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TAG Heuer Launches "Connected" Android Wear Smartwatch With Intel Inside (hothardware.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the nice-watch dept.

MojoKid writes: Today, TAG Heuer officially announced its Connected Watch, which is its fist watch to run Google's Android Wear operating system. $1,500 may sound like a lot to spend on a smartwatch, but TAG Heuer reckons that the high price tag won't matter given the pedigree attached to its newest wearable. The Connected takes more than a few cues from TAG Heuer's own Carrera analog watch, but replaces the intricately designed and assembled mechanical internals with microchips. TAG Heuer worked closely with both Google and Intel while developing the Connected. The smartwatch is powered by an Intel Atom Z34XX processor and offers Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, 4GB of internal storage, gyroscopic sensors and a grade 2 titanium casing./i

34 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. So less features than the Huawei Watch... by gweilo8888 · · Score: 1

    ...and less attractive to boot, for triple the price. Madness!

    1. Re:So less features than the Huawei Watch... by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 2

      Are you serious dude? It's a fist watch. The first fist watch! Do you not understand the implications of this development?

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    2. Re:So less features than the Huawei Watch... by jrumney · · Score: 1

      Maybe it runs on body heat.

      With Intel inside, its more likely to be the other way around.

  2. Grade 2 Titanium Casing by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Grade 2 titanium casing?! PERFECT for a grade 8 Slashvertisement.

    This is useless trash. EXPENSIVE useleess trash. That doesn't have an Apple logo.
    Customers will be measured in the tens.

    1. Re:Grade 2 Titanium Casing by Ken_g6 · · Score: 1

      This is useless trash. EXPENSIVE useleess trash. That doesn't have an Apple logo.

      That sounds like a good description of TAG Heuer products in general.

      --
      (T>t && O(n)--) == sqrt(666)
    2. Re:Grade 2 Titanium Casing by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 2

      This is useless trash. EXPENSIVE useleess trash. That doesn't have an Apple logo.
      Customers will be measured in the tens.

      Interestingly, I work with pilots, real professional pilots, and they seem drawn to TAG Heuer. Don't know why, but it is what it is.

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    3. Re:Grade 2 Titanium Casing by Camembert · · Score: 1

      Actually Titanium is an interesting material for watch cases because:
      - it is not allergic at all (important for some)
      - it has excellent corrosion resistance
      - it is lighter than steel which becomes noticeable in a big watch like this
      - while it has the above advantages it is not crazily expensive (well of course TH would ask for a bigger upmark)

      The only real disadvantage is that it scratches more easily than steel. It is possible that grade 2 is actually an alloy to reduce that surface softness (I am too lazy to google it)

      I must say that its classic case makes it look rather nice. Is it better than a stainless steel Apple Watch which is also quite premium in its finish with innovative straps to boot? Not so sure.
      Amusing detail that you can eventually swap (in a service center) the innards to a traditional mechanical watch though the total end price becomes high then.

    4. Re:Grade 2 Titanium Casing by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 2

      Interestingly, I work with pilots, real professional pilots, and they seem drawn to TAG Heuer. Don't know why, but it is what it is.

      Well, there's a couple of things at work here. First there's cachet; the Tag Heuer brand is widely recognized among pilots as being "the best". Part of that in truth is the heavy marketing TH did in aviation magazines showing lots of pilots with their TH watches especially during the 1970's and 1980's (though it continues to this day along with Breitling).

      Second thing at work is simple visibility. The TH watches have always been designed to be high contrast and easy to read. That's surprisingly important in a cockpit when time is the essence of navigation and you're in turbulence. Try reading your watch while swinging your arm in random directions and you get a feel for it... high contrast is key.

      Now, the truth is the second thing is almost irrelevant today with navigation electronics in anything larger than about 6 or 8 seats and more than one engine... but if you're flying a single engine craft then there's always the risk of losing all your electronics in an alternator/generator failure so you're usually expected to be spending your time between nav points plotting your course on your paper map and using your watch to keep track. Since all pilots start from single engine Cessnas and the like, this idea of "I must have a watch I can read at all times" is pretty well ingrained... and those who have actually had an electrical failure en-route probably will never be separated from their watches. Especially if you're flying in instrument conditions a good map and an easy-to-read watch can actually save your life.

  3. not good by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Funny

    As for battery life, TAG Heuer says that you’ll get roughly 30 hours of runtime in typical usage scenarios.

    you know it's bad when your watch can't outlast a winding watch from the 19th century.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:not good by stephanruby · · Score: 1

      and you know it's just a cheap disposable digital watch when there is no way to replace its battery.

    2. Re:not good by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      and you know it's just a cheap disposable digital watch when there is no way to replace its battery.

      TAG Heuer watches are not all that "cheap".

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    3. Re:not good by ortholattice · · Score: 1

      It's funny because my quartz watch outlasts not only smartwatches but all 19th century winding watches. :)

      I don't know when self-winding mechanical watches were invented, but a few years ago my quartz watch died, and I wore an old 1970s-era self-winding Timex as a temporary stopgap that turned into a couple of years, until my GF got me a new quartz because she thought the Timex was ugly. Sure it lost a minute or two every week, but I didn't find that a big deal to adjust with my computer's clock always on the screen, and it just kept working with no battery to worry about. Actually I kind of miss it.

      I hardly ever take off my watch (even the old Timex was waterproof) and would hate to have to take it off every night to recharge. So I'm completely out of the market for a watch whose battery lasts less than a year or two.

    4. Re:not good by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Sony are releasing a smart watch next year that goes for a week on a charge. It doesn't have an LCD display, just a notification LED and some health sensors. The analogue watch part has a separate watch battery that lasts for years.

      That's the sort of watch I'd like to own. A normal watch with normal watch battery life and performance, but also some built in health sensors and Bluetooth so I don't have to wear a separate band like a FitBit or whatever. Wireless charging once a week, a simple notification LED/vibration motor. Normal watch form factor, not extra thick and chunky.

      The Sony one is looking a bit expensive and for some strange reason will be iOS only at launch (i.e. not compatible with Sony's own phones), but the concept is right.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:not good by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      It doesn't have an LCD display, just a notification LED and some health sensors. The analogue watch part has a separate watch battery that lasts for years.

      There's not much need to eliminate the display. I've got a nice watch. It has analogue hands, and a couple of digital displays, one of which usually shows the date. I've no idea how long it lasts on battery power because it's solar powered, and needs very little light to stay charged (I think it's good for a few months).

      A normal watch with normal watch battery life and performance, but also some built in health sensors and Bluetooth so I don't have to wear a separate band like a FitBit or whatever.

      Out of interest why do you want the physiological sensors? Beyond a sort of "huh that's interesting" thing, I don't really understand the point.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re:not good by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Ultra low power LCD displays are fine, I was referring to the typical full face ones with colour that we see. As for health sensors, they are useful for managing certain conditions (e.g. ME) and for managing weight (because they can give you a reasonably good estimate for calorie burn per day).

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  4. Fist watch by aNonnyMouseCowered · · Score: 1

    "Today, TAG Heuer officially announced its Connected Watch, which is its fist watch"

    Finally the watch you can use to punch all those smart watch haters.

    1. Re:Fist watch by neo-mkrey · · Score: 1

      Editors, who the hell needs them, right?

  5. Why didn't they use a Quark? by williamyf · · Score: 1

    You know, the lowest powered processor intel makes...

    That should have enough performance for a Smartwatch and prolong battery life to boot....

    Actually, I do not understand why intel does not have a few quark SKUs for Smartwatches and multicore Quarks for Low End smartphones...

    --
    *** Suerte a todos y Feliz dia!
  6. Get a real watch by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The point is, if you want a real watch, that will still be nice 100 years from now, don't get a "smart watch", that's just dumb.

    If you want a "smart watch", get the cheapest one that suits your needs - it will be trash in less than 4 years.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
    1. Re:Get a real watch by kromozone · · Score: 1

      Unlike other smartwatches Tag has promised that this will be upgradeable to the latest technology for a fee. However, if they add a heart rate monitor or other such features the casing itself would need to be modified. Not that I'm arguing in favor of the device but it is worth noting.

    2. Re:Get a real watch by KH2002 · · Score: 1

      Actually, that's not what Tag Heuer promised. They said that after two years you could exchange it for a mechanical Tag Heuer — for a $1500 fee. Not so impressive.

    3. Re:Get a real watch by kromozone · · Score: 1

      http://www.wareable.com/smartw...

      "The watch will change the technology as it develops, Jean-Claude Biver was clear about that. We want to be able to change the technology but keep the watch elements."

    4. Re:Get a real watch by dinfinity · · Score: 1

      Although possibly not for everyone, there is a modular smartwatch that may be able to alleviate some issues in this regard:
      http://www.chooseblocks.com/#m...

      I'm not sure whether this is something that will stick, but the general idea appeals to me, especially as the developers have said that the intent is to open it up to development of parts/modules by third parties.
      OTOH, given that third parties will also develop the exterior, having modules from different manufacturers might leave the band looking like shit.

    5. Re:Get a real watch by KH2002 · · Score: 1

      Your information is > 6 months old. There is no technology upgrade.

  7. Outdated in a two years... by HockeyPuck · · Score: 1

    My 1980s Casio digital watch still keeps perfect time, and my father's Omega Speedmaster from 72 or so still runs like a champ.

    $1000 on a watch that'll have a dead battery and have it's firmware downlevel in no time.

    1. Re:Outdated in a two years... by easyTree · · Score: 1

      More expensive == better == you are an alpha!

      Get with the program.

      --
      Requiem for the American Dream
  8. Re:Mechanical with digital features by Camembert · · Score: 1

    i know people who like their smartwatches. My sister in law is such a practical person. She had a nice dressed watch, style Cartier or so, and now she only wears the apple watch for practicality. She loves the calendar and message warnings on the wrist.
    I do prefer a mechanical watch, but I can see her point.

  9. $1500 may sound like a lot? by DrXym · · Score: 2

    $1500 IS a lot for a watch. Especially one which will be bitrotten or obsolete within 2 years. It'll just be some worthless piece of crap gathering dust at the bottom of a drawer after that.

    1. Re:$1500 may sound like a lot? by Begemot · · Score: 1

      $1500 IS a lot for a watch. Especially one which will be bitrotten or obsolete within 2 years. It'll just be some worthless piece of crap gathering dust at the bottom of a drawer after that.

      First go read TFA, then:
      1. $1,500 is a competitive price for a Swiss-made luxury watch.
      2. They offer to replace it for free by a regular mechanical watch that looks exactly the same as Connect.

    2. Re:$1500 may sound like a lot? by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Maybe you should read TFA. " After that warranty is up, owners will have the opportunity to trade it in, pay an additional $1,500 and receive a “real” mechanical TAG Heuer watch."

      So no you don't get a mechanical watch for free. You get a mechanical watch if you drop another $1500. So $3000 in total. And which mechanical watch does it get you? It doesn't say.

      I very much doubt it's "Swiss made" or even what that even means for a device whose innards were probably produced in some far East factory.

  10. Pricepoint by loadedmind · · Score: 1

    Honestly, I was interested in a smartwatch with Tag Heuer involved...until I saw the price tag. Then, I completely lost interest and didn't even bother with the specs. I already have a tough time shelling out $400 for the lesser smart watches, let alone $1500.

  11. Re:The time by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 1

    It depends a lot on your use case.

    I use my 360 all the time. It's right there on my wrist, so even while driving if I receive a notification that I've received a text message I can flip my wrist over and check the summary on my wrist to see if I need to respond to it, or if it can wait until I get to my destination. I don't need to pull my phone out of my pocket or retrieve it from my jacket that may be hanging in the back of my car (depending on where I put it). I get reminders of appointments and again I don't have to rely on my phone to do the same. In fact, because the alarm on my 360 is vibrate only I can actually turn the notifications completely off on my phone most of the time and I still know what's going on. Similarly, in a meeting when my phone rings I can immediately see who's calling at a glance and throw it off to voicemail. I also like the ability to use the microphone in my 360 to set timers, set an alarm, bring up the weather etc. For my use case, it works extremely well.

    I also travel frequently enough that it's really nice when going through security and boarding the plane to have my boarding pass QR on my watch display instead of my phone. I know American Airlines app on Android Wear does this, not sure about others (I've flowing pretty much exclusively American since I got my 360 a year ago).

    I'll also note that because I'm not turning my phone on every time there's a notification or I want to know the time, my battery life on my phone actually increased when I moved to a smartwatch.

    As far as charging every night, that's less of a problem than you might think. I don't wear my watch to bed, so I have my Moto 360 charging base sitting on my nightstand right next to the cable for my phone. Instead of setting my watch on the nightstand itself, I set it on the charging base and voila... no problems. It's no more a chore than setting it down, really. Yes, it can be frustrating if you are traveling and forget the base, but that's also true of forgetting charging cables for any of your other devices. So far it hasn't been a problem. Battery life also isn't half bad on the 360; I can get about 30 hours of tested time out of mine... given that I charge it nightly that's pretty bloody impressive and I have no complaints about it.

    I do agree though that this is still a nascent industry... people haven't really found that killer app for a smartwatch yet, but for people like me who are natural early adopters, techies and people who just like stuff like this I think there's still a market.

  12. Ugly, expensive, obsolete--pick three! by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 1

    As a cyclist, I've got a special place in my heart for things made out of titanium. But something about the casing on this watch and the matte finish makes it look like plastic, and the face looks really fake. I know that it IS fake, but it LOOKS fake. Some of the other smartwatches out there have the good sense to at least attempt the illusion of depth.

    But what part of this watch is actually Tag Heuer? Not the internals, and the watch face isn't anything special if you can just swap it in and out for anything else. You're left with an ugly watch casing (subjective, I know) and a brand name. Normally you can use the brand name as a proxy for some quality you want (lightness, thinness, openness, what have you) but this brand is a proxy for nothing here. The watch will be obsolete immediately and it has no qualities that stand it apart from every other watch on the market--it's not even the most expensive! It even fails as a Veblen good.

    Mediocre.

  13. Fist Watch by __aanhjr1420 · · Score: 1

    > its Connected Watch, which is its fist watch

    So it must be waterproof, but I'd imagine it might go missing in some inconvenient places.