HP is taking a different approach to the smartwatch space than most other electronics companies. Rather than cram a kitchen sink operating system onto a wristwatch, HP partnered with designer Michael Bastian to design a high-end, stylish watch and then added the hardware to let it talk to your phone.

The MB Chronowing is first and foremost a watch. But it’s also a little smart.

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The MB Chronowing watch launches November 7th and a basic model with a stainless steel watch and leather, rubber and nylon straps will sell for $349. There’s also a $649 model with a black case, sapphire crystal glass, and an alligator strap.

Both versions feature black and white LCD displays that can display notifications for text messages, calendar notifications, weather, stock prices, or other data as well as clock dial that actually shows you the time… all the time.

The watch doesn’t have a touchscreen or microphone. Instead you interact with it using three buttons on the side of the watch which you can use to trigger a stopwatch, interact with notifications, or perform other basic actions.

HP and Michael Bastian’s smartwatch may not be able to do as many things as a Moto 360, Apple Watch, or even Pebble smartwatch. But it gets up to 7 days of battery life and looks more like a watch than a mini computer strapped to your wrist.

These watches are limited edition devices though, and they’re available exclusively from Gilt.

via WSJ

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5 replies on “HP and Michael Bastian’s smartwatch launches Nov 7th for $349 and up”

  1. wow, chronometer style and still fugly :p
    .
    Is this supposed to be the Pontiac Aztec or the AMC Pacer of watches?

    .
    Maybe hire someone from Switzerland next time, HP…?

  2. All well and good but these are getting in to the price ranges of fairly fancy watches, not your £35 Casios of the past. But unlike a Casio, will these still work in a decade or two? Can I glance at it to see the time or will I have to press or do something to see the time? Can the battery be replaced? Can it be repaired? Is it CHAINED to some online server, cloud service or app on a particular mobile platform which will be long gone in 5 years, thus rendering it useless? Moreover is this a premium price tag for a product designed and destined for a landfill within 24 months, like the prevailing trend of tablets and phones?

    Looks nice but still not where a ‘smarter’ watch needs to be. It’s like the proper Kirk said to Khan, it’s like some poor marksman who just keeps missing the target.

    Until the watch companies get onboard with an open specification and open source software, designed for long term use, these things will be a string of misses and failures.

  3. Nice to see a smartwatch that doesn’t scream “dorky” the way a lot of the Android watches to date and the apple Watch do.

    1. oh I see… it doesn’t…?
      Unfortunately, that was the first adjective that came to my mind upon seeing it. :p

      Well, maybe people driving with a shotgun rack in the back of their rusted pickup truck, will wear this without the slightest embarrassment.

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