. You can also expect some form of its 24-hour worldwide concierge service to be available to manage requests ranging from recommendations and priority bookings to access to ‘money-can’t-buy’ events and experiences.
Pogliani also warned that other luxury brands may be rushing into wearables too fast. “We will also see a lot of luxury brands — I’m not talking about Apple, I’m talking about the real luxury brands — regret what they have done today in this panic. Sleeping with your enemy can sometimes be very, very dangerous.” The comment appears to have been directed at the new partnership between Apple and Hermès but could equally apply to other luxury companies now entering the wearables space such as Fréderique Constant, Mondaine and Tag Heuer.
Perhaps Vertu’s wearables will more closely resemble the Christophe & Co. Armill smart bracelet than a smartwatch.
Source : CNET