Can hybrid watches hijack the ascent of the smartwatch?
A smartwatch is never going to have the timelessness or sentimentality of a traditional watch. Smartwatches aren’t a style accessory — they are simply an extension of our phones, tablets and laptops.
However, hybrid watches generally combine a quartz movement that drives conventional hour and minute hands around a regular dial, but with a bluetooth-enabled chip that can offer features such as tracking, app notifications, GPS connectivity and the ability to remotely control certain smartphone functions. Fans are happy to sacrifice the functionality of a full-blown smartwatch for the hybrids’ more traditional, elegant aesthetic.
A growing number of dial names now offer hybrid models: among them, the large US brand Fossil, Scandinavians Skagen and Kronaby, and leading smartwatch maker Samsung.
Also, among traditional watchmakers pursuing the hybrid theme is Switzerland-based Frederique Constant.
However, hybrid watches generally combine a quartz movement that drives conventional hour and minute hands around a regular dial, but with a bluetooth-enabled chip that can offer features such as tracking, app notifications, GPS connectivity and the ability to remotely control certain smartphone functions. Fans are happy to sacrifice the functionality of a full-blown smartwatch for the hybrids’ more traditional, elegant aesthetic.
A growing number of dial names now offer hybrid models: among them, the large US brand Fossil, Scandinavians Skagen and Kronaby, and leading smartwatch maker Samsung.
Also, among traditional watchmakers pursuing the hybrid theme is Switzerland-based Frederique Constant.
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